The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-03-19
ADAMSp : .AW
C*;SzI;< G.; I|1UT|0NAL
suprf on1t % Hands sL,,? Down
D = / Today Holding
tt-Hour Measure
to be Valid.
SIX TO THREE DIVISION
Chief Justice White Reads Decision
Holding That Congress Has
Right to Leolslate
Wages.
SIX TO THREE DIVISION

UNITED Press Leased Wire servtce]
Adamson eight-hour law Is valid.
This was the ruling of the United
States supreme court today.
Chief Justice White read tho deci-
sion which declared constitutional
the law passed under spectacular cir
cumstances in the closing night hours
of last summers congress session.
Besides declaring the AdamsOn
law constitutional. the highest tr-
bunal held congress has right to
legislate wages, the supreme court 8
decision today is a formal reversal OF
the opinion Of Judge VIM. G. Hook,
Kansas City, who held the law uncon-
stitutional.
The ruling of the court was not
unanimous.
The court held the law constitu-
tional by a division of six to three.
Justices Pitney, Day and Vande-
venter dissented.
Justice Day read a dissenting opin-
ion a. soon as Chief Justice White
concluded the majority ruling.
| White In has opinion, concluded;
1--WE say that the contention that
the act was void and could not be
made operative because OF the un.
workability Of its provisions is with
out merit, since we see no reason to
doubt that II the standard fixed by the
act were made applicable and a can
did effort followed TO carry it out, the
result would be without difficulty &C
complished. 1t is true that 1t might
follow that in some cases that be-
cause of particular terms Of employ
ri 1tvNey nc,
some change might be necessary, but
these exceptions afford no ground for
holding the act void because its provi-
sions are not susceptible IN practice or
being carried out. .....
Being of the opinion that congress
had the power to adopt the act in
question, whether it be viewed as a
direct fixing OF wages to meet the alb
sence Of a standard on that subject
resulting from the dispute between
the parties or as the exertion of
power by congress which it undoubted-
ly possessed to provide by appropri-
ate legislation for compulsory arbl-
tration-a power which inevitably re-
suited from it's authority to protect in
terstate commerce in dealing with
situation like that which was before
five conclude that the court below
erred in holding the statute was not
within the power of congress to en-
act and in restraining it's enforcement
and it's decree therefore must be and
it is reversed and the cause remanded
with directions to dismiss the bill and
it is so ordered"
White did not stick to manuscript.
His statement differed materially
from the printed opinion.
"All the propositions" he ruled, Ere
lied upon and arguments advanced, ul-
timately come to two questions:
First, the entire want of constitu-
tional power to deal with the subjects
embraced by the statute and second.
such abuse of the power If possessed
as rendered its exercise unconstitu-
tionsl.
White said in part:
1--WE will consider these subjects
under distinct propositions separ-
ately.
"First is the entire want of consti
tutional power to deal with the sub
jects embraced by the statute.
There must be knowledge of the
power eXerted before determining
whether as exercised it was constitu-
tional and we must hence settle the
dispute on that question before go
ing further. Only an eight-hour
standard for work and wages are pro-
vfded. is the contention on the one
side and in substance only a scale of
wages was provided, is the argument
on the other We are of the opinion
that both are right and in a sense
both wrong in so far as 1t is assumed
that the one excludes the 6her. The
provision of. section one that eight
hours shall be deemed a days work
leaves no doubt about the first propo-
sitfon. AS to the second this is equal
ly true because Of the provision OF
section three forbidding any lcwerins
of wages as a result CT applying the
efght-hour standard established by
section one during the limited period
prescribed in section two.
Both provisions are equally man
datory.
"If it be said that the second. the
deriving of all power to change the
wages during the fixed period. is but