The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1916-09-06
WILSON SIGNS BILL
AyERT|NG STRIKE
Threatened Strike Of Rail.
road Men Prevented
CONGRESS DECLARES
FOR 8 HOUR DAY

Adamson Bill, Providing for Eight
Hour Day, with Ten Hour Pay, Pend.
ing Investigation, Passed both Ious.
es and Signed by President. May be
Tested In the Courts.
Washington, September 3.-Thc Ad-
amson cight-hour day bill, cxactcd
from Congress last week by the rail
road brothcrhoods as the price OF call
Ing of the nation wide strike ordered
1or tomorrow, was signed by Presi-
dent Wilson today in his private car
at the Union Station, where he stop
ped on his way from Shadow Lawn
N. j., to llodgcnvillc, Ky. That there
may be no question as to the legality
Of the measure as a result of il havins
been signed on Sunday, the President
Will ailix his signature again upon his
return to Washington next Tuesday
How long peace shall reign as a re-
suit OF the bill apparently is depend
cnt upon developments in the proposed
move to test the constitutionality of
me Act. Should the railroads take no
action but await the beginning OF an
investigation Of the workings of the
eight-hour day by the special commits
sion for which the measure provides,
the brotherhoods will remain inactive.
The employees leaders declare, how
ever, that should the law be held ,ln-
constitutional, and the railroads at
tempt to restore the tcn-hour day on
their lines a strike will follow prompt
lp.
brotherhood heads in circular let
ter to their members today made no
comment on the measure as passed.
They merely pointed out that it would
not become effective until next Jan
uary |, and that many things might
occur between now and then which
would change materially any sugges-
tons or comment they might make.
None OF the brotherhood leaders wit
messed the signing OF the bin They
had expected, according 10 tentative
arrangements made by Secretary Will
son last night to be present, but the
President decided to attend to the
business at the railroad station, and
newspaper correspondents gave them
their first information about it. The
four pens used by the President in
signing the bill-onc for each sylla-
bic Of his namc--will be presented
to the four brotherhood heads, \. b.
Garrctson, w. G. Lee, W. S. Garter and
w. S. stone, after being used for re
signing the bill Tuesday.
No cccmony attended the signing
today. 1t originally had been planned
that the President should go to the
White House, but this was changed
and instead Rudolph Forster, assist
ant secretary to the President took
the bill TO the train. Near the car
window 4 group Of trainmcn in their
OyerallS. paused in their work .ong
enough to watch the President write
his name. IN engineer passing on I,
yard engine, celebrated the occasion
with several prolonged blasts Of his
whistle.
1t developed today that the broth
erhoods before being summoned to
Washington by President Wilson thu &c
weeks ago had agreed to call a strike
effective August 90 The orders they
drafted were used when the strike
finally was set for Labor Day. After
having been printed in preparation for
the proposed strike on August 90 they
were locked in vault in New York
Decision week ago last Saturday
to order strike the next day, when
the majority OF the committee OF GiO
were leaving for their homes was fol
lowed by a hasty trip TO New York
by two representatives Of the broth
orhoodS. The strike date, SoptombcI
4, was filed in with a rubber stamp
but the original date Of tho call Au-
gust 20 was not changed.
tou Sppupn Itnyps Anw