Evening star., 1916-11-17
CONGRESS MAY ACT
WITHOUT A REPORT
No Delay in Railroad LegisIa-
ton, Chamber of Commerce
Council Hears.
NOT TO AWAIT COMMITTEE

Congress. in my opinion, will not
wait for the report of the joint COM
mitee on commerce which will begin
TO deal with the railroad question at
hearings at the Capitol Monday. If
the report is not ready when Congress
is ready for it, Congress will go ahead
and pass railroad legislation anyhow"
Representative Adamson of Georgia
today made this statement at the open
ing session of the meeting of the Ma
tional Council OF the Chamber of Com
merce of the United States, held in
the ballroom of the New Willard Hotel
He addressed business men from all
over the country who have gathered
here to consider the railroad situation
us il affects commerce. and was one OF
u number of speakers who Will lay be-
fore the national council today and
tomorrow various plans dealing with
the railroad situation, upon which the
council may base advice to the business
men Of the United States as to what
course they shall pursue relative to the
coming congressional inquiry and the
legislation that will best conserve the
business interests of the country
Speakers at Morning Session.
DR.. Charles +. Van Hise, president of
the University of Wisconsin,; DR.. Vic
tor s. Clark of the Carnegie Institution.
and Henry R Towne, president of a big
manufacturing concern of New YORK
and former president Of the Merchants
Association of New York. were among
the speakers at the morning session.
which was presided over by r. Good
wyn Rhett, president of the national
chamber.
Alfred p Thorn. general counsel of
the railway executives advisory COM
mittee. is to speak this afternoon on
''Perfecting the System of Railroad
Regulation" and general discussion
will be led by Harry A. Wheeler. u
Chicago banker, who is former presi-
dent of the national chamber. Tonight
Charles Nagel. former Secretary of
Commerce and Labor. and John II.
Fahey. a Massachusetts publisher also
former president of the national cham
Der, are to speak.
1t was announced that representa-
tive of the railroad brotherhoods would
speak at today's sessions OF the council.
but L. T. Sheppard, assistant president
of the Order of Railway Conductors.
and " S. Carter, president of the IRE
mems and enginemens organiZa tion,
sent word that they could not be pres
ent and the national chamber received
no reply to invitations addressed to
W. s. Stone. chief of the brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers. and William
q. Lee. president of the Trainmens AS
sociation.
Question Pressing for Solution.
President Rhett pointed out that the
railroad question is pressing for solu-
tion. and said that there must be some
way, in his opinion, of avoiding the
constant conflict of forty-nine jurisdic-
tions over the railroad. meaning the
control of the forty-eight state COM
missions and the interstate commission.
DR.. van Hise traced the history of or
sanjzed labor and the relation to II of
the railroad employees. and was enthu-
siastically applauded when he said that
the Interest of the public in the Ques-
tion Of whether not there shall be
strikes on railroads is paramount.
He Painted stirring picture of the eco
homie loss and the human suffering dur
ing strikes and said that he cannot pos
sibly see how the laboring man in general
can support the railroad men when the
latter hold up the railroads Of the coun-
try, because of the losses that the gen.
erai laboring man suffers during railroad
strikes.
IF the railroad employees are not treated
justly by the companies" Dr. Van Hise
said. the public must see to it." DIR. Van
Hise advanced the view that Congress
has the power to regulate wages
Representative Adamson defended the
recently enacted so-called eight-hour law
He opposed DIR. Van Hise's plan for Con-
gross 10 fix wages.