The Detroit times., 1916-09-25

bat also in the ultimate effects. the
soreness left, the resentment that
would remain. the feeling OF hostil-
lty that would be sccentuated. and
80 I asked the privilege or consulting
with them.
Before l consulted with them I,
OF course mate myself aesEAintea
with the polnts at controversy and !
learned that they we're very, sim pie
indeed. that the men demanded an
eight-hour day and that in order 20
demanded that the railroads pay them
one-han more for overtime than they
paid them Tor the time IN TIE regu =
Jar day, the men alleging that that
could obtain genuine eight-hour
day. hy making the rsiiroads pay
more fer the time beyond the eight
hour shift than they paid for the
I saw at onc that there was one
part or this that vas arhitraoie but
that in my opinion there wSs an
other part that was not arbttra bic
principle of the ssGht-hosS day as
srbitrsbIe.
The frst thing told both sides
before 7 requested their opinion. was
that stood FOR the eight-hour day.
received no slFsestion of any k,ss s
basis of settlement was 20 be sx-
cept that the railroad executives ala
suggest that congress give them
some sort cf assurance that x the
they would get increased rates for
the carriage OF their freight
pointed out 20 them that II was irn-
pos,lbis . tel whether they would
riage OF their freights.
We believe IN the e.ght-hour day
because man does better work
within eight hours than he does
that the Who'll. theory OF r. theory
which is sustained now by abundant
experience. ls that his efficiency is
physical visOr Of the man Is added
This 10 no longer eonu;scturaL
Where u has been tried IL has been
*. yS, ys ressni sss..iar 20 'G IN
the United states who has voted
upon II. is vsrdie, in favor OF the
eight-hour day. And, therefore. I
s.des at the very eeginninw The
eight-hour day ought to be coneet-
Bat they said 7, WIN cost US an
| immense Gum OF money. =.
How 10 yor know how much "
will cost your" / asked
said 10 the railroRd-executive
''You are asking that the result Of
the eight hour day be .predictsd and
are asking for an arbitration % 9
conjeetnrs, OF an opinion, Of fore.
cast OF the hgures Of experts based
upon an entirely different expert.
seTsonsIiy ssss snS Il 10 sgS ss9S,trsse @ such &c ques
tien would say I am not eompeten'
to arbitrate Il. The reasonable thins
to DO 10 70 grant the eight hou
day, not because the men demsnd a.
get authority from congress 20 ap-
POINT an impartial commission 70 OBJ
serve and report upon the results N
order that justice may Be done the
that wss the proposal which they
rejected, and which congress put into
law. a proposal which I made 60 them
urged upon them o. every confer
encs. and which. when the one sife
| rejected and the other side accepted.
went 20 congress and asked con
ara not ask either side whether
II suited them. ant requested ny
/ friends IN coDEress not 20 ask either
side whether u quilted them. ! learn
far as ! WAS concerned III u. that the
whole temper % the legislative body
| OF the United States was ia favor OF
the eight, hour day.
some very Interesting things hap
psned. IN the house of representa-
tlyes the plan was passed. was sane.
toned by vote which included,
am told. asout y Republicans a,
senate. I am Informed thar the Re
\ publican members % TIE senate held
a conference I'm which they deter
| mined 20 put nc obstacle IN the way
| OF the passage Of the tili This wsl
because the proposal was reasonAbl i
ana was based upon right
| But. ladies and gentlemen, tha, u
| not the end OF the story Ihia th'ns
ought 10 nave been done. and u hsc
| TO be done At the time that u wa
| done go ax 20 bring about a reason
able trial Of the eisht-hour DAY and I
| careful exam ina.lon Cf the results o
the etsht-n day. But that does
Let me call your atten ton 20 VIVA
| / believe We ought all q be think
| Ing about 80 as 10 set the stage foi
| this and ali similar cases.
There are some things In wa icf
society is 80 profoundly interested
that it's interest takes prsced enct
over the interest Of any group oi
men whatever.
one OF these is the supply ot Soso-
lutte necessaries OF lifs. Il would -
lutolerabls II any group OF men -
any process should be sun - cut
society on from the supplies which
sustain life But those suEplies are
OF no use unless distributed. and IN
the matter Of distribution Df goods
that sustain life and Industry. the 10
terest oil society - paramount. and
the difficulty iu turh .ituau0us a.
We have iust passCd 81 this-the ma q
| partner ie left 0uf Of the reckoning
Thsss men were dealing with an
/ other as N the only thing 20 SETTLE
| was between themselves. whereas ths
! real thing 70 settle was what rights
had the hundred million people ~ the
United States.
The business of government Us 20
see that NO other organization ia as
strong a. Itself. 10 see that no DOdy
or group 81 men, no matter whai
| their private interest L. may com,
into composition with the authoritJ
OF society, and the problem whici
congress, because % the iateness o
the session, has for a few month
postponed. ~ this
by what means are we going .
cbrEe persons who come 10 a con
Toversy Ike this 10 admit the publi
, Into the partnership by which N
thinE Is discussed and decided
A great many methods LhIh Ana
proposed and one reason why con
Gress thought 10 necessary 20 post
pone decision for n few months WA
that there were 80 many houcst dlf
ferencee of opinion. NOT Hs ro the 0h
jsct. but as 70 the method
---a------.--a
NEW YORK-Theodore Roosevelt
is a "monstrous survival OF pre-