The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-09-07
RAILROAD STRIKE
HAS BEEN AVERTED
EIGHT HOUR LAW PASSED BY
CONGRESS ENDS THREATEN.
ED DISASTER TO COUNTRY
HEADS SEND MEN TO WORK
Terms Of Bill Satisfy Men But Rail.
roads May Test Law in the
Federal Courts

An order revoking the call for a
countrywide railroad strike Monday
was sent Il by labor union officials
saturday night after congress had
passed the Adamson eight-hour bill
and sent it to the president for his
signature.
The legislative %eXpedient to avert
the strike was passed in the senate by
a vote of AZ to 2S-almost a strict
party vote-and stirring scenes. after
many senator's. democrats and republi-
cans, had fought desperately to amend
the measure by provisions designed
to prevent industrial disasters in the
future. Some senator's, thoroughly
aroused, declared congress was being
coerced into enactment of legislation
that it did o desire and that it knew
would return to plague it in the future.
In both houses the measure was
signed within a few minutes after the
f1nal vote in the senate and it was sent
at once to the white house, where Pres.
ident Wilson signed it at 1880 o'clock
Sunday morning, after his return from
Shadow Lawn. Officials OF the brother
hoods who witnessed the final passage
Of thebill 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 conferred, changed their minds
and flashed the code message signal
ing to the waiting trainmen of the
country through their chairmen the
message that a satisfactory settle
ment had been secured.
Terms Of Bill
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 EN-.
gagged in the operation Of railroad
trains in interstate INNER Tex.
cepting roads less than 100 miles long
and electric lines), that they receive
pro rata pay for work in excess of
eight hours and that their rate of com.
pensation shall not be changed. pend
ing an investigation for six to nine
months of the effect of the eight-hour
day upon the railroads by a commits
sion to be appointed by the president.
Efforts to amend the bill in the
senate were futile, the supreme effort
to alter it having beer led by Senator
Underwood, who sought to provide
that the interstate commerce commits
sion should have power to fix railroad
wages and hours of service in the fu-
ture. This amendment was defeated
by a vote of 81 to IA. Only two demo-
Gratis, Senators H%ardwick, of Georgia,
and Clark of Arkansas, voted against
the bill and one republican, LaFollette,
of Wisconsin, voted for it.
Gompers Lauds Wilson
In a Labor Day address at Lewiston,
Maine, Samuel Gompers, president of
the Federation of Labor, praised Presi-
dent Wilson's administration for its
achievement in the interest Of the
labor movement.
In a lengthy discussion Of the threat
ened railway strike he defended the
attitude of the br~otherhoods and while
he praised President Wilson for his
efforts to settle the controversy he un-
qualifedly denounced any attempt at
legislation to compel arbitration.
"The demand of the railway broth
erhoods is a clear cut ISSUE said he.
"They now make the simple demand
that their lives and their properties
and well being shall be protected and
that they shall be required to work
only such a reasonable period of time
as industrial experience has shown to
be expedient. The e%ight-hour work
man is a better, a more resourceful, a
more productive worker than the one
who labors long hours.
Arbitration Not Rejected
"The railroad brotherhOods have not
refused to accept arbitration. They
have declared that the eight-hour work
day involves a principle of human well
fare that cannot be disputed and
therefore cannot be arbitrated.
"They are willing to submit every
other issue, all of which are arbitra-
BILE. to a mutually satisfactory tribu-
nal.