Evening journal., 1916-10-18

ton, and Senator Newlands the latter
as amendments, but both were de-
feated, as well as a proposal by MIR,
LaFOllette that nothing in the pend
ing measure should be construed TO
amend the Act of 1907. limiting the
hours of continuous service for train
men TO sixteen. The House bill was
then adopted by the Senate without
amendment, 43 ayes, % nays. not vot-
ing "A.
We desire to call your attention.
LIST. That the measure is not On
eight-hour law in the sense to which
that term has been applied to human
itarian legislation limiting the hours
OF females. minors or adult persons in
specific employment II is q regula-
ton and increase Of wages under the
guise of a regulation of hours. Had ii
provided that no employee engaged in
the operation of an interstate train
should be required or permitted to
work more than eight hours in TWEEN
ty-fOur, it would inquest onably have
been opposed by the railway brother
hoods as much as the railway man
ayers. The legal purpose OF the meas
ure is to make eight hours the stand
ard Of days service and pay in in
terstate railway operation from jan
uary I, 1917. and pending the report
Of the commission Of inquiry, which
must be made not later than Scptem-
Der /, 1917. the carrier is penalized if
it does not give the present DAVIS
wage for eight hours Of service and
nay pro rata for overtime based upon
that standard. These facts are made
more certain bv the stHfen'ont Of tNe
Speaker Of the House. Mr.. Clark, who
ruled out of order as not ger~oare 20
the subject ~ the House h'Il an
amendment offered by Mr.. Sterling OF
Illinois. providing for the inveetiga-
ton of future controversies threat
ening the interruption of interstate
commerce. and forbidding combine
ton to strike or lockout pending such
inquiry. The Speaker said:
an the BIZ before the House there
are two Of the recommendation thu
the President made and both OF thew
affect the question Of wages, and 70
not affect ANYTHING else"
Congressional Record Septembrr
/, 1915, p. loofiJ
End. The measure does not pro
vide any remedy to prevent the recur-
renee OF the same condition under like
circumstances. It does not create an
temporary or permanent body to in
quire into future controversies affect
ing the interruption of commerce mol
undertake to penalize the paralysis OF
such commerce through combined ac-
ton by employer or employee pending
an investigation of the controversy
3rd. It is the abandonment of tn
principle Of arbitration of a vital eco
nomic issue. Leading representatives
OF both parties frankly conceded in
the course Of the debate in bot
Houses that they were legislatinl
without knowledge of the effect Of
their action, except that il promised
to avert threatened strike of indie
scribable seriousness. Whether OF
not the employees engaged in tn
controversy were under or over-pa'd
whether they were demanding a faii
or dispropOrtionate share of thu
wage fund. whether the carriers, II
whole Or. part, possessed -the means o
paying il, was unknown to the legls
tors enacting the statue. They nav
provided for investigation after ac
ton. The average patient prefers
prescription founded upon an ante
norton. The Congressional lack o
knowledge is strikingly described b,
the distinguished Senator Underwood
former leader of the House. in IN
following language:
''Now. what are we confronted with
This demand for an increase OF wage
of twenty-five per cent may be rgh
and It may be wrong. Not a man her
has investigated the question, not
man here knows the details. Their
has been no opportunity to learn o
consider them. We merely know tina
the representatives on the part of la
Dor say that It is right and that tn
! representat yes on the part of tn
railroads say if they yield it will b
destructive to their property. Now
that is the extent of the informatio
we have. And yet we are going toda
to vote by legislative enactment a
increase Of wage OF twenty five pc
cent. OF the present wage withor
knowledge on our part Of what W
are legislating."
Congressional Record, Septembe
1. 1916, p. 15S32)
4th. Congress abandoned its DELFT
erative function under fear of ma
tional calamity produced by a str k
It yielded the duty of investigation
deliberation and modification of pend
ing legislation to a threatened strik'
Senator Reed opposed any amendmer
of the House bill on the ground ths
the House lacked a quorum, whic
would make it impossible for thf
body to pass the measure il amende
by the Senate. He declared
Nov, that brings me to the onl
[ observation I desire TO make. l hav
! lust talked with Judge Adamsol
chairman of the committee havin
! this measure in charge in the Hous
, ! saw him but a moment ago on II
floor. He stated to me that there
, not a quorum of the House Of Reprl
Z sentatives in the city of Washington
: and that if this bill is sent back
. the House the absence Of a quoru
- could defeat its passage today: