Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-09-02

The amendments added to the bill to conform to draft framed by the senate interstate commerce commit tee. would fix the effective date as .January 1, 1917, instead of December i, 1916, and exempt railroads less than 100 miles in length, and electric street and interurban lines. Briefly, it provides that eight hours shall con- stitute a days work and the standard for reckoning compensation of rali-- road employees operating trains In ln- terstate commerce, after January l, 1917. and that commission of three, appointed by President Wilson, shall investigate the effect of the eight hour standard from six to nine months, and then report to congress; present wages not to be reduced dur ing the investigation or for 30 days thereafter and overtime to be paid at pro rata rate.
 It was after day of hot debate that the house passed the bill under a special rule brought in when RepuD- lican Leader Mann objected to It's con sideration. Less than half of the Re publicans followed their floor leader in the opposition and when the final vote came, 70 of them lined up with the Democratic majority, while only 56 voted against the measure. Just two Democrats, Steele of Pennsyl- yania and Black of Texas, voted against the bill, and Representative London of New York, the only Social ist, voted for it.
 Congress. Cuts Out Red Tape.
 Red tape was eliminated as far as possible, to rush the measure over to the senate, which, after several hours of lively discussion of bul reported by it's interstate commerce commit tee, had recessed until o'clock.
 When the senate reconvened, the house legislation was there awaiting action. The senate committee bill, drafted during the session last night, and another this morning, was the Adamson bill, with the same amend ments adopted and an added section empowering the interstate commerce commission to fix the wages of inter- state railroad employees at the end of the proposed investigation and there after
 At the outset of the senate session, Senator Newlands asked and obtained the unanimous consent to put asiae the senate bill and take up the one sent from the house, thereby paving the way for quicker final action than otherwise would rave been possible. Senator Underwood brought up the issue over which the senate was di- vided, by proposing as an amendment the wage-fxing provision of the dis carded senate bill. Over this amend ment, debate waged for three hours, Senators Newlands and Underw .od advocating it, and Senator Cummins making long speech criticising the whole proceedings. Most of the sen,- tors had little to say, for the reason that the general conviction was that in the end the house bill would go thru without debate.
 Against Wage.Fixing.
 While the brotherhood heads care fully refrained from expressing any opinion publicly of the Underwood wage-fixing amendment, it is known that they strongly oppose 1t and are confident that it never will become law. On the other hand, many mem' , bers of the house and senate are con fident that if the Underwood amend ment is passed, just so the eight hour day provision goes thru, there Will be no strike.
 It is generally believed that mes sages' calling off the strike will go out tomorrow night, immediately ait CT congress acts, without waiting for l the bill to reach the president. Representative Adamson announced