Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-05
BROTHERHOOD MEN
CALL OFF RAIL STRIKE
CONTINUED from Page one.)

receive messages from the $40 genera
| chairmen, might not be advised. Th'
argument also was advanced that news
paper publicity tomorrow morning
| throughout the country would be o.
! great assistance in getting the word u
the employees who would be affected by
the strike.
The four brotherhood heads were in
| vited tonight to be present tomorrow
morning when President Wilson sign:
the bill. The president will use foul
pens in affixing his signature and each
of the labor leaders will be given one
of them afterward as a souvenir. Secre'
tary Wilson, of the labor department
went TO the brotherhood mems hotel to-
night and completed arrangements FOL
the ceremony.
Although members of congress breath
ed ca ier when their task was done, the
relief was not so much a demonstration
of satisfaction over the legislation en-
acted as over the immediate results II
accomplished. 1t not only stopped the
strike, but served to stay the soaring
prices of food and necessaries of life
which had been going rapidly upware
for several days. They also were jubi-
liant that at last the way looked clear
for adjournment of congress, but many
members of both houses were convinced
that with the reassembling in December
the question would come up again and
that permanent legislation suggested by
the president along the line of compul-
sorry arbitration would be pressed.
PREPARE RECOMMENDATION
In the meantime the joint sub-commit-
tee recently created by congress will get
to work on problems of railroad legisla-
ton and prepare recommendations to be
to come.
The falling OF the gavel on the pass
age of the bill in the senate tonight
marked the end of a dramatic and pre-
cedent- breaking week in congress. When
President Wilson, failing to bring the
railroads and brotherhoods to an agree
ment, turned to congress for relief, he
made unannouncel trips to the capitol
to consult leaders about appearing be-
fore congress in person to lay the situa-
ton before il. Hurried arrangements
for the ceremony were made and the
president addressed a joint session on
Tuesday suggesting legislation, which
included the provisions of the bill but
went much farther to provide means of
preventing future difficulties and for
handling military trains In the event of
a strike.
Committees of both houses went to
work at once and the president paid
daily visits to the capitol to see, as he
put ii, that things are kept moving"
They were kept moving rapidly but not
altogether 10 the liking of the president
IN the house. which on Friday passed
only the eight-hour bill providing for the
investigation. The senate interstate
commerce committee first drafted ten
tative bills covering the presidents
WI hII ah
all of 1t to substitute the house measure.
EFFORTS TO AMEND BILL.
The bill was passed in the senate fol-
lowing determined efforts by Senator
Newlands, chairman of the interstate
commerce committe, Senator Underwood
of Alabama and several other senators
to amend 1t. The Democratic senators
mentioned insisted that congress should
provide as President Wilson had urged
some measure to prevent such a crisis
ever from arising again. They declared
congress was showing the white feath-
er, that it was afraid to go father than
merely to prevent the threatened catas-
trophe of the moment. They proposed
that the interstate commerce commits
sion should be given authority in the
future to fix wages and hours of SER
vice of railroad employees, thus forever
taking the question of labor disputes out
or the strike danger zone. They fought
vainly to the last against overwhelming
odds.
Republican senators and a few of the
Democrats declared unhesitatingly that
congress was being coerced, dictated to-
driven under the gun to the passage OF
the eight-hour bill without any provi-
sion OF a permanent character. Sena-
tor Borah asserted that the railroad
trainmen would not dare to order the
strike If congress should abandon the
! bill and adopt a resolution merely to
provide for A thorough consideration OF
the whole subject. Senator Underwood
declared the strike would be as dead on
/ Monday morning If his amendment
would be added to the eight-hour bill as
IL would be without. Senator Newlands
insisted that congress did not dare to do
/ what President Wilson had dared to dc
| and enact legislation that would serve
to stand as a permanent barrier against
industrial dfaa stars