The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1916-09-07
CONGRESS PASSES
new 8.HOUR Law
BILE WHICH AvERTED THREAT.
ENED STRIKE PASSED HOUSE
AND SENATE QUICKLY.
FOUR DEMOCRATS VOTE NAY
Two In House and Two In Senate OPP
pose BiII.-Party Vote In Senate But
Majority Republicans Favor Vote
in House.


Majority Republicans Favor VOTE
in House.
washington.--The threat Of a gen
eral railroad strike which hung like
pail over the country for month
was lifted when the Senate passed
the Adamsoh bill.
Three hours after. the senate had
passed without amendment the Adam
son eight-hour day bill. passed by the
house, the heads Of the four great
railroad employees brotherhoods tele
graphed 600 odd code messages te
their general chairmen in all parts
OF the country cancelling the strike
order issued q week ago to take
effect Labor Day at o'clock.
The legislative expedient to avert
the strike was passed in the senate
by q vote of 48 to 28-almost a strict
party, vote-amid stirring scenes
after many Senators, Democrats and
Republicans, had fought desperately
to amend the measure by provisions
designated to prevent Industrial disas-
tiers in the future. Some senators,
Thoroughly aroused, declared Cong
ress was being coerced into enactment
of legislation that it did not desire,
and that 1t kneR would return to
plague it in the future.
In both houses the measure was
signed within few minutes after the
final vote in the senate and it was
sent at. once to the White House.
Officials of the brotherhoods who
witnessed the final passage Of the bill
had announced early in the night that
cancellation of the strike would not
be ordered until the bill had been
signed by the President and actually
had become law. But later they con-
ferred, changed their minds and flash.
ed the code messages signaling to the
waiting trainmen Of the country
through their chairmen, the word that
satisfactory settlement had been
secured
The bill that stopped the strike pro-
vides that after January 1, 1917.
eight hours shall be regarded as a
basis Of reckoning for a days pay Of
men engaged in the operation Of rail
road trains in interstate commerce
excepting roads less than 100 miles
long and electric lines); that they
shall receive pro rata pay for work
In excess OF eight hours, and that
their rate Of compensation shall not
be changed pending an investigation.
for from six to nine months by q
commission to be appointed by the
President Of the effect Of the eight
hour day upon the railroads.
Efforts to amend the bill in the
Senate were futile, the supreme effort
to alter it having been led by Senator
Underwood, who sought to provide
that the Interstate Commerce Com
mission should have power to fix rail-
road wages and hours for service in
the future. This amendment was de-
feated by vote of 81 to IA.
Railroad officials have declared thst
the action of Congress will cost them
$60,0O0,000 a year in increased wages
to the trainmen. Brotherhood offic-
ials say the enactment will mean not
more than an annual increase Of $780,
100000. In Congress and among the
railroad officials there has existed
doubt as to the constitutiona1ity of
the law, but what steps if any may
be taken to test this has not been in
dictated
Quick action By the brotherhood
heads followed the action in the Sen
ate. No doubt existed in their minds
that President Wilson would sign the
bin as soon as 1t was handed to him.
The measure embraces virtually all of
the Presidents original proposals to
the employees and the railroad heads,
although 1t is only part Of the leg
islative program he took to Congress
last Tuesday when his negotiations
had failed.
Issuance Of the orders of cancella-
ton followed a meeting of the four
brotherhood heads and thirteen re-
naming members Of their committee
of GAO. Some opposition to acting be-
fore the President actually had af-
fixed his signature was evidence In
the meeting, but in the end the II
voted unanimously to call off the
strike Immediately. All of the code
messages had been prepared in adj
vance and as quickly as the decision
was announced clerks rushed to tele-
graph offices with arm loads OF the
messages.
No two of the more than 600 dis i
patches were alike. One Of them read
1t is reported that a big IRE is rag
ing in Torente" Another said There
is danger of your house burning down
tomorrow" Even the brotherhoods /
did not know what all the messages j
contained, the composition Of them
having bbeen left to clerks.
s Official House Vote. 7Tt-a ss
The official vote in the House on ]
the final passage OF the amended Adam
son eight-hour day bill was:
Ayes 239; nays, Sc; present, Is. Two