The Palatka news and advertiser., 1916-09-01

the acceptance of the eight-hour da!
rather than those which affected it:
establishment.
81 therefore, proposed that the
eight-hour day be adopted by the rail
way arrangements and put into prac
tice for the present as a substitute fol
the existing ten-hour basis of pay ant
services; that | should appoint, with
the permission of the congress, 6
small commission to observe the re-
suits of the change, carefully study.
ing the figures of the altered opera.
ting costs, not only, but also the con.
ditions of labor under which the mer
worked and the operation of their ex-
isting agreements with the railroads
with instructions to report the facts
as they found them to the congress at
the earliest possible day, but without
recommendation, and that, after the
facts had been thus disclosed, an ad-
iustment should in some orderly man.
ner be sought of all the matters now
left unadjusted between the railroad
managers and the men.
"These proposals were exactly in
line, it is interesting to note, with the
position taken by the supreme court
of the United States when appealed to
to protect certain litigants from the f.
nancial losses which they confident
w expected if they should submit to
the regulation of their charges and
of their methods of service by public
legislation. The court has held that
it would not undertake to form a
Judgment upon forecasts, but could
base its action only upon actual eXpe-
rience; that it must be supplied with
facts. not with calculations and opin-
ions however scientifically attempted.
To undertake to arbitrate the question
of the adoption of an eight-hour day
in the light of results merely estimat
ed and predicted would be to under
take an enterprise of conjecture. No
wise man could undertake to, or if ne
did undertake it, could feel assured
of his conclusions.
I unhesitatingly offered the friend
w services of the administration to
the railway managers to see to it that
Justice was done the railroads in the
outcome. I felt warranted in assur-
ing them that no obstacle of law
would be suffered to stand in the way
of their increasing their revenues, to
meet the expense resulting from the
change so far as the DEVELOPMENT of
their business and of their administra-
tive efficiency did not prove ADEQUATE
to meet them. The public and the
representatives of the public, l felt
justified in assuring them. were dis.
rosed to nothing but Justice in such
cases and were willing to serve those
who served them.
"The representatives of the broth
erhoods accepted the plan. but the
representatives of the railroads de-
clined to accept it. In the face of
that cannot but regard as the prac-
tical certainty that they will be ul-
imatelv obliged to accept the eight
hour day by the concerted action of
organized labor backed by the favor
able judgement of society, the repre-
sentatives of the railway management
have felt justified in declining peace
frl settlement (which would engage
all the forces of Justice. public and
on their side to take care of
the event.
"They fear the hostile influence Of
shippers, who would be opposed to an
increase in freight rates (for which.
however, of course, the public itself
would pay), they apparently feel no
confidence that the Interstate Com
merce Commission could withstand
the objections that would be made.
They do not care to RELY upon the
Friendly assurances of the congress
or the president. Thev have THOUGHT
If hest that thew should he forced to
WELD. if thew must Weld. not bv coun-
sci, but by the suffering of the coun.
try.
"While my conferences with them
wero in progress. and when, to all
appearance, those confer
ances had come to standStill. the
of the hrotherhoods
suddenly acted and set the strike for
he fourth of September.
Firm for Arbitration.
"The railway managers based their
leciSon to reject my counsel in this 4
natter upon their conviction that they ,
must at any cost to themselves or to
he country. stand firm for the prin-
'jnlc Of arbitration. which the men :
,ad rejected | based nv counsel !
IDOn +ha indicnutah1n foc+ +bot +bnrn !