Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-09-06

Dcnvcr.-Dy receiving M Increase
OF cent per hour. effective September
LIST, and accepting tho proposition OF
the managers Of the western railroads
for arbitration Of the additional cent
demanded by them. tho Representatives
Of tho switchmcn closed all possibility
OF strike Mt this time.
Tho agreement WINS reached In tho
Brown Palace hotel after tho joint COM
mittec had been In session since Aug
ust 2lst. Tho end came M surprise
for many, as Il seemed that deadlock
was certain.
The result Is almost q sweeping Vic
tory for tho switchmcn. The only
point conceded by them was that OF
arbitration. Representatives OF tho
railroad companies regard this conccs'
sion as nm important victory.
According to Il. II. Ingram. chair.
man of the mannscrs' committee, u
establishes "A precedent In railroad dill.
icultics. this being the iirst time that
both sIdcs havo agreed to submit
difference to arbitration. Both sides
have agreed to abide by the decision
OF tho arbitrator. a representative
from the managers and Switchmcn VIII
appear before tho arbitrator and argue
tho additional one cent per hour. He
be obcycd without cavil.
There Is no possibility OF further
trouble between the railroads and
their employees, as tho differences OF
the western switchmcn were tho only
ones unsettled by tho Chicago confer'
cnccs. Labor troubles on tho railroads
now seem to DO settled for ut least n
term Of years.
The arbitrator OF the switchmcn's
difference has already been selected.
He Is n man prominent nationally and
beth sides agreed upon him without
argument. Therefore any decision
made by him will bc doubly accept
able MS both sides arc perfectly salts
fed with him.
Pending the answer to the telegram
sen, to him. his name will not be re.
yenled. It IL expected that he Will nc
ccpt with hesitation. however. Those
involved would not say whether or not
he is n government Official.
The switchmcn won n great victory
in the agreement by receiving blan'
kct increase of one cent over the whole
western territory. One Of the most
bitterly contested points was the claim
OF the managers that the switchmen
working In large centers OF Industry,
like Denver. Salt Lake. San Francisco
and other municipalities, should not
receive an increase. They were Will
ing Mt all times to grant an increase
In all desert districts. The switchmen
held out for blanket Increase from
the first, and gave only one concession,
that of arbitration.
increase In Wages 10 Result.
The number Of men involved by the
settlement Is said by Mr.. Ingram to be
$500. "This means n very substantial
Increase In their wages" added Mr.. In.
gram. "The switchmcn demanded two
cents per hour increase In yards In
Denver and points west thereof, and
submitted evidence that was recog.
nized by our committee as warranting
an increase of pay In some OF the ter.
ritory, notably those In the desert and
mountainous regions Of New Mexico.
Arizona, Utah. Nevada, Colorado, Ida
no and Wyoming. We offered to
rake some increase In such yards, but
declined to admit that exceptional con.
ditions existed at such points as Den.
yer, FL Paso. Salt Lake. Los Angeles.
San Francisco. Oakland. Sacramento.
Portland. Spokane. ETC.. which would
Justify the recognition Of differential
wage scale"
The roads were finally forced to
grant the blanket Increase. although
Mr.. Ingram said they still believe that
the switchmen were receiving as much
money rs their work is worth in every
section. The increase In tho desert
and mountain section he mentioned, he
declared should be granted, because OF
the inaccessibility of the places, and
not because the roads believed the liv.
ing higher.
The mileage of the lines represented
every company having a man at the
conference-is approximately $4,000
miles.
According to Mr.. 1ugram. the feeling
during the conference was the best
and no temper was displayed. He pays
a tribute to President Morrissey Of tho
Brotherhood OF Railway Trainmen.
whom he says Is an earnest and very
able man. and "as far us his attitude rs
the representative Of the employees,
would permit was at all times fair"