The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-09-05
Affixes His Signature To Adam
son 8-Hours Measure, Using
Four Pens In Ceremony Which
Put An End To Railroad Crisis
\ III ,; s--A4--.ats,.
BROTHERHOOD EXECUTIVES
WILL RECEIVE SOUVENIRS
49, '.f 49, .#.. 2"+N'
Peace Permanent Unless Rail-
road Heads Decide To Contest
Legality Of New Law In Which
Case Men win Strike At Once

Assoctated Press BY Federal WtreleSs)
WASHINGTON, September 4.--Pre-
sident Wilson yesterday signed the
Adamson eight hour measure, thereby
making a part of the national laws the
EMERGENCY bin which was rushed
throth both houses of congress in
order to avert the threatened railroad
strike that was scheduled to 60 into
effect this morning.
Ceremonies of the simplest nature
marked the placing of the presidential
signature on the now historic bill. The
bill was signed in the private car which
was placed at the President 5 disposal
on his trip from Washington to the
summer capital at Long Branch.
The measure was carried from Wash.
ington to. the Jersey sumner resort by
one of the numerous secretaries EN-
ployed at the White House. Tmrnedi-
ately upon his arrival the President
was notified and the secretary motofed
to the siding at the railroad station
where the private ear was parked. 70
Wilson in Good Hum6r '..""
President Wilson greeted his secre.
tary affably and appeared to be in
good humor, either because the bill
Tor which he has worked so long had
become a law or because of his vaca.
tion Mt the seashore., -
In signing the document the Presi-
dent used four pens. Each syllable of
the President s two names was signed
by separate pen. After the doeu-
ment had been signed the Chief Ex.
ecutive announced that the four pens
would be presented to the heads of the
four brOtherhOods. This, it was under
stood, was in compliance with a re-.
quest from the chiefs of the labor
unions.
The four men who will receive the
pens TO be kept as souvenirs of the
. biggest industrial crisis that ever con
frOnted the United States are: A. B..
, GarTetson, one of the Order of Railway
Conductors; Warren s. Stone of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers;
. W. @, Lee Of the Brotherhood of Rail
road Trainmen. and w. s. Carter of
the Brotherhood of Firemen and En-.
ginemen.
/, Leaves For Kentucky
Immediately after signing the bill
the President left for Hodgeville, Ky,
where he will take part in elaborate
ceremonies attending the dedication Of
the Lincoln homestead memorial re-
Gently completed at that place.
The Chief Executive is expected to
return to Washington later this week
when the bill will be signed again on
the theory that the signing Of it on
Sunday, which is a legal holiday,
would not be legal execution of the
document under the law Signing Of
the Bin yesterday was done IN order
to indicate 20 the trainmen that the
eight-hour law would not receive any
opposition from the President.
Speculation at the capital was rife
as to what action the railroad heads
would take, if any. In official circles
IL il believed that a permanent peace
has been won by the passage of the
bill although il was freely rumored
that the permauency of peace would
depend entirely on what action the
railroad executives take in an effort
TO test the eonstitutionalty Of the new
eiehtlhour law.
Railroad Plans Secret
Whether any legal test would be
made by attorneys of the railroads
could not be learned. On Saturday
when the law passed the senate Ger
tain railway maguates limited that the
big railroads would not give DIP the
fight against the eight.hOur schedule
without a struggle. They declared then
that the law was confscatory and
therefore Unconstitutional. That q
move would be made to bring the law
into the highest courts or the land was
predicted.
Officials of the different railroad
brotherhoods have expressed them.
selves as satisfied with the law and
that no further action would be taken
by their bodies unless the railroad
heads attempt to prove the law un-
constitutional. On this head they are
firm and announced that If any at,
tempt was made TO restore the ten,
hour day immediate steps would be
taken to call general strike on all
the lines.