Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-03-20
RAIL MAGNATES
GRANT DEMANDS
MADE BY UNIONS
Strike of Members Of Four
Brotherbpods Set for 7
O'clock Last Night
Declared Off.
ADAMSON LAW UPHELD
United States Supreme Court
Rules That Act Is
Constitutional.
TERMS OF AGREEMENT

New York, March lo.-With the
nationwide railroad strike averted
and the Adamson act declared consti-
tutional the controversy that has
ragged between the railroads and their
employees for nearly year over the
question OF hours and wages, passed
into history today.
Appealed to by the presidents
mediators to yield on the grounds of
patriotism to the, demands OF the em-
ployes, the railroads Just before day
break today conceded the cight-hour
basic work day and pro rata pay for
overtime, the same as that provided
by the Adamson law.
Several hours later the United
States supreme court upheld the con-
sttutionality of the Adamson act and
what the brotherhoods already had
obtained by their threat to call ma
ton wide strike at 7 o'clock tonight
the supreme court legally assured to
them.
All that remains is to decide how
much back pay the employees are en-
titled to. .....
Railroads Yield.
Yielding to the appeal OF President
Wilson and facing the probability OF
this country's entrance into the world
war, the railroads early today granted
the demands OF the four employees
brotherhoods for a basic eight-hour
day, The telegraph wires this morn
ing are carrying throughout the
United States messages from the
brotherhood chiefs resembling the or
ders for the Inauguration Of the great
progressive strike at 7 o'clock tonight.
The decision is regarded as COM
plete surrender to the brotherhoods.
brought about, however, after the
patriotism of the railroad managers
had been put to the test. The presi-
dents ,mediators, playing i'll what they
considered their last trump card, were
not successful in their mission until
after more than fifty hours of anxious
conferences, all of which pointed
within a short time before the de-
cison was announced to an newt
able deadlock.
Secretary of the Interior Lane and
the other mediators were visibly af-
fected when told of the action of the
railroad managers. Mr.. Lane sent I'M
mediately for the committee Of the
railroads and, turning to Elisha Lee,
their spokesman, said.
This is a magnificent thing that
you have done for your country. 1t
will 60 down in history as one Of the
greatest things you ever did"
Brotherhood Chiefs Notified.
The brotherhood chiefs, who al
ready had left the hotel where the
conferences were being held and had
retired for the night, apparently con-
vinced that a settlement of the dif-
ferences could not be reached, were
summoned next. Their faces showed
the relief they felt from the strain TN
der which they had labored since
early Friday evening with the presi-
dents committee. w. G. Lee, head of
the trainmen, announced for them
that orders should go forward at once
informing all district chairmen Of the
brotherhoods of the successful out
come of the conferences.
By the terms OF the settlement the
combined salary list of the railroads
will be increased approximately $60,-
100000 year, according to conserva-
tive estimates. The number of work,
men prohting by this increase will be
more than 100000.
That the crisis resulting from the
sinking of three American ships by
German submarines was the prime
factor in clearing the situation and re-
storing the country to normal condi-
tons so far as its transportation facil-
tiles were concerned was conceded by
all.
The formal letter in which this att
thorization was made, signed by
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