South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-09-26
SOME QUESTIONS
FOR Mr.. HUGHES
Head of Trainmen'S Brother
hood Asks What the 6. o.
p. Nominee Means.

News Times Special service
CLEVELAND. o.. Sept 26.-With
Charles Evans Hughes attacking
the Adamson eight hour Law here
Monday. W. G.. Lee. president of the
brotherhood of Railway Trainmen,
"A life LONG repu bIican and one Of
the Big -Four" in the strike negO-
uations month ago. issued sign
ed statement in which he asks the
former justice some questions.
MIR. Lee points out that the prin-
ciple OF arbitration was not sacrihc-
ed and also that the railroads in
Guided i'm the propositions they
wanted arbitrated many points
that the brotherhoods had gained
after years OF endeavor. The state
ncnt follows.
Mr. Hughes. IN discussing the
Adamson eight hour law. declared
against the law and in favor Of an
investigation OF the facts before
legislative enactment
Discusses Speed Basis.
VIVA; does he mean by invest-
cation Of the facts If ne means to
investigate the ability of the rail-
roads 10 operate on a - - mile an
hour speed basis. the answer in the
affirmative is 20 be found In the
fact that many OF the railroads in
the United States nave been for
several years operating on a speed
basis OF y II miles an hour. Does
Mr. hughes understand that ac-
cording 20 the railroad companies
own figures, In the engineers and
hremen's arbitration case twestern)
that the submission Of the railway
companies shovel that IS percent
OF the through freight business was
performed on II ID mile an hour
basis
III he means 10 investigate the
ability Of the railroads TO pay what
ever increased costs viii arise from
the operation of the law. the earn
ings OF the railroads appear TO be
sufficient answer TO that inquiry.
III he means 10 investigate the
results OF the operation Of the eiGht
hour law. could he not agree that
the effects could not very we'll be
INVESTIGATED until after the law had
been tried out?
Does not Mr. Hughes understand
that the principle OF arbitration.
which he declares has been lost.
had no place in the proposition Of
the railway companies 10 arbitrate.
because they refused to include i'm
their proposition of arbitration 20
of the smaller railroads where they
believed strike for the eight hour
day could ice defeated?
Excluded Negro Employees.
Does hc not know that the rail
roads refused TO include in the pro-
posed arbitration the colored brake
men. nremen. and host!eIs. which
had the proposition been accepted
would have fixed two classes Of ser
vice conditions and rate of pay on
au OF The railroads i'm the south and
"a number of them i'm the southwest?
Does Mr. Hughes know that in
the railroad proposition 90 arbitrate
they refused 90 include the white
hostIers ON J. S roads in their arbitra-
tiou2 The wages of the men have
been fixed by the brotherhood of To-
connective bremen and engineers, and
in some instances by previous arbi-
tratiouS3 Does not Mr.. Hughes I'M
derstaud that the railway organIza-
lions fix wages and service condi-
tious for the Job and not the man d?
Would il not appear reasonable
that railroads refused 10 abritrate
wherever they fel, strong enough
to defeat "A strike. and insist upon
arbitration where they believed the
examinations successfully could
strike
Investigation Not Necessary.
III by an iuNestiEattOn of the facts.
he means 20 include the PROPOSE
lions that have been herein enum-
Grated. the railroad employees are
fully Justified i'm their belief that in
vestisation before legislation was
not at all necessary. and in not ac-
cepunc the proposition of the rail-
road companies To postpone indie
initely their move for the shorter
work day they were fully justified.
Does Mr. Hughes understand
that i'm the railroads proposition 10
arbitrate. they included very many
of the advantages that had been
gained after several years of effort
by these organizations To is not
usual To include I'm arbitrations. ad-
vautaces that have already been
gained
suppose the United States and
Mexico had boundary dispute. and
Mexico uNed the terms OF arhitra-
zion. a. the railways proposed TO do
in the ease under discussion. and in
cluded its right TO the state of Texas
on the ground that al one time IL
had owned that state
The principle of arbitration i'm
this instance was not sacrificed. be-