Omaha daily bee., 1916-09-02
ROADS WILL ATTACK
NEW LAW IN COURT
Proposed Adamson Act viii
Crumble at First Legal
Blast Say Attorneys.
BILL is PATIENTLY VOID

Chicago, Sept. Counsel for the
various railroads are said to have in
formed the presidents Of the roads
that the Adamson bill is patiently un-
constitutional as being con6scatory
and class legislation.
E. P. Ripley, president of the At
Gibson, Topeka & Santa Fe, said to-
day that passage of the bill would
merely postpone the strike.
Our lawyers" said Mr.. Ripley, "in-
formally and individually have ex-
pressed the opinion that the Adamson
bill, if passed, will crumble at the
first legal blast. If the bill passes,
the presidents and counsel will con-
fer formally as to legal procedure. 1t
is illogical to assume that the rail-
roads will abandon their principles
merely because they are attacked
through congress instead of directly
.-ssy the brotherhoods."
R. H. Ashton, president of the Chi
cago & Northwestern, said the rail-
roads would obey the law.
But" he added, "it seems certain
~rto us that the Adamson bill, if passed,
will not stand the test of the courts"
Strike Preparations Proceed.
A statement was issued at publicity
headquarters of the railroads that pre-
parations nor a strike next Monday
were proceeding without regard to
prospects of congressional action.
Officials Of the four railroad broth
crhoods began massing their forces
here today to direct the strike on
twenty-five roads operating out Of
Chicago in the event the strike goes
!. into effect.
w, B. Henrichs, superintendent Of
terminals Of the Chicago, Milwaukee
& ST. Paul railroad, announced today
that the Brotherhood of Railway Con-
ductors on the section of that sys-
TEN between Chicago and the Mis-
souri, river had voted not to strike.
Food prices in this city, with few
exceptions, have not been materially
affected as result of threatened tie
ups of the transportation facilities of
the country. Potatoes sold on the
market today at $2.25, the highest
price in many years, and poultry was
up 2 cents pound.
.dn number of the larger cities,
meetings of officials have been called
for today to consider means of check
ing the increase in the price Of food
stuffs.
Statement by Railroads.
The text Of the railroads state
ment says:
! THE arrangements OF the railways
are disregarding reports from Wash
ington regarding the possibility of
the strike being prevented and are
proceeding exactly as they would if
they were certain that it was going to
occur on scheduled time at o'clock
on the morning of September 4.
1T will be recalled that for about
eight months the railway manage
ments have been warning the gov
ernment and the people OF the United
States that the danger Of nation
wide strike was real and serious. On
the other hand, soothing assurances
have throughout this time been given
by officers of the United States gov
eminent, and even by Spokesman OF
the labor brotherhoods. The public
now knows the railways were right
in saying the danger was real and
serious and the spokesman of the
government, who attempted to mini
mize the gravity of the situation, were
wrong.
"The leaders of the railway broth
erhoods are playing desperate game
and, as they say now that they will
not recall their strike order until they
,swring from congress the legislation |
hey demand. For anybody to act
on the assumption that there will be
, no strike would be foolish and might |
prove to be extremely unfortunate
Reasons for Embargoes.
"The orders which the manage
ments of the railways have issued
placing embargoes on the shipments
of most kinds of freight and direct
ing that other kinds Of freight shall
be accepted subject to delay are rap
idly going into effect, and shippers,
consignees and the public are begin
ming to feel the results of the strike
without it having actually occurred.
1t should be fully recognized, how
ever, that the railroads in taking these
steps are not merely protecting their
own interests, but that in a larger
measure they are protecting the in
terests of the public, and that if they
are causing inconvenience and loss
to the public they are causing greater
probortionate loss and Inconvenience
to themselves.
IF the strike occurs it will be much
better for all concerned for goods
which in the absence of embargoes
would be shipped to be left in the
hands of their owners, where they can
properly care for them, than for them
to be in the hands of the railways,
which probably could not properly
care for them.
Warnings Are Repeated.
s'-"It is hoped that travellers as we'll
as shippers will act on the warning
of the railways and not start upon
journeys which cannot be finished
before the strike order goes into eff