River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-12-07
Presidents Address to Both
Houses Is Quite Short.
RAIL TROUBLES COME FIRST
Further Legislation on That Line Is
Strongly Recommendation Civ
ing Foreign Commerce Promo
ters Free Hand Necessary.


sion. The address was as follows:
Gentlemen Of the Congress:
In fulfilling at this time the duty laid
upon me by the Constitution of COM
municating to you from time to time
information of the state of the Union
and recommending to your considera-
ton such legislative measures as may
be judged necessary and expedient L
shall continue the practice, which
hope has been acceptable to you, of
leaving to the reports of the several
heads of the executive departments the
elaboration of the detailed needs OF
the public service and cOnfine myself
to those matters of more general pub
lie policy with which 1t seems neces-
sary and feasible TO deal at the pres
emf session Of the congress.
realize the limitations of time un-
der which you will necessarily act at
this session and shall make my sug-
gestiOns as few as possible; but there
were some things left undone at the
last session which there will now be
time to complete and which it seems
necessary IN the interest Of the public
to do at once.
In the first place. it seems to me i'm
peratively necessary that the earliest
possible consideration and action
should be accorded the remaining
measures of the program of settle
ment and regulation which had occa-
sion to recommend to you at the close
of your last session in view of the pub
lie dangers disclosed by the unaccOm-
modated difficulties which then existed
and which still unhappily continue to
exist, between the railroads of the
country and their locomotive engineers,
conductors, and trainmen.
Railway Troubles First.
[ then recommended:
First, immediate provision for the
enlargement and administrative reor-
ganizatiOn of the interstate commerce
commission along the lines embodied
in the bill recently passed by the house
of representatives and now awaiting
action by the senate; in order that the
commission may be enabled to deal
with the many great and various duties
now devOIving upon it with a prompt
ness and thOrOughneSS which are, with
its present constitution and means of
action, practically impossible.
Second, the establishment of an
elght-hour day as the legal basis alike
of work and of wages In the employ
ment of an railway employees who are
actually engaged in the work of oper-
ating trains in Interstate transporta-
ton.
Third, the authorization of the ap-
pointment by the president of a small
body of men to observe the actual re-
suits in experience of the adoption of
the eigf1t-hour day in railway trans
pOrtatfon alike for the men and for
the railroads.
Fourth, explicit approval by the con-
gress of the consideration by the in
terState commerce commission of an
increase of freight rates to meet such
additional expenditures by the rail-
roads as may have been rendered nee
essary by the adoption of the eight
hour day and which have not been off
set by administrative readjustments
and economies, should the facts dis
closed justify the increase.
Fifth, an amendment of the existing
federal statute which provides for the
mediation, Cancellation, and arbitration
of such controversies as the present
by adding to it a provision that, in case
the methods OF accommodation now
provided for should fail, q full public
investigation of the merits of every
such dispute shall be instituted and
completed before Il strike or lockout
may lawfully be attempted.
And, sixth, the Judgment in the
hands of the executive of the power,
in case of military necessity, to take
control of such portions and such roll
ing stock of the railroads of the coun-
try as may be required for military
use and to operate them for military
purposes, with authority to draft into
the military service of the United
States such train crews and admins
trative officials as the circumstances
require for their safe and efficient use.
Renews His Recommendations.
The second and third of these rec
concentrations the congress immediate
~ acted on: it established the eight
hour day SIS the legal basis of work
and wages in train service and it au-
thorized the appointment of a COM
mission to observe and report upon the
practical results, deeming these the
measures most Immediately needed !;
but it postponed action upon the other
suggestions until an opportunity should
be offered for a more deliberate con-
Sideration of them. The fourth rec
lOmmendation / do not deem it neces-
iSary to renew. The power of the in
terState commerce commission to grant
an increase of rates on the ground re-
ferred to is indlsputably clear and a
recommendation by the congress with
regard to such a matter might seem to
draw in question the scope of the COM
missions authority Or its inclination to