The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-08-31

fering should these few men insist up-
on approaching and concluding the
matters in controversy between them
merely as employers and employees,
rather than as patriotic citizens of the
United States looking before and aft
er and accepting the larger respon-
sibility which the public would put up
on them.
Approves Eighth Hour Day.
at seemed to me, in considering the
subject matter of the controversy, that
the whole spirit of the time and the
preponderant evidence of recent eco
nomic experience spoke for the eight
hour day. 1t has been adjudged by the
thought and experience of recent years
thing upon which society is justified
in insisting as in the interest of health,
efficiency, contentment and general
increase of economic vigor. The whole
presumption of modern experience
would, it seemed to me, be in its ia
vor, whether there was arbitration or
not, and the debatable points to settle
were those which arose out of the &C
ceptance of the eight-hour day rather
than those which affected its establish
ment. l therefore proposed that the
eight-hour day be adopted by the rail-
way arrangements and put into prac-
tice for the present as a substitute
for the existing 10-hour basis of pay
and service; that I should appoint,
with the permission of Congress, a
small commission to observe the re-
suits of the change, carefully study
ing the figures of the altered operat-
ing cost, not only, but also, the con-
ditions of labor under which the men
worked and the operation of their ex-
listing agreements with the railroads,
with instructions to report the facts as
they found them to the Congress at
the earliest possible day, but without
recommendation; and that after the
facts had been thus disclosed, an adj
:ustment should in some orderly man.
ner be sought of all the matters now
left unadjusted between the railroad
managers and the men.
"These proposals were exactly in
line, it is interesting to note, with the
position taken by the Supreme Court
of the United States when appealed to
protect certain litigants from the fl
nancial losses which they confidently
expected if they should submit to the
regulation of the charges and of their
methods of service by public legisla-
ton. The court has held that it would
not undertake to form a Judgment up
on forecasts, but could base its &C
lions only upon actual experience, that
it must be supplied with facts, not
with calculations and opinions, how
ever scientifically attempted. To I'M
dertake to arbitrate the question of
the adoption of an eight-hour day in
the light of results merely estimated
and predicted would be to undertake
an enterprise of conjecture.
"No wise man could undertake, or
if he did undertake it, could feel as
sured of his conclusions.
Offered Services to Railways.
az unhesitatingly offered the friend
Nv services of the administration to
the railway managers to see to it that
Justice was done the railroads In the
outcome. l felt warranted IN assur-
ing them no obstacle of law would be
suffered to stand in the way of their
increasing their revenues to meet the
expenses resulting from the change so
far as the development of their bust
ness and if their administrative eff
cheney did not prove adequate to'meet
them. The public and the representa-
tives of the public, l felt justified in
assuring them, were disposed to moth
ing but Justice in such cases and were
willing to serve those who served
them.
"The representatives of the brother
hoods accepted the plans, but the rep
resentatives of the railroads declined
to accept it. In the face OF what L
cannot but regard as the practical Ger
tainty that they will ultimately be
obliged to accept the eight-hour day
bv the concerted action of organized
labor, backed by the favorable Judg-
ment of society, the representatives OF
the railway management have felt JUS
tilted in declining peaceful settle
ment which would engage all the fore
es of justice, public and private, on
their side to take care of the event.
They fear the hostile influence OF snip
pers, who would be opposed to an IN
crease of freight rates flor which,
however, the public, of course, would
pay); they apparently feel no contl-
dence that the Interstate Commerce
Cononoiscinn could withstand the OBJ