Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-03-20
Supreme Courts Epochal Ruling Makes Improbable
 Future Railroad Strike.
puBLIC INTEREST IS PARAMOUNT
Are Engaged in 8 Business, Charged With Public Interest, and, Therefore. Subject to Congress- Power Right
 to Maintain Service,

Washington, March !9.-In ar
 epochal decision, holding congress tc
 be clothed with any and all power
 necessary to keep open the channels
 of interstate commerce, the supreme
 court, dividing to 4, sustained the
 AdamsOn law as constitutional an
 enforceable in every feature.
 The immediate effect of the decision
 will be to fix permanent eight-houl
 basic day in computing wage sched- ues on interstate railroads, for which a strike has twice been threatened and giving from January 1, this year,
 increases in wages to trainmen of about 25 per cent at cost to the rail roads estimated at from $4O,O0O,OOO to s50,0O0,0OO a year.
 The court, through Chief Justice White, declared both the carriers and their employees engaged in business charged with public interest, subject to the right of congress, are subject to compulsory arbitration of disputes affecting the operation of that busi- ness.
 Whatever would be the right of all employe engaged in private business to demand such wages as he desires, to leave the employment if he does not get them, and, by confert of action. agree with others to leave on the same conditions" said the opinion, "such rights are necessarily subject to limi- tation when employment is accepted in a business charged with public ln- terest, and of which the power to reg ulate commerce by congress applies. the resulting right to fix, in case of disagreement and dispute, a standard of wages, as we have seen, neces- sarily applies"
 In delivering the opinion the chief justice departed at this point from his written text to emphasize the position of the men operating trains in time of national emergency. com pairing them to soldiers facing an enemy.
 Coming on the heels of the conces- sion of the eight-hour basic day by the railroads at New York to avert the threatened strike, today's decision is regarded as largely supplementlng that agreement, and also removing TOT all time the probability of future transportation paralysis.
 DissenterS Dissent.
 Joining with the chief justice m sus- taining the act were Justices NC Kenna' and Holmes, his immediate seniors in point of service, and Jus tice Brandeis and Clark, his juniors. Dissenting, for various reasons were Justices Day, Vandeventer, Pitney anu McReynolds.
 The majority opinion upheld the public right to have interstate com merce uninterrupted paramount to tne interests of the railroads or thell operatives. Both are declared to De in public service, and subject 10 the supreme, unrestricted power or con gress to take any action necessary 10 maintain freedom and uninterrupteu transportation of commerce. Ellnet ee as law fixing wages or hours o, ea labor, the court declared congress hau authority to enact the Aoaniso'' statute. 4
 Justice McKenna concurred in the is majority opinion, but, on slightly aia- ferent grounds. Justice Day ana NC, NC, Reynolds read individq ai opinions an ana Justice Pitney delivere d the otner 1an u,s senting opinion, in wh ich Justice var deveventer joined. in
 Justices Pitney and wand oid Id their joint dissentind opinion, s.; nu that the law should b held uncons.s tutional and void, "bd kffuse consnI;eS' as;on although confessedly nV m possess1I; o1I; of information necess y for 'h'e troversv % .rh;tre 1SJt r;,r ;,,. osed upon the railways the entire and enormous oo'. ,, Of an experimental incl hse III ""ses
 Justice Day, in his ssentlns op1n