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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 2, 1916)
174858 MTCDFORT) WATT; TRIBUNE. MEBFORT). 017EOON', MONDAY. OCTOBER 2. 10ir PAGE TTTRTCT9 1NB EXPLAINED Br LAW S AUTHOR Congressman Aunmson of Georgia, Sponsor for Eight-Hour Day Law for Trainmen, Tells What Statute Means Paves Way to Settlement of Issues. lly WILLIAM C. A DAMSON, (Author AUanison Eight-Hour Act.) No ploce of legislation ever passed by the American congress was more justifiable than tho bill proposed at tho joint session by President Wilson and later enacted by both bousos for prevention of a nation-wide railroad strike. This bill fixes an eight-hour working day as the basis for pay for trainmen engaged in inter-stato com merce and before It had even been signed by the president, it has served Its immediate purpose by recalling the strike order, which had gone forth. Not only "did the eight-hour act spam this country a period of paraly sis nnl distress more overwhelming than unv through which. It has ever passed in a time of peace, but already it lias paved tho way for a settle ment of the issues upon which tho railroads and their employees dead locked. The information has come to ns that the railroads themselves are "becoming reconciled and action to test the constitutionality of the act nnd may never be begun, or If begun, may never bo carried to the Supreme Court. I'ccI Xatioiuil Crisis, Whether the rnilroads accept this legislation or not, those of us who were instrumental in placing this, law upon the statute books need offer no apologies for our action. Wo faced a national crisis, one involving the welfare of every man, woman and child in the laud. The president had used all the power at his command to bring the two parties together and had failed. Arbitration was impos sible. The slriko impended. Em bargoes had already been laid by leading railroads against all perish able freight, thnt is, tho freight which may bo described In terms of food. Prices of the commonest necessities of lire were doubled over-night. An appalling situation confronted us and "wo acted determinedly and decisively. It is tintrue and unjust for any man to charge that congress was prodded or driven in this matter. If there was any driving done, it was the public interest that was the driver. 'No individual or set of in dividuals waved a bludgeon above our heads. We were the spokesmen of tho American people and we acted as their spokesmen. Roth the rail roads and their men are the servants of the people and we dealt with them as servanfs, not as masters. That one side was satisfied and the other was not, made no difference. Not ji Xew Issue. The question of an eight-hour day was not a new one. Every member of conrrcss had general information enough about it to have been famil iar witli that question for years. It came up suddenly, it is true, and at an unlorlunate time for those who were anxious fo congress to adjourn Hut it was not more unfortunate for them than It was for tho commercial interests of the country. It came up at a time when the crops wero about to lie moved, and business, it was hoped, would be bountiful and pros perous. That made it even more se rious nnd more necessary that ve slipuld do something to relieve the situation. The men who operate the trains made their demands six or eight months ago. The carrier officials de clined the demands. The operatives vere threatening a strike. It was the duty of any patriotic citizen to inter vene and make suggestions that might avert the calamity. The presi dent of tho fnit.'d States, to whom w-e all look with respect and confi dence, invited the two parties to confer with him with the hope that as mediator himself, he might bring about an accommodation of the dif ferences. He failed. The brother hoods ordered a strike. The presi dent thereupon stated the case to congress. There was nothing new in anything he proposed. It had all been a matter of discussion for years. Kmcrgency Is Met. In framing this bill the members of the committees of the two houses of congress, having jurisdiction of the subject, canvassed the situation thoroughly. We found that in the conferences which had covering tho whole field should be had at once. Dut we could not wait for that. There was not time. All that we could do was to be consis tent with tlie proceedings which the president and tho two parties to the controversy had participated In. The party threatening tho strike had agreed, to certain propositions. We considered It logical that If con gress enacted those propositions into law, it would be unjustifiable for the brotherhoods to strike. Logically they could not strlko for we were doing just what the president had proposed to them und Just what they had agreed to accept. But wo had no contract with them. Wo had not talked with any of them. We fol lowed reason ill tho matter and adopted tho eight-hour law. Maintains Status Juo. Tho statement thnt this is an act to Increase- labor or to take control of labor Is absolutely without founda tion. It merely provides that the status quo shall be maintained until the operation of the eight-hour law can be observed by a competent com mission and until further legislation can be bad. It rs merely a truce en forced upon tho warring elements with a fixed basis of peace terms. It is merely a protocol udopted prior to a permanent treaty. Nobody need fear that