The Sauk Centre herald., 1917-03-22


disclosed, in all respects by the su'
preme court. The decision make eight
hours the standard basis of wages
The wage increase won by the rail
road employees representing 100000
trainmen was effective Jan. l, and it il
estimated they have coming to them
from that date between $40,000,OO(
and $5O,OOO,OO0.
The decision was supplemented by
the individual opinions of the several
justices.
Federal Judge Hooks ruling in the
Missouri, Oklahoma AMI Gulf railroad
test case involving the constitutional
ity of the Adamson law and holding
it unconstitutional, null and void"
was reviewed. The decision was to
4.
New York, March 19.-The agree
ment which averted the railroad
strike was signed in Secretary Lanes
room at 5:15 this morning, just few
hours after the managers had agreed
to abandon the long and bitter fight
they had made against the brother
hoods action. AS the last of the nine
to sign his name finished, the tension
of the little group seemed to relax
and the managers and brotherhood
chiefs shook hands with each other.
The sun was just toucing the white
walls Of the neighboring skyscrapers
with light. AS the dawn broke over
the little group, the room suddenly
became silent when w. U. Carter, of
the firemen and engineers, looking
out, said:
"Why, look out there! 1t is the
dawn of a new day." Most of those
present thought he had expressed the
feeling of all for it was the first time
in many years that there has been
such evidence of a friendly feeling
between the men who run the trains
and the men who manage them. 1t
was the standpoint of patriotism that
carried the day.
Conferences will be held here to-
morrow to establish a basis of COM
pensation for back pay, inasmuch as
the new agreement is to be retroac-
tive. 1t is estimated unofficially that
the men have coming between $12.-
100000 and $13,00O,0O0 in back
wages. The record of every mans la
bor has been compiled, in case the
United States supreme court upholds
the Adamson law effective on that
day as constitutional. The agreement
signed by the representatives of the
brotherhoods, the railroads and by
the commission, reads as follows:
'In all railroad service, except pas
senger, where schedules now read
100 miles or less, 9 or 10 hours or
less; overtime at 10 hours shall in
sert 8 hours, 121a miles an hour as
speed basis for computing overtime
understood to be paid for at not less
than one-eighth of the daily rate by
hour.
'In all yard service, hostelry SER
vice on schedule now reading 10, II,
IL or less,' which constituted day.
shall be inserted, 8 hours or less
which constitutes the present ten
hour day, overtime to be paid for at
not less than one-eighth of the rate
per hour.
"In the yards now working on an
'eight-hour basis, the daily rate shall
be the daily present standard rate
with daily present standard one-eighth
overtime rate.
"In case the law is declared uncon-
Stltutional, eight hours at the presenl
ten-hour pay will constitute a days
work.
'1n passenger service, the present
ten-hour pay will constitute a days
eight hours within ten hours.
"For all classes of employees ir
short turn-around passenger service
where the rule now reads '8within
IL hours it will be amended to reao
8 within 10 hours.
"For such service as has no num-
ber of hours in short turn-around
passenger service, the within 10
hours rule applies; overtime to be
paid for at not less than one-eightn
of the daily rate per hour.
"The general, community or indi-
vidual railroads may erect it's own
short turn-around passenger service
at the foregoing provisions, but may
not make application of both to pro-
duce greater competition than is
provided in both.
"In the event the law is held to be
constitutional any other than this
form is inconsistent with the decision
of the court and this application will
be adjudged to the decision as is de-
clared unconstitutional without the
above provisions as written"
The first intimation that the strike
had been averted came Unexpectedly
early this morning when a representa-
tive of the railroad managers con-
ference committee called The Associ-
ated Press and announced: "The
strike is off," Several hours elapsed
before the settled agreement was
signed and the Brotherhood chiefs
telegraphed the different divisions to