The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-09-05
Take Step As Soon As It Becomes
Certain That Adamson Bill En-
forcing Eight-Hour Day Rule
Will Be Signed BY Mr.. Wilson
MEASURE WILL GO INTO
EFFECT ON JANUARY |
Railroad Officials Announce They
Will Not Attempt To Contest
Law Until Congress Has
Made Thorough Investigation
ASSOCIATED Press Oy Federal wirsIss,.)

ASSOCIATED Press Dy Federal wirsIsss1
XVIASHINGTON, September 3-Of-
w fcers of the trainmens' brother.
hoods yesterday issued orders
calling of the strike and general tieup
of the big railroad systems of the coun.
try that had been scheduled for tomor.
row morning. This action on the part
Of the brotherhood heads followed the
passage of the Adamson eight hour bill
which last night received majority
vote in the Senate
The radical legislation was immediate.
ly rushed off to the summer capitsl Mt
'hadowlawn, N. j., where President
Wilson will make the new bill a national
law by affixing his signature. The Chief
Executive has promised to sign the new
measure today.
Law Effective January
Under the provisions Of the act the
new eight-hour law will go into enet,
on January ], 1916. The railroad men
will receive the same scale of wages rs
at present.
Railroad officials who have remained
at the capital in order to be in touch
with members of both houses of CONF.
ress and to take any steps that seem
necessary to prevent the passage of the
hill were emphatic in their condemna-
ton of the new measure.
They point out that the shortening Of
he working hours will represent an an.
proximate increase in wages of more
than sixty million dollars annually.
Officials of the brotherhoods claim
hat this estimate is exaggerated. They
stated yesterday that after careful RGI
uring' that the increase In wages Of the
companies would not be more than
twenty million dollars and believe that
the enormous profits made by the rail
"oads since the great war would more
than offset this increase.
Quiet reigns here following the pas.
age Of the Adamson interstate com
merce committee bill by both houses
It congress, which makes IL certain
hat there will be no strike of the great
runk railways.
Senate Passes Bill
The AdamsOn BILL calling for com.
ulsory eight hour day in railway EN-.
loyment, rushed through congress to
avert the strike, passed the senate
without amendment yesterday after
Don by IA vote of forty.thre to TWEEN.
weight.
Senator Hardwick and Clarke (Ar.
ansasJ were the only Democrats vot.
ng against it and La Toilette the only
Republican voting for IL. The bill has
'oen sent to the White House anu
waits the Presidents return tomor.
row.
Previous to the vote an amendment
'ffrr"d by Senator Underwood, which
would give the Interstate Commerce
Commission authority to fix railroad
wages and hours, was rejected by
vote of fifty seven to fourteen.
Washington has not known such a
tense week since the declaration of war
in 1893, and lawmakers who were pre-
vented from going to their homes be.
'ause of the industrial crisis that con.
fronted the country are giving them.
selves up to relaxation.
Democratic members of both houses
are congratulating themselves on the
fact that hey were instrumental in
adequately meeting a situation that for
gravity has not been equalled since the
Civil War. Republican leaders on the
other hand are outspoken in their view
that the President used the opportuu.
ity for political capital They claim
that congress was eoerced in passing
legislation that was i'll considered that
will prove a boomerang In the future.
Will Not Fight Law Yet
From reports that have been receiv.
ed from Chicago, the railroad heads OF
the principal transcontinental lines af.
ter conference, decided not to take
any legal action against the new law.
1t appears to be their intention to
await developments and to make thor.
ough investigation of all the condition
during the months preceding the time
when the law will go into effect and
after it has been tried.
One of the grievances of the railroad
heads is that the threatened tieup of
their lines has cost the companies mil.
lidrs # dollars. Much Of this loss is
attributed to the contracts which the
ronds enter into the employ men TO
take the Plnre of the strikers. These
contracts, they declare, are now invalid
except in SO far as they involve n
monetary responsibility on the part
Of the roads.
Word WIS received from Chicago
that proof that the great strike has
been aVcrted lies in the fact that the
railroads. throughout the country have
revoked thir rmbargoes on freight and
""os"! TO warn passengers against DOS.
'l5I '"ENs. The roads have abandon.
"d thor preparations to meet the
81 ~ aud have discontinued the EN-.
lh NmyUt OF Strikebreakers.