Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-05-06
HOUSE APPROVES A PLAN FOR SET
TLING LABOR DISPUTES.
NOT A COMPULSORY MEASURE
PROVIDES MACHINERY FOR OPTION
Al ARBITRATION.
Matters In Controversy May He Sub
mitted to q Hoard of Three Per-
sons. Whose Award Shall
Be Final and binding
In the senate.

Washington. May 5-The house to-day
disposed of two important measures. The
Alaskan land bill extending the homestead
laws to and providing for certain railway
rights OF way in the district OF Alaska. as
amended by the senate and agreed upon in
conference. was passed The labor arbi-
tration measure. providing for the arbitra-
tion OF labor disputes between employees
and certain common carriers. bill which
had received very wide Endorsement by Ia
Dor organizations throughout the country.
received the approval of the house. num-
ber of minor bills were also passed. The
house adjourned until Monday.
Mr.. Grosvenor. explaining the arbibtra-
tion bill. in reply to questions. said the
measure was not compulsory, did not re-
quire employers or employees to arbitrate.
but merely opened clear way TO arbitra-
ton, should the parties decide to avail
themselves Of ii, and offered Il way to car
ry out, under governmental direction, an
award reached through mutual and vol
untary agreement.
Criticism of the bill as being unsafely
indefinite in many of its clauses and open
to possible abuses in the matter of judg-
| ment and execution was passed by Mr..
Lewis. Democrat. of Washington.
Mr.. Cochran. of Missouri, spoke in sup
port of the measure as being step in the
right direction, though not perfect In its
provisions
Mr.. Mcguire. of California, attacked the
| provision of the bill requiring employees
not to leave their employers under three
months after the filing of the award with
out giving thirty days notice. He said
| the provision left the question of punish
ment of violations of the provision open.
MIR. Cummings. of New York. declared his
| purpose to support the bill as member
Of congress and a member of Topographic
cal Union No. 6. of New York, and crit
icised briefly the government for failure to
pay union wages to its employees.
Mr.. Lewis, of Washington. moved to re-
| commit with instructions favoring numer-
Gus amendments. which was defeated, and
the bill passed
1t provides that in case a serious contro-
versy concerning wages, hours of labor
or conditions of employment shall arise
between carrier subject to the act and
| the employees. the chairman of the inter-
state commerce commission and the COM
| missioner of labor shall. upon the request
| Oh either party, endeavOr amicably to set
tie the dispute by mediation. and, in case
the endeavor shall fail, then the contro-
versy may be submitted to arbitration of
board of three persons, each party to
the. controversy to name one arbitrator.
and the two thus named shall name a
| third.
The agreement to submit must contain
Stlpulations that the arbitration shall b<.
pegun within five days and the award shall
| be nled within twenty days from the an
pointment Of the third arbitrator: tha,
the award shall be filed in the circuit court
| OF the United States for any district where
! IN the employer carries on business; tina,
the parties shall consider the award final
and conclusive and faithfully execute the
same; that the award shall continue in
and that the employer shall not dismiss
nor shall any employe dissatisfied with the
award, quit work. under three months
without giving thirty days notice. The
award shall become final and operative
| ten days after filing, unless an appeal shall
be taken within the ten days on exceptions
to matter of law. The act recognizes or
ganized labor and provides penalties fol
employers discriminating against employees
pose to join such organization.