Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-09-07

Washington, Sept. 3.--The Adamson
eight hour day bill exacted from Con-
eress last week by the railroad broth
erhoods as the price of calling off the
nation wide railway strike ordered for
tomorrow was signed by President
Wilson to-day in his private car at
the union station, where he stopped
on his way from Shadow Lawn. n. j..
TO HodgenVille, ny. That there may
be no question as to the legality of
the measure as p result of II having
been signed on Sunday the President
will affix his signature again on his
return to Washington Tuesday.
The heads of the four railway broth
erhoods Saturday night revoked the
order for a national railroad strike on
Monday morning after Congress had
passed the eght-hour day bill and
President Wilson had sent from Shadow
Lawn, y. j. his promise to sign the
measure tomorrow.
Code messages were sent to each Of
the $40 division chairmen of the broth
erhoods. who before morning. ~elayed
10000 messages to local chairmen of
the brothcrhoods on all the railroads
of the United states. The brotherhood
chiefs said Immediately after the pas
sage of the bill by the Senate that they
would not rescind the order until the
President had signed the bill, but Sec
rotary of Labor Wilson took to them
Mt eight o'clock that night mes.
sage from President Wilson giving his
pledge to sign the measure, and ask
ing that the strike he called off at
once in order that there should he
no doubt of the messages reaching all
the 400, 900 engineers firemen. conduc-
tors and trainmen by seven o'clock
Monday morning. In thirty-five min
utes the messages cancelinE the strike
order were on their way.
The shadow Of the strike began to
fade finally at six o'clock Saturday
night when the Senate. by vote of
43 to IS. adopted the Adamson eight
hour day bill. passed by the Housc
Friday.
Almost Immediately the bill becomes
a statute the railroads involved will
begin a fight on it's constitutionality
That such a test will he made at once
has been stated by railroad presidents
here in Washington. in New York and
in Chicago. 1t has not been definitely
decided whether a group of roads or
an individual line Will bring the suit
first
The all-day debate on the bill viii
go down in history for it's acrimony.
Charges of violation of their oaths by
senators, allegations of political OK
pediency, charges of cowardce chased
cross the chamber. Before the debate
ended the alignment became party
one and when the vote was taken only
one republican senator. La Toilette of
Wisconsin. voted for tho bill Two
democratic senator's. Hardwick Of
Georgia and Clarke of Arkansas. voted
against it. For the good Of the country
that was the argument of justification
of the democratic senators for the
measure.
When the Senate convened at ten
o'clock Saturday morning the admins
tration leaders had the votes to pass
the measure, and all day long all efforts
to amend the measure or to substitute
other measures met the brick wall Of
determined majority to stop the
strike at all costs.
Even the amendment of Senator Tn
derwood of Alabama. that the inter-
state commerce commission have power
to fix all hours and wages of railroad
employees, favored by many senators Of
both parties, had to be abandoned be-
cause there was not time for the House
to act on an amended bill in order to
satisfy tho date set by the determined
labor leaders who announced early in
the day that the bill passed by the
House yesterday and substituted last
night for the Newlands Senate bill
must not he changed.
QUICK WORK AT THE END.
The roll call started at six o'clock
At 6.04 the result was announced. The
bill was rushed over to the House,
which was still in session, and was
signed by Speaker Champ Clark at
$40 o'clock. 1t went back to the SEN
ate, was signed at 6l6 by Senator
Hughes. who was in the chair, and was
delivered at the White House at 40
o'clock to await the return of the
President tomorrow morning.
During the last two days while the
eight-hour bill has been before the
House and Senate. A. b. Garrctson,
head of the conductors, and the three
other brotherhood heads, have made
their headquarters at the Capitol.
They were in the Interstate commerce
committee room of the House and the
committee room of the Senate commit
tee on Indian affairs, which is right off
one OF the public galleries, was given
over to them. Here they sat and re
fused all pleas Of senators to accept
less than the bin giving the 10000 en-
gineers, hremen, conductors, and train
men the 20 per cent increase in pay
Frequent messages passed between
them and the Senate leaders. From
time to time they were seen to enter
row of seats in the gallery to watch
the progress of the bill they had de-
manded as the price of peace.
While these elaborate accommoda
lions were afforded the labor represent
atives. away off in the crowded top row
of public gallery at the other end OF
the chamber Elisha Lee, chairman OF
the national conference committee OF
the railways with two assistants. sat
and watched the Senate vote away an
amount of the railroads money that
he estimated at 100000 900 a year
There wasn't room enough in one place
for the half dozen railroad men who
attended the session. and the Others
were scattered about wherever they
could gain admission.
RAILROADS SAY NOTHING.
After the final action Of the Senate, Mr.