French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1916-09-07
CONGRESS PASSED LAW
AVERTING BIG STRIKE
Kitchen.AdamSOn Measure Rushed
Through Both Houses in Time to
Stop Strike Monday.

By a vote of 235 to 56 the house
Friday passed the Kitchen-Adamson
bill, fixing eight hours as the basis
of a days work for railroad men en-
gagged in interstate commerce and
Saturday the Senate passed the same
bill by a vote of 43 to %. Two Dem
Ocratic senators voted against the
measure and one Republican voted
for it.
With the passage of this bill the
threat of a general railroad strike
which had been hanging like a pail
over the country for the past month
was lifted. Three hours after the
senate had passed the house bill with
out amendments the heads of the four
great railroad employees brotherhoodS
telegraphed 600 odd code messages to
their general chairmen in all parts of
the country cancelling the strike Or
der issued to take effect at z o'clock
last Monday morning.
President Wilson signed the bill
Sunday morning while in his private
car at Union station in Washington,
and that there might be no question
as to the legality Of the measure as
d 4C0u4I VI II udf1AS DSCh 04SuSu Ou
Sunday. the president again affixed
his signature Tuesday.
The text of the Adamson eight-hour
bill as it was sent to the President for
his signature follows:
Be it enacted by the Senate and
house Of Representatives of the Unit
ed States of America in Congress as
sembled, that beginning January 1,
1917, eight hours shall, in contracts
for labor service. be deemed a days
work and the measure Or standard Of
a days work for the purpose of reck-
oning the compensation for service Of
all employees who are now are may here
after be employed by any common
carrier by railroad, except railroads
independently owned and operated not
exceeding one hundred miles in
length, electric street railroads, and
electric interurban railroads, which
are subject to the provisions of the
act of-February 4, 1887. entitled IAN
Act to Regulate Commerce." as amend
ed and who are now u may hereafter
be actually engaged in any capacity
in the operation of trains used for the
transportation of persons Or property,
except railroads Independently own
ed and operated not exceeding n
hundred miles in length, electric
street railways and electric interur-
ban railroads. from any state or ter
ritory of the United States or the Dis
trict of Columbia to any other state or
territory of the United States or the
District of Columbia, Or from one
place in a territory to another place in
the same territory, or from any place
in the United States to an adjacent
foreign country, or from any place in
the United States through a foreign
country to any other place in the
United States; provided that the
above exceptions shall not apply to
railroads though less than one hun-
dred miles in length whose principal
business is leasing Or furnishing ter
minal transfer facilities to other rail
roads. or are themselves engaged in
transfer of freight between railroads
Or between railroads and industrial
plants.
Section 2. That the President shall
appoint a commission of three, which
shall observe the operation and effects
of the institution of the eight-hour
standard work day as above defined
and the facts and conditions affecting.
the relations between such common
ouu CnPAOJNO d PO44OO
of not less than six months nor more
than nine months, in the discretion of
the commission, and within thirty
days thereafter such commission shall
report it's findings to the President
and congress; that each member of
the commission created under the
provisions of this act shall receive
such compensation as may be fixed
NV tho PrCni6nnts that fhn S11no of
$4,000, Or sc much thereof as may
be necessary, be. and hereby is, appro-
priated, out Of any money in the Uni
ted States Treasury not otherwise
appropriated, for the necessary and
proper expenses incurred in connec-
ton with the work of such commits
sion, including salaries, per diem
travelling expenses of members and
employees, and rent, furniture, Office
fixtures and supplies, books, salaries,
and other necessary expenses, the
same to be approved bv the proper
accounting officers Of the Treasury.
Section 3. That pending the report
of the commission herein provided for
and for a period of thirty DAYS there
after the compensation of railway en-
ployes subject to this act Or q. stand-
ard eight-hOur work day shall not be
reduced below the present standal d
days wage. and for all necessary time
in excess Of eight hours such en-
ployes shall be paid a rate not less
than the pro-rata rae for SUCH s.aLd-
ard eight7hour dag.
Section 4. That any person v'olat-
ing any provision OF mis- act shall be
CT ity of a misde 1ear0T and III OF
conviction shall De incl not less than
$1,000, or Imprisonment not to ex-
ceeG che year, Or both.