St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1916-09-09
PRESIDENT WILSON AVERTs
NATIONWIDE R. n. STRIKE
Congress Promptly Passes Adam
son Bill Which Calls for s
Hour Day With 10 Hour Wage

A great calamlty cOnIF0hteu the
entire country in the shape Of the
prospective strike by the Union
Brotherhood of Engineers, Train
men and Firemen numbering some
four hundred thousand 100000 .
The President, cody, calmly and
with that perfect poise that char
acterizes his every public act went
into the situation thoroughly, be-
came convinced that the s hour de-
mand of the men with 10 hour pay
was reasonable and that the mo-
ment was not opportune for arbi-
tration, when there was no legal
machinery to make the arbitration
effective. So he invited the heads
of the railroads and the Brother
hoods to meet him at the White
House and discuss the pres and
cons dispasionately and in "a spirit
of mutual concession and patrio-
tism; the brotherhoods came across
but the railroad heads were averse
to any proposition that did not
carry the principle OF arbitration,
besides which they did not think
that the Congress had any consti-
tutional right to fix wages, and in
their opinion an hour day at
10 hour wage was really a higher
wage point the men were aiming al,
altthoug they were the highest
paid among the railroad forces out
side of the higher officers of the
various railroad systems.
An embargo has been placed on
perishable freigats, millions of dol
lars of perishable stuff was accu-
mulating and rotting on the trade
marts; the cotton season Of the
south had opened; the cane season
would shortly follow, with all that
the consequent bankruptcy would
imply; the cities had only a few
weeks ration on hand and starya-
tion would have stared the masses
in the face; SO the President cut
the Gordian knot by laying the
the Gordian knot by laying The
whole matter before Geagres>. urg-
ing immediate action; cailinS for
the establishment Of an \ hour DAY
as the legal rate for WORK and pay
for all crews working in interstate
commerce.
He also urged The passage of d
law amending the. federal statute
providing for mediation, coneilia
ton and arbitration. Congress re-
alizing the urgency, promptly pass
ed the Adamson bill, which called
for an s hour day with 10 hour
wage, but failed to take up the 9th
er important recommendation
doubtless because of their. anxiety
to adjourn and it would have been
impossible to have given this inn
portant matter the careful consid-
Grafton it deserved; but there is
no doubt, when Congress recon-
yenes the matter will he taken up
by the President and the democ
racy and a law enacted which will
make it impossible for either cor
poration or labor to paralyze The
industry Of the country by doing
perfect justice to both. The Presi-
dent solemnly warned the railroads
when he said God help you; for
I can't The time issat hand when
the looting of railroads by high
finance must stop, when the gil
gantic salaries of oyerpaid officers
will be scaled, when the water will
be squeezed out of stock and rates
adjusted by impartial tribunals,
that will see to it that a decent in
terest shall be paid on legitimate
bonds and stocks. the handwriting
is on the wall and the financiers
had better take warning or else the
government will take over the con-.
troll of the transportation facilities
Of the country; when that happens
neither railroad presidents nor
brotherhoods will stop the wheels
of commerce. The moment the
{.
Adamson Bill was passed even be-
fore the signature of the President
was attached, the brotherhood