Evening star., 1916-11-13
STRIKE IF 8-HOUR
LAW IS NULL|F|ED
Must Be Lived Up to, Head of
Trainmen'S Brotherhood
Warns Railroads.
STATUTE TO BE DISCUSSED

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. November 13.-Faflure
of the railroads of the country to live
up to the spirit and intent of the
Adamson eight-hour law will result I'm
the strike vote Of the four big railroad
brotherhoods being put into effect. II
wns announced here today by William
Is. Lee. head of the BrotherhoOd of
Railway Trainmen. after three-hOur
conference between brotherhood and
railway representatives..
The conference was called to discuss
and. if possible. reach some agreement
or conclusion as to working out the
provisions of the law which goes into
effect January ]. The strike vote re-
ferred to by Mr.. Lee is that taken
prior to the conferences between the
railroad and brotherhood heads and
President Wilson. which was followed
by the massage of the Adamson law
after the brotherhoods had threatened
to put the vote into effect at thSs
time.
When the conferees adjourned today
| for luncheon IL was stated by brother
| hood representatives that so far moth
ing had been accomplished The broth
erhood's representatives said they had
worked out an Interpretation of the
eight-hour law, but they had refused
to divuige it for the reason that the
roads or some of them. had an
nounced their decision to fight IL
| through injunctions.
"A strike vote is still in effect" said
/ Mr. Lee. "and if the railroads do not
| live up to the very spirit and intent or
the law ia accordance with their
F.! agreement there is no reason why the
brotherhoods should not take advan-
/ tage of their strongest card This time
| there is nothing that can stop them.
| Mr.. Lee added that any attempt at
4 - 10. t1rFl dC In n a
/ ing in effect the eight-hour law will
| be met with instant action by the
| brotherhoods
1t was announced that the conference
| would resume its deliberations this aft
| ernoon.
| NEW YORK. November 13.-With
the prospect that questions involved in
! the Adamson eight-hour law contro-
versy will be brought up. proceedings
! in arbitration Were begun today which
may settle the demands of switchmen
| on thirteen railroads east of the Mis-
! sissipni for an eight-hour day and time
/ aud half pay for overtime labor.
! The Switchmen's Union of North
America. which is affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor. de-
| manded eight day after Con-
I gress enacted the Adamson statute
I The railroads would not make the con-
cession. and arbitration is now sought
under the Newlands act.
/
days hearing began and chose one Of
| the neutral members. Charles B. Howry.
| former associate Judge of the United
! States Court of Claims, as chairman.
| Prof. jeremiah W. jerks of New York
| University is the other neutral mem-
ber. and two men representing the
roads and two on behalf of the union
complete the board.
Discuss Application of Statute.
! Representatives of roads and their
trainmen who will benefit under the
Adamson eight-hour law gathered here
! today for the first of a new series of
| conferences to discuss ways and means
for the application of the statute.
The meeting. was described by rep
resentatives of the roads as one for
| formal discussion only, with the pur-
| pose of determining whether both sides
view the law in the same light. Nei-
| ther side understood the legislation or
how it is to be applied. it was stated,
and an effort is to be made to reach
some common ground for application if
the United States Supreme Court de-
cides the law is constitutional in the
suits brought by several roads to de-
| termine this fact.
Elisha Lee headed the conference
committee of managers which repre-
sents the roads in the discussions be-
ginning today. w. q. Lee. A. h. Gar
! retson w. =. Stone and w. 8. Carter
! heads of the four trainmens brother
| hoods. among the mems repre-
| Sentatives.
Holds Demands Moderate
s. E HeberIing international presi-
dent of the union. explaining to the
board the mems demands. said their
pay had advanced only or per cent
| since 1906, whereas the cost of living