The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-08-30
WILSON PROPOSES LEGISLATION
To PREVENT RAILROAD STRIKE

5bEl1 10 D Sbh@ lAha ahM
princ!plo OF arbitration In industrial dis
putes. but matters have come 20 a SUD,
den crisis In this particular dispute AMI
the country had been caught unproFlded
! with any practicable means Of enforcing
that conviction in practlc" thy whose
fault we will not now stop TO INQUIRE
4 situation had 10 lie net whose eic-
mnntS and fixed conditions were indiS-
putahlc. The practical ana PatFlotlc
course 20 pursue. as II seemed Ia me. was
10 secure immediate peace by concetinS
| he ono thing in thu demands or the men
which society itself and any nrblters
VIII" represented public sentiment were
most likely 10 approve. and lmme-
diately lay the foui1tlat ions for securing
arbitration with regard IN everything
else involved. The event has confirmed
that judgment. WAS seeking 10 COM
pose the present in order 10 safeguard
tn. future; for wished an atmosphere
OF peace and friendly cooperation In
which 10 lake counsel Win IN" repre-
$.natives of the nation win regard 10
! the hes, means for providing, SO f4r
rs it might prove possible to provide
against the recurrence Of such unhappy
situations in the futurc-thc best and
and fair arbitration Of all industrial
disputes in the days tn come. rms IL
assurcrly the best way Of rlndlcatlns
pricipIe. namely. having failed 70
make certain Of It's observance IN inc
present. TO make certain of its ohserv-
Says He could Only Propose.
Rut | could only propose. / could not
govern the will of others VINO look All
entirely different view of ths circun,
stances Of the case. who even retusco
to admit tho circumstances 10 De what
they have turned out 10 be.
Having failed 10 bring the parties 10
this critical controversy 10 IN accomuo-
"a 10, 10 YOU, UGGIn-
ing it clearly our duty as puoIlc seFF-
ants Ia leave nothing undone that we
can Go 10 safeguard the life and IN.
,crcslS Of the nation. In the spirit OF
such q purpose earnestly fecoihllienu
the following legislation:
First Immediate provision Tor inc
enlargement and administrative FeoF
ganization of The interstate commerce
commission along the lines cmhcdled IN
the bill recently rasScd by The house oil
representatives and now awaiting action
bv the senate; in order that the COM
mission may b q. Cna led to deal Win Ihe
many great and various duties now de1
vulvinE upon ii was promp'mesS ai.u
thoroushnrss which are with It's pres
cnt constitution and means and actlon
pracl ically Impossible.
second - Establishment Of an eight
hour day as the legal basis allke OF
all railway employees who arc act uaIIg
engaged in the work Of operating trains
in interstate transportation.
] Third-The authorization OF the APP
-rnintmcnt by the president ul sinai
hodv OF men TO observe the actual re.
suits in experience # the adoption OF
The eight-hour day IN railway trans
portation alike for the men ana ior tnS
railroads: its effects III the mater on
onrraunC cost, In the application OF the
Existing practices and agreements 10 inc
new conditions and in all other practlcai
aspccts. with the provision that the IN
vcsligators shall report their conclu-
sinnS 10 tho congress at me carries pST o,,
sihlc date but without recommendation
ms TO legislative action. in order tnat
fhe pubuc may learn from an UMPIRE
JUDGED source just what actual deVei-
opments have ensued
investigation Proposed.
Fourth explicit approval by the Lon
rress Of tho consideration by the Inter-
state Commerce Commission OIL an III,
crease Of freight rates 10 meet sucn au-
ditional expenditures by the railroads as
NAV have been rendered necessary ny
The adoption Of the eieht-hour day ana
which have not been offset by aumln-
istrative readjustmcnts and ECONOMIES
should the facts disclosed JUSTLY the
Fifth. an amendment Of the existing
federal statute which provides 1or tne
mediation, Cancellation ana arolLraeiSS, 81,
at such controversies as the present .!
adding 10 it a provision that in case the
methods Of accommodation now pro
Widcd for should fall, full public In
yesliEation or the merits OF every such
dispute shall he instituted ana com.
plcted before q strike or LOCKOUT Hi"S
lawfully he attempted.
And. sixth, the Judgment in the hanoS
of the executive of the power, IN case VI
military necessity 10 take control OF suCil
portions and such rolling STOCK Oh tue
RAILWAYS of tho country az may be re-
Guired for military use and 10 operate
them for military purposes. with au-
thority -, draft into the military serE-
ice OF the United States suCh IaLl
crews and administrative officials As the
circumstances require for their safe ana
efficient use. -
!, This last suggestion l make because
VIC cannot in any circumstances sutte'
the nation 10 be hampercd in the essen
tial matter of national Defense Al INC
present moment circumstances render
this duty particularly obvious, ALMOST
the entire military forces OF lhe na.to,.
TO Guard our territory against hostiie
raids. II must be supplied and steauiiy
supplied. with whatever 1t needs l0r 'tS
maintenance and efficiency. II II should
he necessary for purposes or natlnnal ue-
f"nsc Ia transfer any portion of 1t upon
short notice to some other part OF the
country for reasons now unlorseen, aisi-
pie means Of transportation mus Dc
svailab BILE and available without delay.
The rover conferred in this matter
should be carefully and explicitly nm
tied to cases of military necessity ous
in all such cases it should be clear ana
ample.
There is one ether thing we should 40
if We arc true champions of arbitration.
we should make all arbttral awards a;S .,S
in order that their Interpretation anu
enforcement may lie no, with one 60 OF ' ne
;mnariial and authoritative tribunal.
These things l urge upon &c 3GI m net N
;, nraennt emergency but as permanent
and necessary additions to the law 81
the land. suggested, indeed ny clrcuI,-
stances we had hoped never to see but
IMPERATIVE as we'll as just If such emer-
cencIes are 10 be prevented in the ~
lure feel that no extended argument
is needed 10 commend them TO your
favorable consideration They demon
strate themselves. The time and tho
OCCASION only gives emphasis TO tnelr
,1nortance. We need them now and we
shall continue to need them.
AJIT TIT nlKE