Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1916-12-06
Declares That Their Opera
ton Should Not Be Stopped
or Interrupted by the Con-
certed Action Of Organized
Bodies Of Men Until a Pub
lie Investigation Shall Have
Been Instituted.
n one Of the shortest message
ever sent to congress President

be taken to complete his pro-
gram OF settlement and regulation"
recommended at the last session. The
message in full is as follows:
Gentlemen Of the Congress:
In fulfilling at this time the duty
laid upon me by the constitution of
communicating to you from time 10
time information of the state of the
Union and recommending to your con-
sideration such legislative measures as
may be judged necessary and expedi-
ent ! shall continue the practice, which
:. hope has been acceptable to you. of
leaving to the reports Of the several
heads Of the executive departments
the elaboration of the detailed needs
of the public service and confine my
self to those matters of more general
public policy with which it seems nee
essary and feasible to deal at the pres
ent session Of the congress.
realize the limitations of time I'M
der which you will necessarily act at
this session and shall make my sug-
gestions as few as possible. But there
were some things left undone at the
last session which there will now be
time to complete and which 1t seems
necessary in the interest of the public
to do at once.
The Railroad Problem.
In the first place, it seems to me i'm
peratively necessary that the earliest
possible consideration and action
should be accorded the remaining
measures of the program Of settlement
and regulation which had occasion to
recommend to you at the close OF, your
last session In view of the public dan
gers disclosed by the unaccommodated
difficulties which then existed and
which still unhappily continue to ex-
list between the railroads of the coun-
try and their locomotive engineers,
conductors and trainmen.
/ then recommended:
First, immediate provision for the
enlargement and administrative reor-
ganiZation of the interstate commerce
commission along the lines embodied
in the bill recently passed by the house
of representatives and now awaiting
action by the senate in order that the
commission may be enabled to deal
with the many great and various du-
ties now devolving upon it with
epromptness and thorOughness which
are. with its present constitution and
means of action, practically impossible.
Second. the establishment of an eight
hour day as the legal basis alike OF
work and of wages In the employment
of all railway employees who are ac-
tually engaged In the work Of operat-
Ing trains in interstate transportation.
Third the authorization Of the ap-
pointment by the president OF small
body Of men TO observe the actual re-
suits in experience Of the adoption OF
the eight hour day In railway transpor-
tation alike for the men and for the
railroads.
Fourth, explicit approval by the con-
gress Of the consideration by the In
terstate commerce commission of an
"A increase of freight rates to meet such
additional expenditures by the rail-
roads as may have been rendered nee
essary by the adoption Of the eight
hour day and which have not been Off
set by administrative establishments
and economies. should the facts dis
closed justify the increase.
Fifth, an amendment of the existing
federal statute which provides for the
mediation, Cancellation and arbitration
of such controversies as the present by
adding to it provision that, In case
the methods Of accommodation now
provided for should fail, full public
Investigation of the merits of every
such dispute shall be instituted and
completed before strike or lockout
may lawfully be attempted.
Control by the Executive.
And sixth, the Judgment in the
hands of the executive of the power,
in case of military necessity, to take
control of such portions and such roll
ing stock of the railways of the cOun-
try as may be required for military
use and to operate them for military
purposes, with authority to draft into
the military service of the United
States such train crews and admins
trative officials as the circumstances
require for their safe and efficient use.
The second and third of these rec
concentrations the congress Immediate
ly acted on: 1t established the eight
hour day as the legal basis of work
and wages in train service and it su-
thorized the appointment OF a commits
sion to observe and report upon the
practical results, deeming these the
measures most Immediately needed, but
it postponed action upon the other sug-
gestions until an opportunity should be
offered for more deliberate consider
alton of them.
The fourth recommendation do not
deem 1t necessary to renew. The pow