The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-08-30

The Senate has confirmed the nomina.
tonI Of George A. Mason to be post.
master at Coalwood. W. Va.
Clarence NJ. Highheld has been ap.
pointed rural mail carrier at Ches-
ter.
r.. c. Snyder has been recommended
to the Post Office department by Con-
gresham Littlepage for postmaster
at Harper, Raleigh county.
William P. Philips, Of Indepen-
dence, w. Va, whose claim for an in.
creased pension was urged by Con-
gresham Bowers, has been raised
to $40 month by the Pension bu.
reau.
Bills providing for increased PEN
sions were introduced in the House
today by Congressman Sutherland in
behalf OF Mrs. Mary E. STREET., Of
Pennington, SIS month, and Mrs.
Elizabeth Bearn, of Parkersburg, SIS
d month.
The President signed the military
appropriations or preparedness bill this
morning. The members of the House
Committee on military affairs, of which
Congressman Littlepage is member,
were invited to be present at the
White House to witness the affixing
of the Wilson signature. They were
there, OF course, at 1890 o'clock,
which was the time set for enacting
the historic penmanship event.
Congressman Edward Cooper arriv.
ed this morning, after a few days
spent at his home in Bramwell. to at
tend the House meeting today and
the conference Of Republican candi-
dc state candidates and officials
o. me State committee. The purpose
of the meeting Is to discuss their re.
spective interests In connection with
the plans Of campaign. The confer.
ence was called by Congressman
Sutherland, and he had the approval
OF his colleagues, Messrs. Bowers and
Cooper. 1t was necessary for 1t to
be held here because they could not
leave Washington at this time, and
there Is no definite time set for ad.
journment, the controversy between
the railroads and the trainmen broth
erhoods having interposed to put of
she time Of adjournment about to be
agreed upon when this labor dispute
became acute.
When President Wilson wrote his
first mote In the railroad strike con.
troyersy, that note which with frank
assurance declared that society fav.
/nred the eight.hour.working day, that
q was inevitable and that his plan
! for adjusting the strike controversy
1 strropncou TINT nofbtpr ha ,op,adad
except the eight.hour day, to which
n the whole economic movement of
the times seems to point" he was
| doubtless In ignorance of the historic
TACT that great sovereign state passed
4 on that question, the voters ballot.
ing on It directly, and that 1t was over.
whelmingly rejected. 1t happened in
California November 3, 1914, and It
was a referendum vote on proposed
eight-hour-work.day law covering all
occupations. Hhe result was 560,SS1
against and 2S2,696 for. or the IS
counties In California 1t failed to car.
~ one. In San Francisco the adverse
majority was smallest, being 70,9OS
egainst to 1888 for. In Los Angeles
the vote was 133,704 against a..
700 4Aor. 1udt Is tue Ouly concrete
evidence as to how the people in any
section feel on this question. It has
newer been put up directly to them ex.
eept In California and the vote on It
there would not seem to justify the
Presidents sweeping assertion that
public favors 1t by such preponderat.
Ing majority that there is no reason
at all to investigate and arbitrate 1t
In this case. OF course. It was a char.
Realistically wild guess on Wilson's
part, and It was the easier for him to
makes bluff statement like that since
be was in ignorance that in one state,
at least, the question was an issue
which was submitted direct to the
people to vote on. This was bad
break for a man in his position to
make II has embarrassed his apollo.
gists here greatly, but It Is dollars to
dougnuts that they don't as acutely
feel the embarrassment quite as much
as the man who is held responsible
for II. In the double capacity OF head
of the government and historian by
!. private profession, to be ignorant OF
the California referendum doesn't add
ITO ehia reputation in either role.
NJ II the railroad strike comes of 1t
viii be virtually civil war; that Is to
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