El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-08-31
8-HOUR Law
MAY STOP STRIKE
Effort Being Made at Wash
ington To Prevent the
Railroad Tieup.
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live i'm a house which We have bought
and paid for"
eve stand ready" he said. to arbi-
frate all other issues as soon as the
presidents eight hour day proposal IS
enacted into law 1t is beyond US II
we ever hope to remain officers OF
these organizations If We ever expect
TO retain the respect Of those men, 10
stop this strike by any other metnoo
than TO send our general chalrmen
code messages meaning satisfactory
settlement effected. and that message
can be sent if We get the eight hour
day"
No Time 10 Consult Men.
Replying to senator POmerene- Mr..
Lee said If it were possible 10 reacn
all the brotherhood men and explain
the present legislation he thought they
would vote to delay the strike But
that. he added. was impossible now.
and he laid the blame 10 the railroads.
r :. LOvett was heard first 10 pre-
sent the side OF the railroads.
..PubIic VIII Pay the BILL
Mr.. Lovett said if the public were
not involved in the present controversy
and if there were not thousands OF rail-
ways employees not allied with the
trainmen, the parties involved should
be allowed to settle the matter them
selves The railroads. he said, are no
longer owned by the bankers, but have
stock widely distributed
The railroad officials. he said. regard
the problem as one TO be settled by ar
bitration, because, he added. Just as
certain as the sun sets. the public VIII
pay the bill. Railroads have no income
except what they can earn That de-
ponds on the rates they can get. MY
understanding of this matter is that
what the men want is an increase Of
wages If congress proposed TO enact
a law to make them work only eight
hours. they would be up in arms.
Burden of S6O,OO0.OOO on People.
If this burden of S60.0O0.0OO a year
is put on the public because of this leg
islation now proposed, the responsible
ity viii be on congress. not on the rail
roads
We have done our best TO settle this
dispute except TO surrender what We
think a vital principle.
.sWfH Yield il We Must
The issue here" Mr. Lovett cOntin-
ued, is whether the zoe, OO0O 600 people
in this country are to be put at the
feet of 350.0 600 Workmen. II the judg
ment Of the country is that there is
nothing for US 10 do but submit. we
will abide by it. The responsibility is
no longer mine The railroads will
struggle on and meet the additional
expense in the best way we can. know
ing ultimately it viii be passed on to
the public
If you put this burden upon US. we
must abide by it, but I think it would
be the greatest injustice that ever hap
pened in the history of this country to
force il upon US with the hands of our
men on our threats"
Both Sides Heard by Committees
Railroad officials and representatives
Of the trainmen brotherhoods appeared
In force today at the senate interstate
commerce committees hearings on
president Wilson's legislative program
hra
strike.
Anxious to Avoid Force.
At the outset OF the hearing senator
Newlands. chairman of the committee,
said:
The question is whether we cannot
find some means of bringing about a
settlement without resort to force"
BrOtherhOOds Demand Rights.
A b Garretson. for the brotherhoods,
spoke first
'The brotherhoods demand the hu-
man right 10 enjoy some of the things
that other men enjoy he said
We believe that the human element
should be considered. regardless of its
effect on dividends
Attacking the railways plea for arbi-
tration as insincere, Mr.. Garretson in
sisted that it was not offered TO men
Who were so poorly organized that they
could not enforce demands.
To Postpone Would Wreck Unions.
To postpone the strike after the men
had voted il, Garretson declared. would
mean the disintegration Of the brother
hood and the turning over Of the
trains 10 the mob in 1877 and 1894"
Garretson added that he wanted to
assure the senators that the brother
hoods were not opposed TO arbitration.
Under ordinary processes of our
policies" said Garretson. we would
be out of accord with all of the five
propositions made by the president.
But in the hope Of effecting q settle
menJ we are willing to waive many
deep rooted principles. and we are will
ing to aid in passage OF a legislative
remedy that will make It possible TO
recall the order to strike September 4
Would Not object to Being Drafted.
The brotherhoOds. Mr. Garretson said,
would not oppose being drafted to run
trains as long as il was only for mill
1ary purposes
Garretson declared that in accepting
the presidents proposal the men had
yielded so percent of their demands.
Samuel Gompers. president Of the
American Federation Of Labor, who