The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1916-12-29
INDUSTRIAL AND ECONOMIC

The outstanding feature OF the year
i'm the industrial world was the threat
cned strike OF the 400 900 members Of
the four great railway brotherhoods,
which was prevented only by the pns-
sage by congress of the Adamson hill.
The demands OF the four brother
hoods. representing the engineers. fire
men. conductors and trainmen, were
made upon the railroads early I'm the
year and after fruitless conferences
between the representatives of the
hrothcrhoods and the committee OF
general managers representing prac-
tically every railroad I'm the United
States, n strike vote was taken among
the members Of the brotherhoods. On
July &c II was announced that the
vote had been overwhelmingly I'm favor
of n strike unless the demands of the
men were granted hy the railroads.
The federal board Of mediation i'm
mcdintely offered its services I'm nm cf
fort 10 prevent n strike but on August
II the board announced that IL had
been unable 10 bring about nm agree
ment and on the following day Prcsi-
dent Wilson summoned the general
managers commt ttce and the brother
hoods representatives. 10 the White
House for conference. This confer
ence produced no result. the railroad
managers offering 10 submit the whole
controversy TO arbitration but the
brotherhood representatives. refusing
10 agree 10 arbitration OF their eight
hour day demands. August 20, Presi-
dent Wilson. with n promise from the
brotherhood leaders that they could
rescind their strike order, already Is
sued. n u law were passed providing
for the placing Of their wage scales
on nm pight-hOur basis. went before
congress and asked the passage Of
three bills which he deemed neces-
snry 20 meet the situation. One Of
these bills provided that eight hours
shall be deemed the measure or stand
ard Of days work for the purpose of
reckoning the compensation for serv-
ices OF all employees" operating trains
in interstate traffic
other bills proposed by the president
provided for the compulsory subiDis-
sion OF rail labor disputes TO "A board
of mediation 10 be appointed by the
president before n strik" could he de-
clared hnd for government operation Of
the railways IN case of military neces-
Sity.
The bin embodying the provision for
the eight-hour basis for wnges. known
as the Adamson bill, was rushed
through the house September ] and
was passed by the senate September ..
The order for strike which was 10
have gone into effect September was
then rescinded. The session Of con
gress ended shortly afterwards and
consideration Of the other measures
proposed by the president was post
pOned until the next session.
Strikes were In progress In mum
ber ~ industries during the early part
Of The year and some were marked by
scenes of violence. April 2i. striking
employees Of the Westinghouse com
IdflAs NNl W NlNNhf-A HfffilhWH NAFNfh
In East Pittsburgh. Fatal strike riots
occurred ~ thp Carnegie Steel works
in Braddock. Pa.. May .. A big strike
was started by the Chicago garment
workers May Q. Express drivers in
Chicago struck May rs and consider
able violence marked the strike. cx-
press wagons being operated under po-
lice protection. July -, state troops
were seut 10 Ia Sale Ill.. 10 quell
riots ~ cornpnt works strikers
A strike of street railway men
stopped all surface cars In the bor.
ongh. 81 Manhattan. Bronx and Rich.
mond. New York. August ). but the
strike ended two days later tempo
rarily. September q. strike of all
men on ihe subway. elevated and sur.
face lines IN New York was called.
Serious riots marked The street car
strike In New York, particularly on
October s.