The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-26
FINLEY APPEALS
 ID HIGHER POWER Interstate Commerce Commits
 sion Asked to Mediate NO AGREEMENT. ON WAGES Finding That Employees Will Not Con- sent To Reductions. In Wages,
 Matter Is To Be Carried
 Before Commissioners.
NO AGREEMENT. ON WAGES

Washington, February 25-Because of d to the matter of a reduction of wages of the employees of the Southern Railway company, the negotiations have been broken off, and President Finley an- nounces that he will carry the cases ;o the interstate commerce commission and to Commissioner of Labor Neill. under the Erdmann act. President Finley so- day gave out a statement in which he expresses confidence that yet there will be an adjustment of the controversy be- tween the Southern Railway and it's men. and expressed regret that the latter can not see their way clear to meet the wage scale which the management has offered The intended action of the Southern Rail- way in seeking the mediation of the in- terstate commerce commission and the commissioner of labor is regarded as marking the beginning of a campaign upon the part of the railroads when such controversies arise to seek adjustment in that manner rather than to negotiate with their employees.
 The proposition of the management of eAiS 'ooeiSiu idilWdy lO Teuuce the Wage scale was based, it is stated, upon the ground that the existing business condi- tions and the falling off in revenue made it positively necessary.
 With that object in view conferences have been going on for two weeks or more between officials of the Southern railway and representatives of the employees af- fected which involved the locomotive engineers and firemen and machinists and other shopmen. It was proposed to re- store the wage scale which was in ef- feet a year ago. President Finley s statement is as follows:
 Our employees, working under contract. having declined our proposition in regard to reduction of wages, we still feel con- fident that there should be an amicable adjustment, and do not propose to proceed in any arbitrary way. We have notified our employees of our regert that they. can not, at the present time, see their way clear to accept the suggestions as to the wage scale which the management con- sders imperatively necessary under ex- isting conditions, and have stated to them that we will ask the mediation of the chairman of the interstate commerce. commissioner and the commissioner of labor. under section ? of the Erdmann act. which provides that in any eOntro- versy concerning wages which threatens to interrupt the business of an interstate carrier, either party may ask the inter- vention of the chairman of the interstate commerce commission and the conimis- sioner of labor, and. in the event of such request, require the officials named to put themselves into communication with all practicable expedition with the parties to the controversy and use their best eff forts by mediation and conciliation to bring about an amicable adjustment of the questions at issue.
 we have accordingly requested the me- diation of the officials named in the hope of arriving at an adjustment of all mat ters in controversy with our men, which will be cordially accepted by both inter- ests involved