Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-07-30
VETO
OUT PROMPTLY
News of Governors Action
Placed on Doorsteps of
Railroad District

1SdAA1 Sd0 Dloll1Sl
Thanks to the excellent distribution
system of the circulation department
of the HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH,
the news of Governor Brumbaugh's $
action on the bill to suspend the op-
Grafton of the full crew law was
| placed on the doorsteps of the great
er part of Harrisburg's railroad popu-
lation. the people most interested. on
Saturday evening. The whole big
railroad district of Harrisburg was
served with, the edition containing
the announcement of the action and
a short summary of the reasons not
withstanding the fact that the Gov
ernors action did not become known
until after o'clock
Numerous messages have been re-
ceived over the telephone at the
HARRISBURG TELEGRAPH offices
thanking the newspaper for giving
| the news that so many people wanted
to learn and appreciating the efforts
made to serve thousands of homes
with the only edition of any newspa-
per in Harrisburg to carry the in
/ formation that day.
For the benefit of those who did
not get a chance to read the veto, the
! document is given here in full:
This bill suspends in toto the Full
! Crew law of 1911 for the period of
the war with Germany and one month
! thereafter. The bill is based upon
the statement that there is a shortage
of labor during this wartime and that
/ the industrial situation may be re-
lieved by suspension of labor laws
| for a period.
Il have delayed action upon this
measure to the latest date. in the
| hope that some new factor might
! arise as guidance in its consideration.
have given many days to a critical
study of the situation involved
have gone over, again and again, the
| statements, verbal and in writing.
| that have been presented me. No
one has been denied patient audience
and no line of information has gone
unnoted.
Before this bill was introduced I
noticed a statement, issued by the
| responsible officials of the railroads
! operating in Pennsylvania. and print
| ed by the newspapers of the State, to
the effect that a bill was about to be
introduced in the Legislature of SIM
| liar import to that which was at
/ that NJ in Naw
Jersey and directly in line with the
! bill which two years ago was passed
by the former Legislature, but which
| failed to become a law
ITO Senators interested in the cor
porations and later TO them again in
the presence of other persons, includ
! ing an important official of one of our
! leading roads, I pointed out the mis-
! leading statements in this pronounce
ment. The bill before me is not of
similar import to the New Jersey
law. That law retains the socalled
Full Crew save on such trains as
the Service Commission, after due
hearing, may decide to have them re-
moved The bill vetoed two years
ago was not directly in line with the
New Jersey law. The bill of two
years ago removed absolutely from
all trains the extra man. known as
/ NI4C u44 SENW IIldLt duu IlO OIlG COuld
return TO such places, save by decree
of the Public Service Commission.
This bill is not of similar import
nor is it directly in line with either
| the New Jersey law or the bill of
| 1915. This is an absolute suspension
of the entire law for the full period
OF the war and one month thereafter.
80 far as an executive honorably
could do so, I indicated what, in my
1 - -
| fair procedure. The same evening,
at the conclusion of the conference
this bill was introduced. Surely the
parties at that conference would not
fail to understand its import.
When the bill was in transit and
in order to have the mind of the Ma
tional Government upon suspension
of labor laws during the war, I ad-
dressed President Wilson in a letter
under date of June l. 1917, and June
4. 1917. he replied as follows:
I think it would be most unfor-
tunate for any of the States to
relax laws by which safeguards
u have been thrown about labor.
feel feel that there is no necessity for
I TO slackening of the energy of
the Nation rather than to an in
crease of it, besides being very
selves.
Both these letters were given to
the press from Washington, at the
time, and We're matters of common
| knowledge. Since that time, directly
and through a committee of the Pub
! lie Service Committee, there has been
given me most lucid and compelling
| statement of the need of men in
| France to care for the army we are
assembling there. The logic of this
statement is manifest, but il must be
! borne in mind that the munitions ana
| supplies to maintain the army of the
| republic in France must be assembled
in this country, transported by rail
| to the seaboard, thence across the
| ocean by vessels and then from port
| to battleline. The army needs man
| power here quite as much as it needs
manpower there. To fail here is to
deny success there. To transfer men
from one part of a vital line of trans
portation is not to insure success.
but only to change locality of dis
| aster. The great trunk lines of this
country in patriotic endeavor must
have all the assistance. including men.
that they need. The welfare of our
! soldiers and the cause they represent
are alike dear to me and have had and
| will have my uttermost support.
! Moreover, since July /, 1917. il is
! public knowledge that many passen-
| ger trains have been Cancelled. This
is wholly commendable. 1t gives the
| already COngested railroads oroart,,