Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-29

conseauences In some respects worse thar
those Of war, and that In the midst Of
peace.
"I yield 70 no man in Arm adherence
alike Of conviction and Of purpose, 60 the
principle OF arbitration In Industrial dis.
putes, but matters have come to a sudden
crisis In this particular dispute and the
| country had been caught unprovidcd with
any practicable means OF enforcing that
conviction In practice Thy whose fault we
will not now stop 60 inauire).
EFFORTS FOR PEACE
~ situation had to be met whose elc-
| mcnts and hxed conditions werc Indssput-
able. The practical and patriotic course
TO pursue, as II seemed TO me, was to
| secure inimediat peace by conceding the
| one thing In the demands Of the men which
society Itself and any arbitrntors who rep
| resented public sentiment were most lKely
| to approve, and innm ediately lay the founda-
tlons for securing arbitration with regard
| to everything else Involved. The event
has connrmed that Judgment.
| II was seeking to compose the present In
order to safeguard the future. for l wished
an atmosphere of peace and friendly CO.
| operation in which TO take counsel with the
| representatives of the nation with regard to
| the best means for providing-so far as II
might prove possible to provide against
| the recurrence of such unhappy situations
| In the future-the best and most practicable
means of securing calm and fair arbitration
OF all industrial disputes in the days TO
come. This Is assuredly the best way of
vindicating principle - namely, having
failed to make certain of its observance in
the present, to make certain Of it's OBJ
servance In the future.
but could only propose. ! could not
govern the will Of others who took
tlrely different view of the circumstances
of the case, who even refused to admit the
circumstances to be what they have turned
out TO be.
Having failed to bring the parties to
this critical controversy to an accommoda-
tion, therefore, turn to you, deemlnE II
clearly our duty ns public servants to leave
nothing undone that we can do 20 safe
guard the life and interests of the nation.
PLANS FOR LEGISLATION.
"Tn the spirit of such purpose, I earn
estly recommend the following leElslationi
First. Immediate provision for the en-
lnrEemcnt and administrative reorRanlza-
zion of the Interstate Commerce Commission
along the lines embodied in the bill recently
passed by tho House of Representatives and
now awaiting action by the Senate; in
order that the commission may be enabled
to deal with the many great and various
duties now devolving upon II with n prompt
ness and thOroughncss which are with It's
present constitution and means of action
practically impossible.
Second. The establishment OF an eight
hour day as the legal basis alike of work
and OF wages in the employment OF all rail-
road employees who are actually engaged In
the work OF operating trains in Interstate
transportation.
"Third. The authorization Of the ap-
polntment by the President by n small
body of mon to observe the actual results
In experience of the adoption OF the eight
hour day In railway transportation alike
for the men and for the railroads. its
effects in the matter of operating costs, in
tho application of the existing practices
md agreements to the new conditions and
In all other practical aspects, with the pro-
vision that the investigators shall report
their conclusions to the Congress at the
earliest possible date, but without recon-
mendation as to legislative actioni in order
that tho public may learn from
preJudiced source Just what actual develop
ments have ensued.
INCREASE OF RATES.
Fourth. Explicit approval by the Con-
Eress of the consideration by the Inter-
state Commerce Commission OF an Increase
of freight rates to meet such additional
expenditures by the railroads as may have
been rendered necessary by the adoption
of the elght-hour day and which have not
been Offset by administrative readJustments
and economies, should the facts disclosed
Justify the Increase.
Fifth. An amendment of the existing
Federal statute which provides for the med
iation, cOnciliation and arbitration of such
controversies as the present by adding to
It n provision that In case the methods of
accommodation now provided for should fail,
q full public investigation of the merits of
every such dispute shall be Instituted and
completed before n strike or lockout may
lawfully be attempted.
"And, sixth, the lodgment in the hands
OF the executive of the power, In case OF
military necessity, to take control OF such
portions and such rolling stock of the rail-
ways of the country as may be required for
military use and to operate them for mill
tary purposes, with authority to draft into
the military service of the United States
such train crew and administrative officials |
as the circumstances require for their safe |
and efficient use.
This last suggestion I make because we |
cannot In any circumstance suffer the nation |
to be hampered In the essential matter of |
national defense. At the present moment |
render this duty particularly
obvious. Almost the entire military force
of the nation is stationed upon the Mexican |
border to guard our territory against hostile |
raids. II must be supplied, and steadily |
supplied, with whatever II needs for its /
maintenance and efficiency. II IL should be |
necessary for purposes of national defense |
to transfer any portion of II upon short
notice to some other part of the country, for |
reasons now unforeseen, ample means OF
transportation must be available, and avail
able without delay, The power conferred
In this matter should be carefully and ex-
plicitly limited to cases of military necessity,
but In all such cases It should be clear and
ample.
INTERPRETATION OF LAW.
'"rhere Is only one thing we should do IL
We are true champions of arbitration. We
should make all arbltral awards judgments
by record of a court of law in order that
their Interpretation and enforcement may
lie, not with one of the parties to the arbl-
tration, but with an impartial and author
itative tribunal
These things l urge upon you, not in
haste or merely as means of meeting a
present emergency. but as permanent and
additions to the law of the land
suggested, indeed, by circumstances we had
hoped never to see, but imperative as well
as just, II such emergencies are to be pre-
vented in the future 1 feel that no ex-
tended argument is needed to commend
them TO your favorable consideration. They
demonstrate themselves. The time and the
occasion only give emphasis to their i'm
DcTtance. We need them now and we shall
continue TO need them"
5-HOUR DAY NOT SANCTIONED
BY SOCIETY,"" RAIL. HEADS SAY