Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1917-01-10
This Is Main Contention of
Railway Attorneys at Ad-
amson Act Hearing.
HAGERMAN TO CLOSE
ARGUMENTS TODAY
Kansas City Attorney, Defending the
Law. Declares Enactment Was Net
One-Sided Natter: That Railroads
Would Ignore the Public.

Washington, Jan o.-Argument be-
fore the supreme court on the donst:-
nationality of the Adamson act neared
a close tonight after an allday attack
upon the law by railroad counsel.
Tomorrow the final statement of the
governments case will be made, and
the test suit submitted to the court
for decision
Questions of law, merit of the leg
islation and the manner of it's enact
ment were raised and discussed at
length today, and members of the
court continued to add interest to the
proceedings by interrupting counsel
with questions.
Lack by congress of authority to
enact what they termed railroad wage
legislation was the principal line of
attack of the railroad attorneys, Wal.
Contended also that the law is incom-
patible of operation without judicial
Interpretation, that it takes property
without due process of law and inter
feres with contracts.
Difficulty Of definitely applying the
act was emphasized BY Mr.. Hines, He
said that altho the law fixes an eight
hour standard railroad day for train
operatives, nearly all such employees
are employed on mileage trip runs or
monthly basis.
The primary purpose of the act
was arbitrary regulation of private
contracts,' he declared in concluding
an address of more than three hours.
at sets aside legitimate method. sub
shutting an unavoidable speculative
ARRANGEMENT. It's classifications give
benefit only to the four brotherhoods
who are demanding the change-a!l
for the benefit of special high paid
class. In all aspects It is of uncon-
stitutional and bewildering unwork-
ability, without relation to any sub
stantial promotion of commerce."
Strictly Wage Increase Measure.
In the closing address of the rail
roads, Mr. Johnson assailed the hasty
enactment of the legislation by con-
gress as we'll as the conduct of the
brotherhood leaders. He said the act
was against public and purely for
private interest, and car bitrarily
transfers from forty to fifty million
dollars from the pockets of the rail.
roads to the pockets Of the workmen."
He insisted it is solely and purely
wage increase law, void, and imprac-
tlcable of application in attempting to
establish an eight-hour day. To make
the question of railroad wages poll
teal, to be settled by congress from
time to time, he said, would lead to
unforeseen results.
"There is nothing in the Adamson
act for the protection of the public. ;
he said. 'The brotherhoods had the
honesty not to pretend they We're pro
tecting the public, bu; stood upon
their own selfish ends.''
Regarding the statement that the
act was passed to prevent a strike,
he added:
"Have We come to that? Have we
reached the period when men who
threaten strike shall he rewarded? I
am not comparing men; only methods.
But we might as we'll buy off a gang
Of highwaymen with brides to pre-
vent interference with commerce."
Hagerman Says Not One.Sided Affair.
Half an hour before adjournment
Frank Hagerman of Kansas City,
special counsel for the government.
began the closing address of the hear
ing. He defended the law as being
capable of operation by mere change
of railroad bookkeeping. and said con-
gress enacted it in the face of "a
great emergency"
"It wasn't one-sided affair."" he
said. "There were railroad represen
tatives who acted upon the assump-
ton that the railroads owe nothing
to the public"
Assuming that congress can raise
wages for limited period, can it do
INon4in,,od ~, ,,ono f;.ro