New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-29
HUGHES SEES NO
NEED OF APOLOGY
Continued from page 1

chairman. and all the other Republican
/ leaders in the state except William
1 Barnes, who was represented by Har-
old Hinman, of Albany, sat on the plat
/ form while Mr.. Hughes spoke. County
leaders from every corner of the state
were represented among the thousand
delegates who filed the floor.
II did not take Mr.. Hughes long TO
| launch into his attack on the Adamson
law. He started by reading from Presi-
I dent Wilson's message of August % TO
the joint session of Congress, which
forty-eight hours later rushed the
eight-hour bill to passage, this extract:
But matters have come to a sudden
crisis in this particular dispute the
railroad controversy and the country
should not be caught unprovided with
any practicable means of enforcing
that conviction that arbitration should
be used, by whose fault we will not
now stop TO inquire"
Thea Mr.. Hughes went on to say:
Not a Sudden Crisis.
Now, let's see what justification
there IS in referring to this as a sudden
crisis. ] read TO you a paragraph from
a letter Of July %, 1916, from Harry A.
Wheeler, of the United States Chamber
Of Commerce, 10 the President:
81 feel constrained TO bring to your
attention a matter in connection with
the controversy between the railroads
and the trainmen's 'brotherhoods, in
the hope that you will see fit to start
an inquiry on behalf of the Administra-
ton as TO the near approach of an
actual crisis in the matter and to verify
the statement which herewith submit
Here was American business a month
before asking for an inquiry Then
here Is statement Of August 4, 1916.
by the chairman of the Senate Inter
state Commerce Committee with respect
10 laying on the table of the Senate
joint resolution 145, for an investiga-
tion by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. for which American business
had been asking.
1T was determined TO have no hear
ing upon the subject. but 10 lay the
resolution upon the table. The commit
tee deemed it advisable while proceed
ings were pending under the mediation
/ and cancellation act, to take up the sub
Jcct OF pay and hours of service of the
railway employees. IL was also deemed
/ inadvisable to add to the present duties
OF the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion, which, as is well known, is over
loaded with work.
Another telegram from Mr. Wheeler
| to the chairman of the Senate COM
mittee was as follows:
Action of Senate committee at
meeting to-day great disappointment.
If resolution tabled because committee
believed consideration should only fol-
low declaration strike, votes and dead
lock next week, position might be ten
able.
Respectfully called to your atten-
ton that resolution upon which hearing
was asked was passed by representa-
tives Of 100000 business firms and cor
porations who feel they have perfect
right TO ask for hearing upon n resolu
ton in which they are vitality inter
ested, and would be glad to be advised
whether such hearing is positively de
MED, or whether we may expect 10 be
advised that hearing will be granted
after reconvcning Of New York confer
cnce next Tuesday If efforts Of Admin
! istratlon IN meantime 10 bring about
adjustment of differences fail. AZ chair
man Senate committee, can you assure
business interests of this country cour-
tesy of hearing In time for action TO be
taken before Congress adjournment"
That was nearly month before
| this sudden crisis which required a
yielding to force without inquiry.
"The next is an extract from a letter
| dated August 3, 1916, from the Cham
Der of Commerce Of the United States
to the chairman Of the Senate Com
mittec on Interstate Commerce. Il
says:
1.-The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion is the only body that can make
such an inquiry with a result accepta-
bic 10 the railroad employees, the roads
themselves and the general public. ANY
special commission might be more or
less tinged with politics. The Inter-
state Commerce Commission is sufIi-