The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1917-03-22
ADAMS0N LAW is HELD
CONSTITUTIONAL
Power to Regulate Hours and
Wages is Conceded to
Congress.

In an epOchal decision holding con-
gress to be clothed with any and all
power necessary to keep open the
channels of interstate commerce, the
U. S. Supreme court Monday, dividing
five to four, sustained the Adamson
law as constitutional and enforceable
in every feature.
The immediate effect of the deci-
sion will be to fix permanent eight
hour basic day in computing wage
scales on interstate railroads, for
which nationwide strike twice has
been threatened, and to give, effective
from January l Of this year, increases
in wages to trainmen of about % per
cent at cost to the railroads esti-
mated at from S40,O0O,OO0 to s5O,0OO,-
900 year.
The court, through Chief Justice
White declared both carriers and their
employees engaged in business charg-
ed with a public interest are subject
to the right of congress to arbitrate
compulsority dispute affecting the
operating of that business.
Whatever would be the right of
an employe engaged in private bust
ness to demand such wages as he de-
sires, to leave the employment if he
does not get them, and by concert of
action to agree with others to leave on
the same conditions" said the opin-
ion, "such rights are necessarily sub
ject to limitation when employment
is accepted in business charged with
a public interest and as to which the
power to regulate commerce by con-
gress applied and the resulting right |
to fix in case of disagreement any
dispute standard of wages as we
have seen necessarily obtained"
In delivering that opinion, the chief
justice departed at this point from
his written text to emphasize the pos
ition of men operating trains in
time of national emergency by COM
pairing them to soldiers facing an
enemy.
Coming on the heels of the conces-
sion of the eight-hour basic day by
he railroads at New York to avert
he threatened strike, Mondays de-
,ision is regarded as largely supplant-
ng that agreement and also remov-
ng for all times, through the broad
st Interpretation of congressional au-
hority outlined by the court, the prob
bility of future transportation para
ysis.
Joining in with the chief justice in
the law were Justice Nc
Jenna and Holmes-his immediate
eniors in point of service-and JUS
ice Brandeis and Clarke, junior men, ,
ers. Dissenting for various reasons i
rere Justices Day, Vandevanter, Pit |
ey and McReynolds.
The majority upheld the public
ght to have interstate commerce un-
lterrupted as basic principle para
lount to interests of the railroads /
r their operatives-bot declared to :
e in public service and subject to
lie supreme unrestricted power of
,ngress to take any action necessary
maintain freedom and uninterrup
on of interstate commerce. Either b
) law fixing wages or hours of =
Dor, the court decided, congress has
to enact the Adamson sta n
te il
"The public interest begets pub 5;
, right of regulation to the full ex- h
mt necessary to secure and protect
y said the opinion, adding that in b
e emergency of threatened destruc- n
7e suspension of national transporta- il
on congress acted within its power
providing a wage standard and pl
her means necessary to protect the m
blic interests. ht