The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1916-09-08
CONGRESS AVERTS
RAILWAY STRIKE
TRAINMEN RESClND WALKOUT
ORDER WHEN EIGHT-HOUR
LAW is PASSED.
Bill Which Prevented Strike of 100000
Men Provides That After January I,
1917, Eight Hours Shall Be Work
ing Day for Trainmen.

Washington. The threatened strike
of 100000 railway employees, which
had been scheduled to take place at Z
a. M, September T. was averted by
the approval by congress of the Adam
son eight-hour bill.
The house passed the measure by
vote of 239 to SO, while 43 senators
voted for the measure and % against
It.
Three hours after the senate had
passed the eight-hour bill, the heads of
the four great railroad employees
brotherhoods telegraDhed 500 odd code
messages to their general chairmen
in all parts of the country cancellng
the strike order issued week previous
to take effect Monday, September 1,
at Z O'Clock.
In both houses the measure was
signed within a few minutes after the,
final vote in the senate, and it was
sent at once to the White House.
President Wilson stopped at the Union
state Sunday night en- route from
Shadow Lawn, N. j., to Hodgenville,
KY, long enough to sign the bill.
The ceremony was performed in the
presidents private car, the Federal
The only witnesses were Mrs. Wilson,
John Boiling, Mrs Wilson's brother,
and Rudolph Forster, executive clerk
at the White House. -Four pens were
used in signing the bill. One each will
be presented to the brotherhood
chiefs.
Officials of the brotherhoods who
witnessed the final passage of the
bill had announced early in the night
that cancellation of the strike would
not be ordered until the bill had been
signed by the president and actually
had become law. But later they con-
ferTed, changed their minds, and
flashed the code messages signalling
to the waiting trainmen of the coun-
try through their chairmen the mes
sage that a satisfactory settlement
had been secured.
The bill that stopped the strike pro-
vides that after January 1, 1917, eight
hours shall be regarded as basis Ter
reckoning for a days pay of men on
gagged in the operation of railroad
trains in interstate commerce Except
ing roads less than 100 miles long and
electric lines) that they shall receive
pro rata pay for work in excess of
eight hours, and that their rate OF
compensation shall not be changed
pending an investigation for six 10
nine months of the effect of the eight
hour day upon the railroads by COM
mission to be appointed by the pres'-
dent.
Efforts to amend the bill in the SEN
ate were futile, the supreme effort TO
alter it having been led by Senator
Underwood, who sought to provide
that the interstate commerce commits
sion should have power to fix railway
wages and hours of service in the fu-
ture This amendment was defeated
by vote OF 81 to IA.
Only two Democrats, Senators
Hardwick of Georgia and Clarke of
Arkansas, voted against the bill, and
one Republican, La Toilette of Wis
consin voted for it.
Railroad officials have declared that
the action of congress will cost them
$50 900, 900 year in increased wages
to the trainmen. Brotherhood officials
say the enactment will mean not
more than an annual increase of $780,
100000 In congress and among the
railroad officials there has existed
doubt as to the constitutionality of
the law, but what steps. If any, may
be taken to test this has not been in
dicated
Railway officials declared that
the period OF time during which
strike seemed imminent necessitated
extraordinary expenses, including
strike-breakers contracts, on the part
of the railroads that will total per-
haps into the millions.
"The enactment Of this piece of leg
islation today" said A. B. Garretson,
head of the Conductors Brotherhood
Saturday night, giving as it does an
eight-bour day for every man en-
pIoyed in the operating department of
the railroads Of this country from
the Canadian border TO the gulf and
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, is
wonderful thing 1t not only affects
the brotherhoods and the best paid
men who come under their jurisdic-
ton, but it reaches far enough down
the line to give tie negro railroad
worker Of the south his chance for his
white ally.
Mr.. Garretson is to take long va
cation following the completion OF his
fight for an eighthour Gay, and says
he will take long sea voyage 10 or