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Show ROADS YIELD TO MEN Demands of Brotherhoods Brother-hoods Granted Messages Mes-sages Sent Throughout Through-out Country, NEW YORK. March 19 The railroad rail-road strike has been averted. Yielding Yield-ing to the appeal of President Wilson and facing the probability of this country's entrance into the world war, the railroads early today granted the demands of the four employes' brotherhoods broth-erhoods for a basic eight-hour day. The telegraph wires this morning are carrying throughout, the United States messages from the brotherhood chiefs rescinding the orders for the inauguration inaugu-ration of the great progressive strike at 7 o'clock. The decision Is regarded as a complete com-plete surrender to the brotherhoods, brought about, however, after the patriotism pat-riotism of the railroad managers had been put to the test. The president's mediators, playing what they considered consid-ered their last trump card, were not successful in their mission until after more than fifty hours of anxious conferences, con-ferences, all of which pointed, within a short time before the decision was announced, to an inevitable deadlock. Secretary of the Interior Lane and the other mediators were visibly af-fi af-fi cted when told of the action of th railroad managers Mr. Lane sent immediately im-mediately for the committee of the railroads and, turning to Ellsha Lee, their spokesman, said: Magnificent Thing for Country "This Is a magnificent thing that you have done for your country. It will go down in history as one of the greatest things you ever did." The brotherhood chiefs, who already al-ready had left the hotel where tho conferences were being held and had retired for tho night, apparently convinced con-vinced that a settlement of the differences dif-ferences could not be reached, were summoned next Their faces showed the relief they felt from the strain under which they had labored since early Friday evening with the president's presi-dent's committee. W. G. Lee, head of the trainmen, announced for them that orders would go forward at once Informing all district chairmen of the brotherhoods of the successful outcome out-come of the conference. Salary List Increased $60,000,000. By the terms of tho settlement, the combined salary list of the railroads will be Increased approximately $60.-000,000 $60.-000,000 a year, according to conservative conserva-tive estimates. The number of workmen work-men profiting by this increase will be more than 300,000. That the crisis resulting from the sinking of three American ships by German submarines was the prime factor in clearing tho situation and restoring the country to normal conditions con-ditions so far as its transportation facilities fa-cilities were concerned, was conceded by all. Agreement Is Signed. Tho agreement which averted the strike was signed in Secretary' Lane's room at 5:15 this morning, Just a few hours after the managers had agreed to abandon the long and bitter fight they have made against tho brotherhood's brother-hood's demands, As tho last of the five to sign it attached at-tached his signature tho tension in the little group relaxed. The managers and chiefs shook hands with one another and with each of tho Washington me diators. Tho sun was Just touching the White (Continued on Page 7) ROADS VIELD TO ( Continued from Page 1 ) I standard of work and wages be fixed by law. and, second, that an official body be created to observe during n n nable time the operation of f h legislation and that an explicit assur ance be given that if the result of such observation established such an increased in-creased cost to the employers as Jus tined an increase in rates, the power would be given lo the interstate commerce com-merce commission to authorize it. Congress Con-gress responded by enacting the statute stat-ute whose validity, as we have said, we are called upon to consider. Employes Open Suit. "The duty to do so arises from the fact that the employers, unwilling lo ver. pt the act and challenging the constitutional con-stitutional power of congress to enact it, began this typical suit against the Officers of certain labor unions and the United States district attorney to enjoin en-join the enforcement of the statute. "The law was made to take effect only on the first of January. 1917. To expedite the final decision before that date the representatives of the labor unions were dropped out, agreements essential to hasten it were made and n was stipulated that pending the final disposition of the cause the carriers would keep accounts of the wages which would have been earned if the statute was enforced so as to enable their payment if the law was finally upheld. "Stating its desire to co-operate with the parties in their purpose to expedite expe-dite the same, the court below, briefly brief-ly announcing that it was of opinion that congress had no constitutional power to enact the statute, enjoined its enforcement and as the result of the direct appeal which followed, we come, after elaborate oral and printed arguments, to dispose of the controversy. contro-versy. Two Questions to Decide. "All the propositions relied upon and arguments advanced ultimately come to two questions.: "First, the entire want of constitutional constitu-tional power to deal with the subjects embraced by the statute, and. second, sec-ond, such abuse of the power, f possessed, pos-sessed, as rendered its exercise unconstitutional. uncon-stitutional. We will consider these subjects under distinct propositions separately: "1- The entire want of constitutional constitution-al power to deal with subjects embraced embrac-ed by the statute. McReynolds Dissents. In dissenting. Justice McReynolds held that congress did not have power' to enact the law, but that the majority decision now gives it authority to fix trainmen's maximum and minimum wages, "and to require compulsory ar-' bitration of labor disputes," which may jeopardize movement of traffic and to take measures effectively to protect1 the free flow of commerce against any! combination, whether of operatives, owners or strangers. oo |