Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1916-09-08
CONGRESS PASSES 8-HOUR LAW
TO GOVERN EMPLOYEES IN OP-
GRATING DEPARTMENT.
PRESIDENT WILSON SIGNS IT
Bill Takes Effect January I, 1917
Electric Lines and Roads Less
Than 100 Miles Long Not Af-
fected-No Pay Reduction.

Washington-The threat of a gen.
eral railroad strike which has been
hanging like pail over the country
for a month was lifted Saturday
night.
Three hours after the nate had
passed without amendment the Ad-
amson eight-hour day bill, passed by
the house the day before, the heads
of the four great railroad employees
brotherhoods telegraphed over 600
code messages to their general chair
men in all parts of the country can
ago, to take effect the 4th of Sep
tember.
Senate Vote 43 to 20.
The legislative expedient to avert
the strike was passed in the senate
by a vote of 43 to 28-almost a strict
party vote-amid stirring scenes, aft
er many senators, democrats and re-
publicans, had fought desperately to
amend the measure by provisions de-
signed to prevent Industrial disas
ters in the future. Some senators,
thoroughly aroused, declared congress
was being coerced into enactment Of
Legislation that it did not desire and
that it knew would return to plague
it in the future.
In both houses the measure was
signed within few minutes after the
final vote in the senate, and it was
sent at once to the White House,
where President Wilson signed on
Sunday after his return from Shad-
ow Lawn.
Strike Called Off.
Officials of the brotherhood, who
witnessed the final passage of the
bill, had announced early in the night
that cancellation of the strike would
not be ordered until the bill had been
signed by the president and actually
had become law. But later they con-
ferred, changed their minds and
flashed the code message signaling
to the waiting trainmen of the coun-
try through their chairmen the mes
sage that satisfactory settlement
had been secured.
The bill that stopped the strike
provides that after January 1, 1917,
eight hours shall be regarded as a
basis of reckoning for days pay
Of men engaged in the operation of
rot i1roo1 inc in, int tot %
merce (excepting roads less than 100
miles long and electric lines), that
they shall receive pro rata pay for
work in excess of eight hours, and
that their rate of compensation shall
not be changed pending an investi-
cation for six to nine months of the
effect of the eight-hour day upon the
railroads by a commission to be ap-
pointed by the president.
Vote Down Amendments.
Efforts to amend the bill in the
senate were futile, the supreme ef-
fort to alter it having been led by
provide that the interstate commerce
commission ShOuld-haVe power to f1X
railroad wages and hours of service
in the future. This amendment was
defeated by vote of 81 to IA.
Only two democrats, Senator Hard
wick of Georgia and Clarke Of Ar
kansas, voted against the bill, and
one republican, La Toilette Of Wis
consin, voted for it,
Await Developments.
How long peace shall reign as a
result of the bill is dependent upon
developments in the proposed test of
the constitutionality of the act If
the railroads take no action, but wait
the beginning of an investigation of
the eight-hour day by the special
commission for which the measure
provides the brotherhoods will re-
main inactive.