The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-27
FIREMEN ON
EQUAL BASIS
Arbitrators Render a
Decision.
NEGROES TO GET MORE PAY
Board Decides Against Seniority Of
Whites.
All Firemen Placed on nm Equal Basis
and at the same Fay sad
I'm same Line of !
Promotion.
J NEGROES TO GET MORE PAY

Atlanta, Ga, June 2s.-The George
Railroad strike arbitration board to-
night decided against the seniority fof
white fremen over negroes. The arbi-
traitors. however, placed q premium on
intelligence among firemen which 1t Is
believed will ultimately result in the
gradual elimination Of all except the
most expert negro hremen.
The arbitration board was composed
Of Hilary A. Herbert Of Montgomery.
Ala. representing the Georgia Rail-
road; Congressman Thomas Hardwick.
of Georgia, representing the hremen,
and Chancellor David c. Barrow Of the
Georgia University, as umpire.
Their decision was worded guardediy
and did not In any case deal directly
with the race problem. Their most al
rect reference to the seniority problem
was In the words: 1--WE find against
proposition c.
This proposition. read: "All hremen
when hired shall be placed In freight
yards or hosting service and senior
white hremen shall have preference Of
engines and guns.N
The award made the pay of negro
firemeh equal to that of whites. The
negroes have been receiving from rs to
SO per cent per day less than whites.
1 AR&GA1A@<Ae
The award In full follows:
A--The Georgia Railroad, when us
Ing negroes as locomotive fremen on
the road or In the yards, or As hostlers,
or as hostleFR helpers. sffali pay them
the same wages as white men in SINH
lar positions. (Concurred In by
MessFA Herbert and Barrow. Hard
| wick dissented.)
B-Firemen in the line of promotion
70 the position Of engineer, shall have
three years experience before, being
profnted to the position Of engineer,
and shall be promoted In the. order of
their sehiority; provided they are able
to pass all reasonable requirements and
exasninatiDnE. H they refuse or fail
to paes the flFet examination, they will
be reduced 10 freight service. without
losing their seniority, and the next sen-
torfalian In turn VIII be called on 70
pass. Failing, on the second exanin-
Rtions they will be reduced to the bot
the company desfrat ifsFslbeA now Ia
the service who are physioaliy incap-
-acitated for services will no the sub
ject to this rule. When fremen are
promoted to the position OF engineer.
they shall be given a certificate of pro-
motion, signed by the engineer tCan-
Cured in by all three arbitratofs.)
The decision against proposition CO.
was by Herbert and Barrow, with Hard
wick favoring 1t.
D-Thls proposition covered only
minor points In dispute and was con-
CURED in by all the arbttrators.
En- assigning vacancies to firtSnen
seniority alone shall not control, though
1t may be considered in connection with
the efficiency and with the necessity
where 1t exists. of giving experience to
candidates for promotion to the posit-
ion OF engineer (Concurred In by all
arbitrators.)
F-Arbitrators unanimously concur
red against demand F 'of the firemen
which was that they be not required to
throw switches and nag street cross
inss, except in cases of emergency.
Mr.. Hardwick in a dissenting opin-
ion from proposition A fixing negroes
wages the same as those Of whites,
said:
"In so far as the above finding per-
mits. the continued employment OF ne
gro firemen, / dissent. because / be-
lieve from the evidence that such en-
ploynent Is a menace to the safety Of
the travelling public. In so far as such
finding requires that when negroes are
SO employed, they shall receive wages
equal to those paid white men, con-
eur. believing that such requirement.
by removing the principal incentive to
their employment will result in the
speedy elimination OF this cheaper Ia
Dor and a consequen. Improvement Of
the service"
The arbitrators reached their decis-
ion after about three hours confer
ence, but 1t required a long time to
draw UP the agreement