The Washington herald., 1916-09-01
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

pay the same wages for eight hours that
they now pay for ten hours was retained.
A clause imposing a fine of 1000 or i'm
prisonment for every violation of the law
was added.
Everything else that might add to the
controversy and cause delay was thrown
out. The instructions to the interstate
commerce commission to compensate the
| railroads by permitting an increase in
freight rates went by the boards.
The bill. it is understood was submitted
to the brotherhood chiefs and approved
| by them. Then 1t was turned over to
the House leaders, with orders to put it
through the House today.
1t was formally introduced in the House
late yesterday afternoon by Chairman
Adamson of the House Committee on In
terstate Commerce.
House leaders last night agreed
upon rule providing for a vote on
| the bill in the House at 4:30 o'clock
this afternoon. President Wilson let
1t be known that he would go to the
Capitol when the Senate convenes this
morning and remain in the Presidents s
room, where he can be In constant
touch with the whole situation.
Agree to Accept Bill.
Late yesterday afternoon. Just before
the Senate adjourned, it was learned
that the railroad brotherhood, through
a. B. Garretson, its president, had
agreed to accept the Adamson bill as
basis for calling OF the strike that
was set for Monday.
The Interstate Commerce Committee
of the Senate will at once prepare a
similar measure, and It will be intro
duced in the Senate this morning. In
! terms 1t may be identical with the
House bill
For the purpose of expediting the
measure through the Senate, that body
will meet today at 10 o'clock and be-
gin consideration of the measure i'm
mediately.
Trouble Is anticipated in the Senate
No gag rule prevails there. and the Re
publicans, II they decide to do so. can
delay the passage OF the bill beyond the
time set for the strike.
Many strongly Opposed.
Many OF them are strongly opposed. not
so much to the eight-hour day, they say,
as to the idea OF being held up and sand
! bagged into passing legislation under
threat OF a strike. Many Democrats
who. however, will probably vote for the
bill, expressed similar sentiments yes
terday afternoon.
| 1t is believed that this opposition will be
sufficient to prevent the passage Of the
, bill before Saturday night.
Administration leaders in both wings Of
the Capitol last night freely predicted
! that the bill would be law and the strike
called off before Sunday.
Il have just been keeping in touch with
things to see that they keep moving,
I said the President after his conference.
They are moving" he added.
Mr. Wilson's face was wreathed in
smiles and he seemed satisfied with re-
ports that reached him.
| Mr. Wilson returned to the White House
and summoned the brotherhood chiefs.
At o'clock Stone, Lee and Carter ar
rived Garretson for some reason was
| hour later they declined to say what had
occurred.
Give No Assurances.
| 1t is understood that the President told
them OF his efforts to get the eight
hour bill through Congress before Sun
day, but explained the difficulty of hur-
rying the Senate. He tried to get as
surances from them that II the bill
had passed the Hsuse and was in a fair
way to pass the Senate by Saturday
night they would delay the order for
strike.
Joseph Tumuty, the Presidents Secre-
tary. subsequently made this announce
ment:
! The heads OF the brotherhoods were
unable to give the President assurances
of any kind"
The Republicans are noncommittal as
to their attitude on the eight-hour bill.
1t is their purpose to hold a confer
ence today and outline their program.
A few of them. among them Senator
Weeks, of Massachusetts, declared their
intention last night to fight the measure
! to the end
! last night that the party would not as
sumo the responsibility of precipitating
tie strike by blocking the passage of
the bill.
! Majority Leader Kern said last night
| he believed the Senate would pass the