The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-11-18
B. 8 0. AT TAGKS
ADANSON law
IN COURT
Bill Declares 1t Impossible to
Apply Eight-Hou Standard
to Railroad Waves.

BALTIMORE, Nov. / S.-The Bnlti-
more and Ohio Railroad Company has.
fled with the United States district.
court here bill asking for nm lnjunc-
ton against the institution OF PROSE
cutlons for the purpose OF enforcing
the Adamson law. The bill names as
defendants Samuel *. Dennis. United
States district attorney. and fourteen
other men. individually md as repre-
sentatives of the train service broth
erhoods. The petition raises the same
issues MS do the petitions Of other
companies previously hled.
The Baltimore and Ohio emphasizes
the difficulties and the "impoRsibility
of interpreting or applying the pTovIs-
ions Of the act to the conditions under
which the employees are engaged and
their wages computed
1t Is set forth in the bill that the
wages of train service employees vary
greatly MS to the different classes Of
employees and duties performed and.
shows the extent to which present.
wages are based on mi1eage and on
specific runs, to NIL of which 1t is
claimed 1t IS Impossible to apply the
single eight-hour day standard fixed
by law. II further states that by rea-
son OF the fact that mono Of it's train!
basis Of q fixed days labor, and that
wages paid vary according to numer-
Gus conditions which change from day.
to day, there is no such thing as "a
standard day wage in railroad ser
vice.
The text OF the Adamson bill. tho
t8constttu tionality OF which Isl to be
tested fol lows .s$
Be - 81 enacted by tie Senate and
House of Represent tives ofs tho United
States Of Amertca IN Congress as
sembled. that beginning January
1917, eight hours shall, in contracts
for labor and service; be deemed a
days work and the measure or stand
ard Of a days work for the purpose
of reckoning the comp ion for ser
vices of all the employe who are now,
or may hereafter be. employed by any
common carrier by railroad except
railroads independently owned and
operated not exceeding one hundred
miles in length, electric street rail-
roads, and electric interurban rail-
roads, which is subject to the provIss
ions of the act of February A, II 887, on
titled An act to regulate commerce.
as amended, and who are now or may.
hereafter be actually engaged IN any.
Z capacity in the operation OF trains
or property on railroads, except rail-
roads dependent owned and opar-
ated not exceeding one hundred miles
In myth, electric street railroads and
electric interurb ban raj lroads, from any
state or terri tory Of the United States
or the District OF Columbia to any
other state or territo tory OF the United
States or the District OF Columbia OF
from any one place IN territory to
another place in the same territory,
or from any place In tho United States
to an adjacent foreign country, Or from
any place in the United States through
q forclgns country to any other placeStnI
the United States.
crowded. that the above executions
shall not apply to railroads though
less than one hundred lies in lenKtIil
whose principal business is leasing or
furnishing terminal or transfer facilt-I
ties to other railroads, or are them
~