The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1916-09-07
CONGRESS PASSES
new 8-H0UR Law
DtiL WHICH AvERTED THREAT.
ENED STRIKE PASSES HOUSE
RY VOTE 2ss TO SO.
TWO DEMOCRATS VOTE NAY

cialIst Voted In Favor Of the Now
Blll.--severai Minor Amendments
Were Made to the Bill.
Washington.--The Adamson eight
hour day bill which railroad brother.
hood officials said formally would
avert the threatened strike IL enacted
was passed by the House and sent to
the Senate.
The vote was 23s to 56 with five
members not voting present.
Official Houae Vote.
The official vote in the House on
the final passage of the amended Adam.
son eight-hour day bill was:
Ayes 239; nays, Sc; present. s. Two
Democrats voted against the bilr and
70 Republicans. and the one Socialist
voted for It. None of the Progressives
voted
The original text OF the provision
was as follows:
Be 1t enacted by tho Senate and
House Of Representatives Of the Unit.
ed. States of America in Congress- as.
sembled.
Section I. That beginning Dscem:
Der l. 1915, eight hours shall in con:
tracts for labor and service bo deem.
ed days work and the measure or
standard OF days work for the pur.
pose of reckoning the compensation
for services Of all employees who are
now or may hereafter be employed
bY any railroad .
Section 2. That tho President
shall appoint a commission Of three,
which shall observe the operation and
effects OF the institution Of the eight
hour standard work day as above de-
fined and the facts and conditions at
fecting the relations between such
common carriers and employees dur
ing a period of not less than six
months nor more than nine months,
I'm the discretion Of the commission
and within 80 days thereafter such
commission shall report It's findings to
the President and Congress-. That
each member Of the commission Great.
ed under tho provisions Of this a@
shall receive such compensation as
may be fixed by the President. The
4.
may be necessary be, and hereby is
appropriated out of any money in the
United States Treasury. 80"
Section 8. That pending the report
OF the commission. herein provided
for, and for period Of 80 days there
after. the compensation Of railway
employees subject to this act for q
standard eight-hour work day shall
not be reduced below the present
standard days wage and for all neces.
sary time in excess of eight hours
such employees shall be paid at a rate
not less than the pro rata rate for
such standard tight-hour work day.
Section 4. That any person volat.
fined not less than 500 and not more
than $1,000. or imprisoned not to ex,
ceed one year. or both.
The Adamson bill as passed in tho
House by vote of 289 to Sc. with mi.
nor amendments. Is the same measure
which the brotherhood leaders official.
ly declared would constitute q "satis.
factory settlement" and prevent the
strike. The amendments, added to
conform to draft framed by the Sen.
ate Interstate Commerce Committee
would fax the effective date at January
I instead of December 1, 1916. and ex.
empt railroads less than 100 miles long
and electric street and interurban
lines.
1T was after day OF hot debate
that the House passed the bill, under
q special rule brought in when Re-
pubiica3 Leader Mann objected to It's
consideration. Less than half OF the
Republicans followed their floor leader
in the opposition and when the final
vote came 70 OF them lined up with
the majority, only Sc voted against the
measure. Just two Democrats, Repre-.
sentatives Steele Of Pennsylvania. and
Black OF Texas, stood out against tho
bill and Representative London OF
Now York, Socialist, voted for It,
Red tape was eliminated as far as
possible to rush the measure over TO
the Senate which, after several hours
OF lively discussion over a bill report.
ed by It's Interstate Commerce Com.
mittee. had recessed until 8 o'clock.
At the outset OF the night session
Senator Newlands sought and obtain.
ed unanimous consent to put aside the
Senate bill and take up the one sent
over from the House. thereby paving
the way for quick final action without
parliamentary formalities that other.
wise would be necessary. Then Sena.
tor Underwood brought up the issue
over which the Senate is divided by
proposing as an amendment tho rate.
fixing provision of the discarded Sen.
ate bill.
Three >Hours' Debate.
Over this amendment debate waged