Evening journal., 1916-10-30
IADAMSON Law
IS VOGUE MEASURE
Not an s Hour Law at All,
Frank Trumbull
Says
RAILROAD MAN
CONDEMNS BILL

saturday night Frank IrumDull'
Chairman Of the Railway Executives
Advisory Committee, and Chairman Of
the Board Of the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railway. discussed certain phases OF
the railroad situation. and the bearing
Of the so-called S-hour law, in part. as
follows
In order that we may intelligently
consider other things, may / men
ton first the thing which doubtless is
clear to you. but, unfortunately, is
not realized by everybody. refer
now to the one thing which differen-
tiates the railroads from ordinary in
dustries. to wit:-the minute regula-
ton to which they are subjected and
the consequent artificial limitation
on their profits. It is true that the
railroads of the United States are
more prosperous this year than they
have ever been. but their prosperity
is not comparable to that Of many
other industries. A great deal Of
fresh capital is. and will be needed,
but there is no way of coercing in
vestors in the disposition of new
money"
After giving a brief history of the
so-caled S-hour movement of rail-
way tranmen, Mr. Trumbull stated
that nc was prepared TO make at least
one definite statement about il: that
! is. that no one. either Congressman,
railroad officials, labor leaders, or
anybody else, knows just what the
| law means.
Railway companies" he continued,
have a recognized duty to the pub
lie TO furnish adequate and safe trans
portation. but that requirement is
absolutely dependent under our sys-
tenn upon private capital so railway
officials must consider not only their
! duty 10 the public. but to those who
| furnish the capital which provides
the transportation. Sooner or later
! the so-called S-hour law will undOubt-
edly he tested in the courts in The
orderly way provided by our form of
government II the law is not con
stitutional. It is. Of course. not a law
at all. and the various railroads, in
vestOrs employees shippers, and the
travelling public, would be relegated
/ to the potion which existed before. #
| the law is found to be constitutional.
/ it will still have TO be interpreted in
several particulars. so that it may be
! intelligently obeyed Even when this
is done there opens up a long list OF
possibilities, both for investors and
employees. and for the rest Of the one
hundred million people of this coun-
try.
"The Adamson Act is in fact not an
S-hour law al all; that is to say. there
is not a line in it restricting men to
eight hours continuous employ ment
II Is contended that the S-hour prin-
ciple has been Sanctioned by the
Judgment of society" but this is not
supported by general legislation
which is the mode of expression Of
the Judgment of society" in vogue
under our form of government. n
fact. the government does not ever
limit the railway postal clerks tC
sixteen hours continuous service. as
it has long since done for railway
trainmen. If the law is valid, Con
gress has entered upon a new fielC
full Of interesting possibilities, that Is
the regulation of wages.
"1f Congress has the power n pro
hibit a decrease in wages, has it the
power to prohibit increases? If i
has the power to regulate wages, mus
the wages be just and reasonable
similar to the provision in regard Il
the regulation Of rates-aud if so
shall Congress determine what arr
lust and reasonable wages for al
railway employees instead Of FOR train
, men only? viii Congress attempt t
regulate all these things directly o.
q through a commission? II Though ;
, commission. will its findings be man
. datory alike upon the employees an'
J upon the companies? Is railway cap
= ital enlisted" in the public service
, and will railway employees also u
p enlisted" II Congress or a comnis
sion raises all railway wages. will /
raise the rates simultaneously. or vii
investors have to wait for tediOu
hearings before various commissions
! II capital which is fluid, flows il
y other and more attractive directions
! how will new facilities be provided
s il wage demands are to be acceded Il
; without investigation. VIII the equiv
70 alent he made up to investors by tax
G alton or by guarantees, o. how? Thes
b. are only a few Of the many interesting
p questions that will undoubtedly b.
p logically raised.
T. whatever may be the disposition
= of the burning question of the mo
l'lment. that is. the sO-ca.le1 S-hou
I dav. one thing at least is becomin
: more and more evident; namely. tina
j. the Federal Government alone mus
j. control in some way all or the affair
d OF the railroads. Under Government
ownership the people would not for
moment tolerate the intrusion of for
weight separate state policies. Fac
. Stale must. for IFS own protector
!. have some tribunal act for the ger
% eral interest. Our state lines are no
. the boundaries Of sol'5-eight separ
ate countries. but we are one natlor
: OF one hundred millan people, GU
l. language and our interests are one
d and none OF us eau be patriotic j
any better way thaa to promote ma
tional unity.
= Now. that 7 an in New England
q may / make a little comparison wit
! Old England? In that tight it'll
island. the first-cilss passenger rat
is four cents a mile. The thiId-olas
rate is two cents a mile. Since tn
war began the very low eXcursio
y rates have been suspended and I an
, told that the passenger revenues ar
r greater than ever. The railroads Z
!, Great Britain carry rsGrly as man
: naescngerg as The railroads of tn
United States. which undertake
serve three million square miles z
+arritorv Wages q. locomotive en