Evening star., 1916-09-02
Officials Sanguine There Will
Be No Hitch in Legis-
Iative Program.
BROTHERHOOD CHIEFS MAY
NOT WAIT ON SIGNATURE
Assured President Will Approve
Measure to Be Passed Finally
by Senate Today.
MAY BE SENT BY MESSENGER

Question Raised to Legality If Az
fixing of Presidential Signature
Is Delayed Until
Sunday.
lust as soon as the House bill,
unamended, becomes law" A. r.
Garretson, spokesman for the
brotherhoods, said today, the
strike order will be recalled"
The railroad strike is to be
called off tonight. official Wash
ington feels assured, as prompt
result OF the driving efforts of
Congress to put the eight-hour-
day bill through within the time
limit, and secure the Presidents
signature before midnight.
The bill, which last night passed
the House, 23o to 50, carrying the
approval of President Wilson and
the brotherhood chiefs, is to be
passed by the Senate before 6
o'clock this afternoon, and prob
ably with only one minor amend
men,
Know President Will Sign.
Just what will happen then is not
positive. but the general feeling is that
the strike will be called off Immediate
ly The brotherhood leaders know that
the President is ready to sign it and
that only his absence at Shadow Lawn
will cause any delay in its becoming a
law. There is confidence that they will
Immediately send out the resembling
order in code which they have already
prepared. This belief is strengthened
by the conviction that they are anxious
to let their own members know as soon
as possible whether they are to work
Monday.
Administration leaders will neglect
no effort to hasten the signature Of
the bill by the President. 1t will be
rushed to the White House, and IL 1t
arrives there before $50 pm. a spe-
cal messenger will be started for
Shadow Lawn. 1t is a strong proba-
bility that the President may come AZ
far Philadelphia to sign it before
midnight.
There is some disagreement as to
whether it would be legal if signed by
the President Sunday. Several leaders
in Congress today said they believed
no serious objection could be main-
tanned, but that every possible en-
deavor will be made to have it signed
before midnight.
Ready to Call Off Strike.
Heads of the four brotherhoods. an
tcipating such action by Congress. had
code messages to local union officials
ready revoking the order sent broad
cast early this week for strike start.
ing at am. Monday.
If the bill is passed. it is believed.
they will not wait until it is actually
signed by President Wilson.
While this legislation is admitted on
all sides to be but emergency meas
ure to stop the strike. and that 1t
merely effects a truce-probably until
after election-there was general feel.
ing of relief today.
Congress Prepares to Adjourn.
With the passage of the stop-strike
legislation Congress is preparing to
break up by the middle of the week. so
that the members can get back to their
home districts and election campaign
activities.
The Senate will begin to vote on the
eight hour bill at o'clock. and take
the final vote on the bill not later than
O'Clock this evening.
Prediction was made by the demo-
cratic leaders today that the bill as
finally agreed to by the Senate will
be practically the House measure.
Alleged Defect Covered.
At least one amendment will be add
ed, but this will not change the pro-
visions of the bill at all, and the House
leaders say they will concur in it inn
mediately.
The bill as passed by the House
makes provision for the expenditure of
$4,000 to investigate into the effect OF
the eight-hour law. but fails to specify
that this money may be expended in
the District of Columbia. Under the
law specifications as to the expendi-
ture of the money must be made There-
fore the Senate will insert it.
Leaders hold that the House bill will j,
prevent the impending strike and they
do not care to take any chances of
altering the bill and thereby endanger-
ing the strike situation.
Senator Cnderwoou's amendment pro-
viding that the interstate commerce
shall have the power to fix
hours of labor and wages for the rail-
road employees will be beaten. it was
predicted.
After the bill has passed the Senate IL
it has been amended in any way, it
must go back to the House for further
action.
If the amendments of the Senate are
important the bill may be sent to con.
ference.
If they do not materially change the
bill the House probably will agree to
the amendments of the Senate.
If the bill passes the Senate without
then it will be signed as
speedily as possible by the Vice Presi-
dent and the Speaker and hurried to
the President for his signature.
House Waiting on Senate.
When the House convened at II
o'clock the democratic leaders had ar.
ranged a program to insure final dis.