The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1916-09-15
Congress IndOrSes PubIiC's
View of 8-HOur Day.
Law Permits Mastery Retreat by
Railroad Managers.

Washington. Sept. l5-By vote
of 43 TO % the United States senate
Saturday, September, 2, passed the
house eight hour bill for railroad
employees engaged in interstate
commerce. The day before TIE
house passed the same bill, into
duced by congr ssman Adamson,
chairmanof the interstate and for
eign commerce committte,, by a
vote of 239 to SO
The senate rejected every amend
ment 70 the house, as any change
would necessitate a conference be.
tween the two branches of con-
gress. This delay would resnlt in
nation wide strike, as the bro
therhood executives were unyield
ing in their refusal to disobey the
order of their fellows that strike
should be called Monday, Sept 4,
if a settlement was not reached.
Immediately after the senate $
action the four brotherhood execu-
tives telegragraphed 800 code mes
sages to general chairman located
all over the country, calm off the
strike.
President Wilson signed the bill
Sunday morning. Monday, he
signed the bill again, as TIE point
was raised that his Sunday sigma
ture might not be legal,
The law provi es that after Jan
uary next eight hours shall con
stitute a days work for men en-
gagged In the operation of trains IN
interstate commerce excepting
roads less than 100 miles long and
electric lines, that they shall re
Iceive p.o rata pay for work in ex
cess of eight hours and that wage
rates shall remain unchanged pend
ing an investigation of the effect OF
the law upon the railroads by a
commission to be appointed by the
president
President Wilson suggested the
Isame solution several days ago. Il
was accepted by the workers bu
rejected by the managers. As The
| brotherhood executives stood like
a concrete wall, determined tc
carry out the orders given them BY
400 600 organized employees, the
question simmered down to tw,
plans of action permit the trans
portatior systems Of this country
being tied up or congress suspend
all rules and hastily write into the
statutes Presi lent Wilson s sugges.
tions. The latter plan was accep
ted, though over three score law
walkers aud a large section of the
daily rress. blind to changing or
ders were aghast at the 'insolence
the coercion" and the intimida
tion" of these workers, who stooC
united for the FIRST time, and who
were conscious of their invincible
economic power to secure a shorter
workday
On the previous Thursday the
senate committee IN interstate com.
merce held an all day hearing on
the proposed law. At one end oi
the committee room were ranged q
score of the most powerful railroad
managers, who also had the power
of attorney for the other railroad
systems Of this country At the
other end Of the room were the
four brotherhood executives and
President Gompers, hanked by
other A. F of L. and brotherhood
officials, the group forming an in.
. spring picture of labor's solidarity
and siugleness of purpose.
AS spokesman for the brother
hoods, president Garretson of the
conductors first presented the en-
ployes side. He said that the
managers have not made one dehn.
ite ofer and the only suggestion
of settlement by the managers,
known as the yard stick, was SC
indefinite that the managers them
selves acknowledged they did not
thoroughly understand it.
The speaker objected to any law
that savored of compulsory arbitra-
tion or compulsory wage setting, or
a denial OF workers to quit their