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
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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
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