tho committees of congress which dealt with this question, nor congress as a body will ever de liberately disregard tho rights or either the railroads or their em ployes. They are both servants of the people , working to maintain our great system or transportation and we legislated upon their Interests as such. We did what wo could with tho light before us. Unfortunately a crisis was precipitated In which im mediate and effective action was im perative. When tho president moved ill the matter, making his plain, clear proposition to the two sets of men, the railroad managers were not pa triotic enough to accept it. The sensible, rational thing to do, in that situation, to avert a strike, was to do what one side had agreed to. It was a thing which we all knew was right, a thing which we U knew ought to be done. Ibllunce'l I'l-oitositioll. t There never was a fairer or better balanced proposition ever made than the proposition which President Wil son made to tho parties deadlocked over the issue. And he made it in tho interest of the American people, to whom tho whole crowd belongs, railroads and all. The position of the neutral is always misunderstood and mistrusted by the parties between whom he has intervened. Each side thinks ho is taking the part of the other, und thnt was true ill this case. l)oth sides should have ac cepted the president's proposal In the beginning, for It was based upon a principle that fundamentally Is right. In the passage of the eight-hour act congress adopted a suggestion, which wo all understood which every body understands and which ought to have been embodied in legislation long ago. Tho other suggestions about which many of us differed nnd about which we had no time to work out a basis of -agreement, we post poned for future consideration. There is one mcasuro which the senate j should havo passed. This is the bill ! increasing the membership of the i inter-state commerce commission j from seven to nine members. It has' already becu adopted by the house and should havo become a law with out any reference whatever to the conditions raised by the strike situation. BUT CROP SHY WASHINGTON, Oct. 'J. (liiminji of the cotton crop is breaking; nil rec ords. Announcement today by the census bureau- Hint 4,0G2.9!11 bales hail been ginned from this year's cro prior to September J5 disclosed that, nil former totals for sinning lo that date had been exceeded, even that of 11114, when the country's largest cot ton crop was grown nnd .'!,:!!);!, Tii'J! bales were ginned to September 2". Heretofore Hie lai-jrest quantity ginn ed prior to September 23 wus in 1911, when it was ;i,li"li,fi4 bales. dinning to September 1 this year amounted lo 8."i(l,Sl'2 bales, und from that date to September '-!." the iuan tily ginned was :(,'21'2,17!l bales. The extreme activity in (riniiing indicates thnt the crop this year is much earlier than in former years, but it is pointed out by officials that the quantity ginned lo certain periods is no ganu'c to the country s total production which this year from nil indications thus far, is below the average. Stonns which in sections have wrought havoc with the cotton crop this year and caused u loss of almost :i,0mi,(M)0 bales throughout tho grow ing season. The crop will lie approximately 11,(i:i7,(l(l(l equivalent !00-pounl bales, according- to the depurtment of agriculture's forecast made today basing its estimate on the condition of Hie crop on September 25. Cotton this year was planted on the fourth largest acreage ever recorded! :i.),!l!)4,0(M) acres. BATTLE FOUGHT OVER WHITE SLAVE ' CHICAGO, Oct. 2. Seven men Tought a revolver duel over the "sale'' of a woman for $200 early today w ith the result that one of the men was shot? to death, and another was so seriously wounded that physicians say he w ill die. Fifty or sixty shots were exchanged in the battle, which was fought In a roadhouse owned by Samuel Harris. The slain man was identified as "Peg gy" O'Day, a saloonkeeper. Daniel Hartman, his companion, was shot through the lung. O'Dny, H.irtimin and two associates w-ent to the roadhouse in an automo bile. Hartman, according to the story Harris told the police, had offered to "sell" a woman to him and the shooting followed a dispute over the price to be paid. Dave Cottrell and Hill Cantrall are camped at the "Sky" ranch up near the divide gathering beef. , Messrs. Spencer and True who are developing the Hayes-Potter claims at the head o Sams valley havegono to Portland for their families and tiro expected back in about 10 days. Mr. and Mrs. K. G. Key who have been visiting .Mrs. Key's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Theo Ice, started for Needles, Ariz., Monday. Logs across tho road down Evans creek between tho Meadows and forks of tho creek block tratfic. Lane Wylnnd's folks are preparing to move to the old Olson ranch house the latter end of the week and all the Meadows are rejoicing we arc not to lose these good neighbors. The chief geologist of the U. S. geological survey, Mr. H. D. McCas key, of Washington, D. C, who has charge of the division of mineral re sources, was at the Meadows mining districts the past week. He found in the Mountain King mine, where Alf Lew is showed him around, the richest pannings of native quicksilver he has ever seeu and a very interesting mino with immense ore supply. Over 700 feet of the 1000 feet of tunnels are in pay ore and all richer than