Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1916-11-20
AND.
LABOR PUT
TO TEST
Industrial Battle Opens at
Washington When Joint
Committee on Interstate
Commerce Starts Probe

Washington. Nov. 20. The curtain
lifted here on ono OF the most drama
tic battles OF industrial units In tho
nations history today. The Joint
committee on Interstate commerce
started its investigation OF conditions
relating TO Interstate and foreign
commerce aud tho necessity for fur
thor regulation along tho lines OF the
Adamson eight-hour law and TO near.
iy all Interstate public utilities.
Represented In the iight are COM
mcrciai organizations OF all kinds and
from NIL over the country. great cor
porations and industries. Every In.
tuence OF capital and labor will clash
during the hearings.
The railroads fght viii bc direct
cd by the railway executives advisory
committee. OF which Frank Trumbuli.
chairman OF the Chesapeake \ Ohio.
In the head. The brotherhoods Will
have their four Chiefs Stone Of the
engineers. Carter Of the hremen. Ice
OF the trainmen. and Shepard OF the
conductors---al Of whom are now In
the city ready for work. Each side
In armed with statistics to support
contentious that have been made for
years.
'The public Is interested most and
In the one 10 be considered In this
controversy" Judge Adamson. head
OF the Joint congressional committee.
and parent OF the eIght-hour law,
said today. Both the employers and
the employees seem to forget they are
our servants"
During the day Judge Adamson
will confer with President Wilson on
the matter Of putting through con-
xrcss the legislation tho president has
proposed for settlement and prevent
Ing Of Industrial disputes. The Amer
lean Federation OF Labor already has
sent out It's challenge on such rcgu-
lation - voicing opposition 10 any law
which will limit the strike right OF
labor.
In n formal statement before the
convention, Chairman Newlands ex-
plained the object Of the hearings,
Upon the Initiative OF President
Wilson. a congressional Joint commit
tee composed OF Ave senators and Ave
representatives was authorized to In
vestlgats all problems referring ia
transportation and 70. make a new
survey not only OF the defects OF the
existing system, n there are any, but
Of improvements which may be made
In that systcm," he said.
I'VE want represented every class
organisation and interest connected
with tho subject Of transportation.
"Ths inquiry will relate to every
phase Of transportation. rail carriers.
river carriers and ocean carriers, and
II viii also be applied to telegraph
and telephone lines, express COM
panics, and other public utilities,
at will embrace not only the sub
Jest Of government control and regu-
latlon Of these utilities, but also the
wisdom and the feasibility Of govern
ment ownership and comparative
worth and eficiency OF government
regulation and control as compared
with government ownership and oper-,
alton" .s sa
Newlanda said the hearing would
Investigate whether the Interstate
commerce commission Is now over
londed and, II 80, how this could be
remedied. S
The committee spent its morning
session classifying those who will be
heard This afternoon an executive
aeSsion was hold, NtN fs9
9ome aurprIse WINS occnHIunad, when