Fergus County Democrat., 1916-09-28
WILSON REPLIES TO CRITICISMS
OF EICHT-H0UR DAY MEASURE
With Emphatic Gestures Before Large Co,ud Assembled at
Shadow Lalun President Defends the Eightour Lau and
Declares Also That the Nation Must Be Freed From the Pos
sibity of Interference With Its Commerce Chief Cloud That
Upon the Domestic Horizon the President Declared the
Unsatisfactory Relations Existing Bettueen Capital and Labor

the resentment that would remain, the
feeling Of hostility that would be ac-
centuated; and so | asked the privi-
lege of consulting with them.
Before ] consulted with them, /,
of course, made myself acquainted
with the points of the controversy
and ] learned that they were very
simple indeed; that the men demanded
an eight-hour day and that in order
to make the eight-hour day work they
demanded that the railroads pay them
one-half more for overtime than they
paid them for the time in the regular
day, the men alleging that that was
the only way they could obtain gen
uine eight-hour day, by making the
railroads pay more for the time be-
yond the eight hours than they paid
for the time within the eight hours.
| saw at once that there was one part
of this that was arbitrable, but that in
my opinion there was another part
that was not arbitrable. | do not
regard the question of the principle
OF the eighthour day as arbitrable.
The first thing I told both sides
before | requested their opinion was
that l stood for the eight-hour day.
| received no suggestion Of any kind
from either side as to what the basis
OF settlement was to be except that
the railroad executives did suggest
that congress give them some sort
OF assurance that If the eight-hour day
went into operation they would get
increased rates for the carriage OF
their freight. pointed out to them
that 1t was impossible to tell whether
they would need increased rates for
the carriage Of their freights.
I'VE believe in the eighthour day
because man does better work with.
in eight hours than he does within a
more extended day, and the whole
theory of it, theory which is sus'
tanned by abundant experience, is that
his efficiency is increased, his spirit
in his work is improved, and the whole
moral and physical vigor af the man
is added to. . ...-
This is no longer conjectual. Where
it has been tried it has been demon
strated. The judgment of society, the
vote of every legislature in America
that has voted upon it, is verdict
in favor Of the eight-hour day.
"And, therefore, said to those gen
: tlemen on both sides at the very be
, ginning: The eight-hour day ought
to be conceded But they said: II
will cost us an immense sum of mon
ey' Then said: How do you know
. !. how much it will cost you?
!. you remember there was case
!. decided by the supreme court Of the
= United States. 1t was known as the
cent gas case, whereby Legislation
" in the state of New York. 8 cents was
;. established as the charges for the unit
of the supply of gas, and the law was
contested upon the ground that il
il was confiscatory, and therefore un
constitutional.
: And, when the appeal reached tn,
= supreme court OF the United Statel
!, it said: No one can tell until yo,
y try to manufacture gas at so cent
N whether it is confiscatory or not. G,
u ahead and manufacture gas and sci
1t for so cents and then il it prove
= impossible to conduct your business
y upon that charge come back and dis
D. cuss with us the confiscatory mature
y of this act And it may be remarke,
II in passing that the company neve
went back to discuss it.
II II said to the railroad executives
! You are asking that the results o
the eight-hour day be predicted an
le the prediction be arbitrated Yo
. are asking for an arbitration of cor
b, lecture, of an opinion. of a forecast
III of the figures Of experts based upo
. . an entirely different experience, an
10 IL you were to ask me personally t
.. arbitrate such a question | would 50
III | am not competent to arbitrate it.
1.-The reasonable thing to do is
III grant the eight-hour day, not becaus
sn the men demand it, but because it
~ right, and let me get authority frol
40 congress to appoint a commission {
III as an impartial nature as | can chOos
d to observe the results and report upo
Oh the results, in order that justice ma
ves be done the railroads in respect
en- the cost of the experiment.
IL THAT was the proposal which the
re rejected and which congress put I'M
;. law, proposal which made to the
ne before l conferred with it, which
eii urged upon them at every conferehc
ld and which when the one side rejectt
10 and the other side accepted, ! wei
er' to congress and asked congress
ra' enact. did not ask either side wheth
ga it suited them, and l requested n
al friends in congress not to ask eth
on side whether it suited them, learn'
lot before the controversy began, so f
'es as I was concerned in it, that Il
lat whole temper of the legislative boz
OF of the United States was in favor
OF the eight-hour day.
it, "When carried it to congre'
lsk some very interesting things ha
'ad pened In the house of representativ
nn- the plan was passed, was sanction
IN. by vote which included, am to
1at about 70 republicans as against 81
ley publicans: and in the senate | am
an. formed, that the republican membe
ces of the senate held conference
re- which they determined to put no I
stacle in the way of the passage
,lic the bill. Now this was because
it proposal was reasonable and "
me based upon right.
18th But, ladies and gentlemen, that
me not the end of the story. This thl
not ought to have been done. and 1t oul
my to have been done at the time it v
cult done. SO as to bring about reas
lew able trial of the eight-hour day ant
nly careful examination of the results
'eat the eight t-hour day. But that does