Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-03-22

limo hour day instead of. an eight hour
lay accepted by both sides. When II
vas proposed to the managers and
aiken up by them In cSnfStqicc Aovrl
If the nineteen refused l.dcccpt, it,
Il was after this refusal that tho skies
began to look dark and Mr.. Lane on
Sunday afternoon began to appeal
again to the patriotism Of both sides.
He called In the brotherhood chiefs
late in the afternoon and proposed they
agree to accept a nine hour day for
the period Of one year with an assur-
ancc that after that they would be
given an eight hour day. Their re-
fusal was steadfast and arguments
failed to move them. although Mr.,
Gompers and Mr.. Wilson both urged /
them to agree to this proposal.
When Mr.. Lane saw 1t was useless
to talk further with the chiefs he |
turned to the railroad managers again
and this time he talked only on tho |
theme of patriotism. Il
II don't want you to have tomorrow |
come and find the 100.O00.000 people Of the |
United States face to face with two
horrors; one. the destruction Of our ships
by an enemy, and the other. the possible
starvation of our people and the certain
paralysis of our industries" he said.
1t was this speech. which won the day.
The managers went back to their con-
ference and voted unanimously to yield.
The news that the strike had been
averted was conveyed to the brotherhood
chairmen throughout the country In hum
dreds of messages In code sentences. To
the general chairmen on the Northern
Pacific at st. Paul, for instance, the mes
a.
brated character in history which
translated in terms understood by the
chairmen meant: Strike off on account
Of satisfactory settlement The same
meaning was attached to a message sent
to a Baltimore & Ohio chairman: Senate
! bill twenty-one passed yesterday"
, Washington, March 19-In an epochal
decision holding Congress to be clothed
with any and all power necessary to keep
| open the channels of interstate commerce.
the Supreme Court to-day. dividing five
to four, sustained the Adamson law rs
constitutional and enforceable in every
feature.
The immediate effect of the decision
will be to fix a permanent eight.h0ur
basic day In computing wage scales on
interstate railroads. for which q nation
wide strike twice has been threatened and
to give. effective from January this year,
increases in wages to trainmen Of about
25 per cent. at a cost to the railroads
estimated ut from 100000 900 to $60,000.0 900 a
year. t" 1
CONGRESS- HAS THE RIGHT.
The court through Chief Justice White
declared both carriers and their employees
engaged In a business charged with a pub
lie interest, subject to the right Of Con
gress to compulsory arbitrate q dispute
affecting the operating Of that business.
Whatever would be the right of an EN-
l ploye engaged in private business to de
= nand such wages as he desires, to leav'
the employment If he does not get then
and by concert Of action to agree will
: others to leave on the same conditions.
l said the opinion. such rights are neces
3 sarlly subject to limitation when employ
ment is accepted In a business charge,
= with public interest and as to which tn
+ power to regulate commerce by Congress
= applied and the resulting right to fix 4
= case Of disagreement and dispute q stand
= ard Of wages as we have seen necessarily
= obtained"
= In delivering the opinion, the chic
= Justice departed at this point from hi
r written text to emphasize the position Q
= men operating trains in a time Of nations
n emergency by comparing them to soldier
= facing an enemy.
Q FAR-REACH1NG DECISION.
Coming on the heels of the concessio
of the eight-hour basic day by the raj
o roads at New York. to avert the threa
d ened strike, to-day's decision is regarde
q as largely supplanting that agreemen
- and also removing for oil time. throus
the broadcast Interpretation Of oonsre
sional authority outlined by the court. ii
probability of future transportatic
paralysis.
Joining in with the chief Justice in su
tanning the law were Justices McKenr
and Holmes-his immediate seniors
= point of service-and Justices Brande
and Clarke. Junior members. Dissentir
for various reasons were Justices Da
Vandevanter, Pitney and McReynolds.
d ABOVE ROADS AND EMPLOYEES.
The majority upheld the public right
have interstate commerce uninterrupt,
as basic principle paramount to int
csts of the railroads or their operatives
both declared to be In public service al
al subject to the supreme unrestricted pow
d. of Congress to take any action niece
lie sary to maintain freedom and uninterru
st ton Of interstate commerce. Either
at a law fixing wages or hours Of labor. L
n enact the Adamson statute.
1.-The public interest begets a pub
e. right of regulation to the full exte
be necessary to secure and. protect IT," ga
on the opinion. adding that In the cmergen
sn of threatened destructive suspension
or national transportation. Congress act
he within its power In providing wa
on standard and other means necessary
ut protect the public interests.
~ is COMPULSORY ARBITRATION.
as 1t also declared that the Adamson {
ed Is neither unworkable. conf1scatory.
nd perimental nor In excess of congressior
ir- railroad regulatory authority. but,
in effect, was compulsory arbitration.
power (which It (Congress) undoubtet
of possessed" and Inevitably resulted FRI
lot its authority to protect interstate co
Ia merce In dealing with a situation 4
ng that before IT."
on, Concurring in the main princip
in enunciated by the majority, Justice }
m Kenna expressed tho opinion that
ew law is an hours OF service and not WI
ed. fixing statute. He also suggested incre,
his Of railroad revenue probably would
'ut provided II wage increases resulted.
DISSENTING OPINIONS.
ccd The dissenting opinions-ustices L
Il. and McReynolds delivering individ,
md views and Justices Pitney and Vandevl
re- Ter Joining in ono announcement--v
the iously asserted that the Adamson
lily is void because beyond constitution
fiji powers Of Congress, because IL tai
be- railroads property without due proc