The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1916-09-06
CONGRESS PASSES
NEW 8-KOUR LAW
BILL WHICH AVERTED THREAT.
ENED STRIKE PASSES HOUSE
BY VOTE 2ss TO SIS.
TWO DEMOCRATS VOTE NAY

Seventy Republicans and the One So
eia.ist Voted In Favor OF the New
Riil.-SeveraI Minor Amendments
Were Made to the Bill.
Washington.-The Adamson eight
hour day bill which railroad brother
hood officials said formally would
avert the threatened strike if enacted
was passed by the House and sent to
the Senate.
The vote was 239 to 56 with FIVE
members not voting present.
Official House Vote.
The Official vote>in the House on
the final passage of -ne amended Adam.
son eight-hour day bill was:
Ayes 239; nays, Sc; present, 5. Two
Democrats voted against the bill and
70 Republicans. and the one Socialist
voted for it. None Of the Progressives
voted.
The original text Of the provision
was as follows:
Be It enacted By the Senate and
House Of Representatives of the Unit
ed States of America in Congress as
sembled.
Section l. That beginning Decen-
Der l. 1916. eight hours shall in con-
tracts for labor and service be deem
ed days work and the measure or
standard of a days work for the pur.
pose Of reckoning the compensation
for services of all employees who are
now or may hereafter be employed
by any railroad !"
Section 2. That the Presiden,
shall appoint commission Of three
which shall observe the operation and
effects of the institution of the eight
hour standard work day as above de-
fined and the facts and conditions at,
fecting the relations between such
common carriers and employees dur,
ing 3 period Of not less than six
months nor more than nine months:
in the discretion Of the commission
and within 80 days thereafter such
commission shall report its findings to
the President and Congress. That
each member of the commission Great
ed under the provisions Of this ac
shall receive such compensation as
may be fixed by the President. The
sum o. $4,000 or so much thereof as
may be necessary be, and hereby is,
appropriated out Of any money in the
United States Treasury. -"
Section 8. That pending the report
o, the commission, herein provided
for, and for period Of 80 days there
after, the compensation Of railway
employees subject to this act for
standard eight-hour work day shall
not be reduced below the present
standard days wage and for all neces'
sary time in excess Of eight hours
such employees shall be paid at a rate
not less than the pro rata rate for
such standard tight-hour work day.
Section 4. That any person violat-
ing any provision Of this act shall be
fined not less than 500 and not more
than 81 900, or imprisoned not to e1
ceed one year, or both.
The Adamson bill as passed in the
House by a vote Of 23s to Sc, with mi
nor amendments, is the same measure
which the brotherhood leaders official
" declared would constitute a salts
factory settlement" and pre- .ent the
strike. The amendments, added to
conform to a draft framed by the Sen.
ate Interstate Commerce Committee
would fx the effective date at January
/ instead of December l, 1916, and ex-
empt railroads less than 100 miles long
and electric street and interurban
lines.
It was after day Of hot debate
that the House passed the bill. under
special rule brought in when Ro-
publican Leader Mann objected to its
consideration. Less than half of the
Republicans followed their floor leader
in the opposition and when the final
vote came 70 Of them lined up with
the majority, only Sc voted against the
measure. Just two Democrats, Repre-
sentatives Steele Of Pennsylvania, and
Black Of Texas, stood out against the
bill and Representative London %
New York, Socialist, voted for It.
Red tape was eliminated as far 60
possible to rush the measure over TO
the Senate which, after several hours
OF lively discussion over bill report
ed by its Interstate Commerce Com
mittee. had recessed until s o'clock.
At the outset Of the night session
Senator Newlands sought and obtain
ed unanimous consent to put aside the
Senate bill and take up tbs one sent
over from the House. thereby paving
the way for quick final action without
parliamentary formalities that ohsz.
wise would be necessary. Then sena-
tor Underwood brought up the issue
over which the Senate is divided by
proposing as an amendment the rats
fixing provision of the discarded Sen
ate bill.
Three Hours Debate.
Oye-. this amendment debate wageo
for three hours, Senators NeWlands
and Underwood advocating 1t, and Sen
a;o- Cu2nirs making q long speech
c-i.icising the whole proceeding. Most
Of the Senators had little to say and
in the cloak room there were strong
int:mations that in the end the House
bill would go through without change.
For while there was talk OF sn ell