Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1916-09-08
RAILROAD STRIKE
AvERTED BY LAW
CONGRESS PASSES e-HoUR LAW
TO GOVERN EMPLOYEES IN oP-
GRATING DEPARTMENT.
PRESIDENT WILSON SIGNS 1T
Electric Lines and Roads Less
Than 100 Miles Long Not Az
fected-No Pay Reduction.

Washington-The threat of gen.
eral railroad strike which has been
hanging like a 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
ceiling the strike order issued a week
ago, to take effect the 4th of Sep
TENDER.
Senate Vote 40 to 20.
The legislative expedient to avert
the strike was passed in the senate
by vote of 43 to 2S-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
tiers in the future. Some senator's,
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 a 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 beer
signed by the president and actually
had become law. But later they con
ferred, changed their minds anC
flashed the code message signaling
to the waiting trainmen of the coun
try through their chairmen the mes
sage that a satisfactory settlement
had been secured.
The bill that stopped the strik
provides that after January 1, 1917
eight hours shall be regarded as
basis of reckoning for a days pa,
OF men engaged in the operation o
railroad trains in interstate CON
MERGE excepting roads less than 10
miles long and electric lines), tina
they shall receive pro rata pay 70
work in excess of eight hours, an
that their rate of compensation shal
not be changed pending an invest
cation for six to nine months of tn
effect of the eight-hour day upon tn
railroads by a commission to be al
pointed by the president.
Vote Down Amendments.
Efforts to amend the bill in tn
senate were futile, the supreme e1
fort to alter it having been led b.
Senator Underwood, who sought t
provide that the interstate commerce
commission should have power to fl
railroad wages and hours of servic
in the future. This amendment wa
defeated by a vote of 81 to IA.
Only two democrats, Senator Hare
wick of Georgia and Clarke Of Al
kansas, voted against the bill, an
one republican, La Toilette of VIII
consin, voted for it.
l Await Developments.
How long peace shall reign as
r result of the bill is dependent upo
developments in the proposed test {
the constitutionality of the act.
the railroads take no action, but wa
! the beginning of an investigation {
the eight-hour day by the speci;
r commission for which the measur
provides the brotherhoods will r
D main inactive.
The employees leaders declare, hoy
D ever, that should the law be held III
constitutional and the railroads a
r tempt to restore the 10-hour bas
day on their lines strike will 70
low promptly.