the California average. Mr. McCaskey was greatly pleased with the district and plans sending two of his geolo gists with a party to make a special report on our quicksilver resources. lie pronounced the Utah Quicksilver Co.'s rich ore, specimen ore, and a N0TH APPOINTED SOUTHthN PACIFIC AGENT Albert P. Noth, for six years ticket agent at the local Southern Pacific depot, has been named station agent to succeed A. S. Itosunhaum who re taken place! signed to accept a position as claim before the president laid the matter ' agent for the same company. Notifl before congress, tho party that wascali"' of the appointment was recelv threatening to strike, had agreed to ' ed Saturday, and becomes effective certain propositions which he ha'I i '" Mr. Noth's appointment will made to them. The other side hadje received with favor by citizens rejected those prooosltions, demand- generally. It Is a reward of faithful inc. that full ami .il'solttte legislation service. wonderfully rich outcrop. He found much to encourage deep mining In his short visit, which he said wus to be regarded as preliminary only to the fuller examination In detail by his geologists as soon as they can be de tailed for this work. Oregon is go ing to show somo quicksilver produc tion fur 191G and thus figure in the 1910 reports. It is to be expected that the Mountain King and other mines of the Meadows district will bo able to step lu and help as against the steady diminution of production In our sister state to the south, whore exhaustion of ore supply Is being ser iously felt. Fred Moore, Mail Carrier Springers and their families motored to tho valley Monday. Mr. Farnuni of Sums valley spent Tuesday In tho Meadows. Loran and Theodore Ico wore In Gold Hill Monday. Mrs. Finis Mayfield is getting pack ed up to move to Kogue Hivcr with the children for tho school term at tho high school. Mr. and Mra. May- field Sr. of Central Point will prob ably spend the winter with Finis on the creek ranch. Fred Moore is talking of going to the valley for the winter with his family, having rented his pasturage for tho season. . Charlos Hockersiuilh and his boys are now regular citizens of the Mead ows. Wm. Cottroll has come to the res cue and Is boardius the school teach er. Dave Cottrell has Carpenter Cof- feon at work on IiIb gates and fin ishlng up his barn. Samuel Dertelson came to tho Meadows mines Saturday with Doctor Everett,' a noted mining export, who claims Taeoma as his home, but rop resents New York interests. They looked ovor the Utah Quicksilver Co. properties, Mr. Everett confirming Mr. McCnsltcy's good opinion of the property. Jerry Gibson Is driving a new tun nel on Dr. Chlshotm's Little Jean mine directly on the main vein of the district and Is opening up much rich cinnabar. R. J. Rowen has gone to Grants Pass and Mcdford on mining business. Bill Cottrell drove to Medford Sat urday in Fred Moore's Ford. A farewell party at Fred Moore's homo Saturday night was a surprise to the family but a mighty pleasant time was had, though tinged with tho regret that all those present felt that they wore to lose these good friends and neighbors. Fred Moore drove to Gold Hill Sat urday with a wagonload of Cliff Haz clwood's deer heads. The accumula tlon of yaars of faithful hunting. They made an Imposing load. Cnl Dusenborry came from Medford Saturday and spent the dey at the Meadows mines. Fires are springing up everywhere in the woods owing to the extrome dry weather. Our district has so far es caped any serious ones as Warden Pomeroy has been very promptly on the job. Alf Lewis, his wife and Cory Ed munds returned to the Mountain King mine after three or four days in Gold Hill. Kows of the serious Injury of Ar thur Russell In California called Ed Russell down there on Sunday. Lano Wyland has rented the north half of tho Olson ranch and with the Moore ranch he will havo quite farm. Mooro plans to go to the val ley for the winter. Fire Warden Pomeroy nnd Ells worth Drake put In nil night Saturday and Sunday fighting a bunch of fires on tho mountain behind tho Drake place. . A NICKEL buys an OWL. And when you buy the OWL you get a smoke which is mellow and fragrant. You get a smoke which is free-drawing and even-burning. You get a smoke which is uniformly good, because A million dollars' worth of slowly curing leaf, supplemented by 11 finely equipped factories with their corps of skilled hand-workers, makes sure that the OWL you buy tomorrow will burn as well as the OWL you smoke today. The Mil Hon Dollar Cigar M. A. GUNST & CO. INCORPORATED 4i BARGAINS y r ? ? T ? f f f T ? ? ? y ? ? T ? y A. Y t f f Y f y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y x X y y X y y Sink or Swim That's All Bigger, Greater Reductions Every Day The Ahrens' Stock of Ladies' Apparel Every Dollar's Worth of Fine Millin ery, Fine Waists, Fine Neckwear, Hosiery and every new, up-to-date Coat, Suit yes, everything in the Store M UST BE SOLD Cash Must Be Had at Once No Matter if This Fine Stock Must Be Cut to Pieces Come to This Sale Every Day A Different Sale Than Any Ever Before Held in Medford Watch for Bargains Every Day ENTIRE STOCK WILL BE SOLD LooK for the Big Signs at Ahrens' Store IT WILL PAY YOU TO COME t y y y y y y y y y y y y y x y y y y T y y y y y y y y y y y t y t y t y y y y y t y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y f f y f y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y f y X