The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1916-09-07

| Esz{ WILLIAM G. ADAMSCN
Author Of the eisht-hour day law
The original text OF the provision
was as follows:
Be it enacted by the Senate and
House Of Representative of the Unit
ed States of America in Congress as.
sembled.
Section 1. That beginning Janu-
airy 1, 1917, eight hours shall in con-
tracts for labor and service be deem
ed a days work and the measure or
standard of a days work for the pur-
pose of reckoning the compensation
for services of all employees who are
now or may hereafter be employed
by any common carrier vby railroad,
except railroads independently owned
and operated not exceeding 100 miles
in length, electric street railroads, and
electric interurban railroads.
Section g. That the President
shall appoint q commission Of three.
which shall observe the operation and
effects of the institution OF the eight
hour standard work day as above de-
fined and the facts and conditions az
fecting the relations between such
common carriers and employees dur
ing a period of not less than six
in the discretion of the commission
and within 80 days thereafter such
commission shall report its findings to
the President and Congress. That
each member of the commission Great
ed under the provisions of this acs
shall receive such compensation as
may be fixed by the President. The
sum Of $4,000 or so much thereof as
may be necessary be, and hereby is,
appropriated out of any money in the
United States Treasury.
Section 8. That pending the report
of the commission. herein provided
for, and for period of 80 days there
after, the compensation OF railway
employees subject to this act for q
standard eight-hour work day shall
not be reduced below the present
sary time in excess Of eight hours
such employees shall be paid at a rate
not less than the pro rata rate for
such standard tight-hour work day.
Section 4. That any person violat-
ing any provision of this act shall be
fined not less than 800 and not more
than $1,000, or imprisoned not to ex.
coed one year, or both.
Brotherhoods Are Pleased.
1.-THE enactment Of this piece Of leg
islation," said A. B. Garretson, head
of the conductors brotherhood, "giv-
ing as it does an eight-hour day for
every man employed in the operating
department Of the railroads Of this
country from the Canadian border to
the Gulf and from the Atlantic to the
Pacific is a wonderful thing. It not
only affects the brotherhoods and the
best paid men who come under their
Jurisdiction but it reaches far enough
down the line to give the negro rail-
road worker of the south his chance.
'I do not care whether the bill is
signed on Sunday or some other day,
nor does the constitutionality of such
an act bother me- If the President
sees fit to sign 1t on that day I'll be
willing to accept his Judgment that
the act Is legal"
w. G. Lee, head of the trainmen,
said:
."Of course am pleased that we
have avoided a strike. We did not
want strike any more than any
one in this country, but we had come
to a point where If strike became
necessary to win our demands we
were willing to go into one / feel
confident too that we would have
emerged victorious If strike had
been necessary.
THAT situation, however, now is
past. It is probable, Of course, that
the railroads will ask for increased
freight rates. If they can show that
they are deserving of them the broth
erhoods will help obtain them. But
unless then can show good cause for
advances, of course we will mot go
to their assistance.
1.-THE bill as enacted today does not
contain all that we should have liked
to have. We were willing, however,
to make sacrifices and we made them. 4
We are willing to abide by the 1egis-
Iation as passed by Congress-"
w. S. Carter and w. S. Stone,
heads OF the firemen and engineers.
gave out no statements
further than to say they were pleased
with the outcome Of the negotiations.
All Of the brotherhood leaders were
Inclined to regard lightly reports that
that railroads would make determine
ed fight on the constitutionality of
the eight-hour day. They feel that
the ten-hour day Is a thing. of the
past now, regardless OF how the
courts may interpret the Adamson
bill. The practical operation Of the |
eight-hour day, they declare, will con-
vince the public and the railroads |
that II was q step In the right direc-
dons