Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-09-02
Adamson Bill Sent Through
House and Matter Is
Checked to Senate.
RED TAPE WAS CUT
TO RAILROAD PLAN
Senate Bill Put Aside and
Way Paved for Quick
Final Passage.
XXIAsHINGToN. Sept 1.-Precen-

WAsHlNGroN' Sept l'-Precen-
w tion of The threatened railroad
strike through an act of congress
seemed assured tonight after the
house, by an overwhelming vote. had
passed the Adamson eight-hour day
law and the senate had agreed to
take final vote on the measure not
later than o'clock tomorrow eve-
ming.
Although it is possible that senate
amendments may make conferences
necessary, 1t generally is believed on
both sides of the capitol that when
the test comes the house bill as il
stands will be accepted and rushed
to Shadow Lawn. N. j., for Presi-
dent Wilson's signature And while
no formal announcements were forth
| coming from the employees brother
hoods heads tonight it is authorita-
lively stated that this will result in
immediate dispatch of the code mes
sages calling off the general strike
ordered for Monday morning.
The Adamson bill as passed in the
house by a vote OF 239 to 56 with
minor amendments. is the same
measure which the brotherhood lead
ers officially declared yesterday
would constitute satisfactory set
uement and prevent the strike.
The amendments. added to conform
to draft framed by the senate in
terstate commerce committee, would
fix the effective date January /,
1917, instead of December 1, 1916,
and exempt railroads less than one
hundred miles long and electric
street and interurban lines. Briefly,
it provides:
That eight hours shall be deemed
"A days work and the standard for
reckoning compensation OF railroad
employees operating trains in inter-
state commerce after January I.
1917. and
That commission of three ap-
pointed by President Wilson shall
investigate the effects of the eight
hour standard from six to nine
months and then report to congress.
present wages not to be reduced dur
ing the investigation or for thirty
days thereafter. and overtime to be
paid at prO-rata rate"
III was after a day of hot debate that
the house passed the bill under a spe-
clal rule brought in when Republican
Leader Mann objected to it's consid-
Grafton. Less than half OF the Re-
| publicans followed their floor leader
In the opposition and when the final
| vote came 10 of them lined up with
| the majority while only 56 voted
against the measure. Just two
Representative Steele OF
| pennsylvania and Black of Texas
stood out against the bill and Repre-
sentative London OF New York, the
| only Socialist, voted for It,
Red tape was eliminated as far as
possible TO rush the measure over to
me senate, which after several hours
OF lively discussion over bill report
| ed by It's Interstate commerce COM
| mittee. had recessed until O'Clock.
| When the senate reconvened the
| house legislation was there awaiting
| action.
The senate committee biz. drafted
| during late session last night and
another this morning. was the Adam
| son measure with the same amend
ments adopted today by the house
| and an added section empowering the
| Interstate commerce commission 20
flX the wages OF interstate employees
at the end of the proposed period Of
| Investigation and thereafter
At the outset of the night session
Senator Newlands sought and obtained
/ unanimous consent to put aside the
| senate bill and take up the one sent
| over from the house, thereby paving
the way for quick final action with
out parliamentary formalities that
otherwise would be necessary. Then
| pNhdlpi Nllh't Npbu drought uD tne
issue over which the senate is di-
vided, by proposing as an amendment
the rate fixing proposition of the dis
Carded senate bill.
over this amendment debate waged
for three hours Senators Newlands and
! Underwood advocating IL and Senator
| Cummins making long speech criti-
cising the whole proceedings. Most
Of the senators had little to say and
In the clOakrooms there were strong
intimations that the reason for this
twas the general conviction that in
the end the house bill would go
through without change. For "A whiie
/ here was talk of an all-night session,
| but early in the evening word was
| passed that an agreement to adjourn
and vote at a certain hour tomorrow
would come before the discussion had
gone very far.
All throughout the morning Presi-
I dent Wilson was at his office in the
capital comforting with administration
| leaders and aiding in arrangements
| for putting the legislation through. He
| left Washington at 3 o'clock in the
afternoon for Long Branch, n j..
where he will be notified formally to-
morrow of his nomination for re-
election. entirely confident that his
efforts had averted the industrial
catastrophe.