The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-11-18
B: 8 0. ATTACKS
AlAMS0N law
IN COURT
Bill Declares 1t Impossible to.
Apply Eight Hour Standard
to Railroad Wages.

BALTIMORE. Nov. 18.--The Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad Company has
filed with the United States district
court here BILL asking for an injunc-
tlon against the institution OF prose-
Ecutions for the purpose Of enforcing
the Adamson law The bill names as
defendants Samuel *. Dennis. United
States district attorney, and fourteen
other men, individually and as repre-
sentatlvos OF the train service broth
erhoods The petition raises the same
issues MS do the petitions or other
companies previously filed.
The Baltimore and Ohio emphasizes
the difficulties and the "impossibility
Of interpreting or applying the provis-
ions of the net to the conditions under
which the employees are engaged and
their wages computed.
IT is set forth In the bill that the
wages Of train service employees vary
greatly as to the different classes OF
employees and duties performed and
shows the extent to which present
wages are based on mileage and on
specific runs, to all of which it is
claimed It is impossible to apply the.
single eight-hour day standard fixed
by law. 1T further states that by rea-
son OF the fact that mono OF its train.
service is or can be operated upon the
basis OF a fixed days labor, and that
wages paid vary according to numer-
GUS conditions which change from day
to day, there is no such thing as "a
standard days wage IN railroad SER
vice.
Tho text of the Adarnson bill, the
sconst tttu tiona1fty of which Is to be
tested. follows
BE It enacted by the Senate and
House Of Representa- attves of the United
sembled, that beginning January ]
1917, eight hours shall, in contracts
for abor and service, be deemed q
days work and the measure or stand
ard Of q days work for the purpose
q. eckoning the compe don for SER
vices Of all the employees who are now,
4 or may hereafter be. employed by any.
common carrier by: railroad !, except
railroads independently owned and
operated not exceeding one hundred
miles in length, electric street rails
roads. and electric intorurban rail-
roads. which is sub iect to- the proYisS
ions of the act OF February a, 1887, en-
titled AN act to regulate commerce,
as amended, and who are now or may
hereafter be actually engaged In any
capacity in the operaion Of trains
used for the stranspo ion Of perso.ss
or property on ailroads, except rail-
roads ndepende dently owned and soper-
ated not exceeding one hundredBmiles
In length, electric street railroads and
electric interurb raj lroads. from any
state or territory Of tho United States.
or the District OF Columbia to any
other state or terri tory OF the United
States or tho District OF Columbia, oi
from any one place in$ a terrftory ffnI
or from any place In tho United States
toAan ad djacent foreign country. or from
any place In the United States through
q foreign country to any other place In
the United States. % asf
crowded, that the above except ions
shall not apply TO railroads tnougn
less than one hundred miles In length
whose principal bushes is leasing8or
furnishing terminal or transfer faci1i-
ties to other railroads, or are them