Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1917-03-16

bers of the eight-hour commission be-
ing the arbitration board.
"On the other hand if the law is
declared unconstitutional, they decline
TO make any settlement of the matter
in controversy with us and again offer
10 submit the matter to arbitration,
the members of the eight-hou COM
mission being the arbitrators.
If the railroads are willing to sub
nit either of these propositions to ar
bitration, it is evident they are willing
TO give their employees an eight-hour
day if the arbitration board so decides,
but the roads themselves will never
grant the request directly.
We submit that this is an unfair
attitude for the conference committee
of the railways to assume, for if they
are willing to grant the eight hour day
through any method, they should be
willing to grant it directly to their
employees and not prolong the contro-
VerSy.
The public should remember that
after having failed to reach an agree
ment with the conference committee Of
the railways last August, President
Wilson interviewed and attempted to
mediate our difficulties and after
hearing both sides of the discussion
and considering the matter for several
days, proposed a = settlement, which
settlement is practically the same as
we have just proposed to the railroads.
The railroads refused to accept the
presidents proposition, when the pres
ident recommended to congress the
enactment of q law similar 10 his
proposition. This congress did, when
the railroads again refused TO accept
the decision OF congress, and have not
yet observed the law in a single in
stance.
Railroads Avoid Settlement
1T is APPARENT to us that the pur-
pose of the railroads is to avoid any
settlement of the matter until such
time as the country becomes involved
in war, when they expect to escape
any settlement of whatever character.
Even though the supreme court should
decide that the law is constitutional
we have noticed that they will not ac-
cept any Interpretation thereof, which
is practically the same as the presi-
dent proposed when he recommended
the enactment of the law; therefore a
decision of the supreme court uphold
ing the constitutionality of the law
would, not even indirectly secure for
the employees the purpose of the law.
1T goes without saying that railroad
employees have been patient and loyal
to the interests of the country and in
the event of war have offered their
services to the government. 1t must
not be overlooked that during this per-
iOd. when the railroads have persist
emily denied their employees that which
was intended by the president in his
proposition and that which was in
tended by the congress in the Adam
son law, the railroads during a years
period show net earnings Of over g
thousand million dollars, while the
employees, with no increase in wages
have suffered an increase in cost OF
living equal to more than forty pei
cent
IF after more than a year, we have
failed to secure some relief and trair
and enginemen conclude to fold theil
hands and starve in reality rather thar
by degrees. should they be considered
as disloyal to their flag.
Why not place some of the respon-
sibility on the employers, who can very
easily stop all talk of stoppage o.
trains by recognizing that such en-
plOyes must either lower their stand
ard Of living or they must work Longer
than ten hours out of each "a in orde
to retain American standards o
living"
It was semi Officially announced
that all freight employees on the New
York Central system. Baltimore an,
Ohio and Erie would cease work a
six o'clock Saturday night.