Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-06-29
Vice President Kelley Returns 30
City and Declares Firemen Are
in Worse Condition Than Be-
fore the Strike.
ROAD CAN REDUCE
WHITE FIREMEN'S WAGES
TO THOSE OF NEGRO
Mr.. Kelley Declares Commission
er Neill Dealt Unfairly With
Firemen and That Barrow Was
Selected After Turned Down.

among the firemen as a result of the de-
cision handed down Saturday night by
the arbitration board which was in ses-
sion here during last week to determine
the differences of the Order of Locomo-
tive Firenen and Enginemen and the
Georgia road.
A. P. Kelly, third vice president OF the
fremen, says that the award is an out
rage, leaving the firemen of the Georgia
road in worse condition than before they
went on strike. He points out that it
takes from the flremen what they had
before and gives them nothing of what
they demand.
1t is HIS opinion that the award leaves
ii possible for the wages of white and
negro firemen to be eQualized by the re-
duction Of the wages of white firemen as
well as by the raising Of the wages of
negro 1remen.
He says that the seniority which pre-
vailed among white firemen before the
arbitration proceedings Is destroyed by
the section which denies seniority Of
white over negro firemen. 1t is his opin-
ion that there is now no seniority among
the firemen Of the Georgia road. Promo
ton depends entirely on selection by off,
GERS Of the road.
Attorney Reuben r. Arnold, speaking
Monday morning for the hremen, said
that they will make no appeal from the
award and that they will abide by its
provisions for a year as the Erdman act
commands.
1t is possible, however, that the fire.
men will so to other roads of the Ameri-
can Railway association, of which the
Georgia road is a member, and endeavor
to have them use their influence for .
lettering of the condition of the white
firemen on the Georgia road.
Vice-President Kelly will leave Atlanta
Monday night on mission of some sort
which may have to do with an appeal
to the other roads of the American asso-
citation. Freight connections OF the Geor-
gia road could bring great influence to
bear in behalf of the firemen If they so
desired
The attitude of the firemen is that their
fight to GUST the negro as fireman is not
a lost fight, though the decision of the ar
bitration board went against them. They
still hold to their first purpose.
During the hearing by the arbitration
board, the statement was made that, at
convention of the firemen last year, a
resolution was passed, saying that the
! time has come when negro fremen must
be ousted from all southern roads. This
statement was never denied. II it is
true, the present effort would seem to be
only a beginning.
BITTER AGAINST NELL
Vice President Kelly is bitter
against Charles E. Neill, commits
sioner of labor. who. with Martin
A. Knapp, chairman of the interstate
| commerce commission. induced arbitra-
ton. He says that Mr.. Neill has not
dealt fairly with the flremen.
According to Vice President Kelly, when
Mr.. Nell left Atlanta at the close of the
strike. he agreed to select six men, each
agreeable to road and firemen alike, one
of which number he would pledge him
self TO have selected as umpire in case a
third man could not be agreed upon by
the two arbitrators named.
When the arbitrators had consumed
the five days allowed them in which to
select an umpire and such selection
had gone to Mr.. Neill and Chairman
Knapp. he says that Mr.. Neil1 sent a
telegram to the flremen denying that
he had made an agreement to name six
men from whom he and Chairman
Knapp would select an umpire Then
came the news Of Chancellor Barrow's
selection.
ROADS PROPOSED BARROW.
Vice President Kelly says that the
read had proposed the name of Chan
cellor Barrow as umpire and that the
fremen had refused such a proposal.
/ MT. Neil knew OF THIS reTuSal, but
Chancellor Barrow was named by MIN
and Chairman Knapp.
The charge Of Vice President Kelly
! is that Mr.. Nell knew before the
selection OF Mr.. Barrow that such
a selection could not be agreeable to
the flremen. There is no intimation
against Chancellor Barrows sincerity,
but the position Of the firemen is that
they thought Chancellor Barrow to be
IN nit -, -
the road rather than with their own
contentious and that Mr.. Neill knew
hem TO think this.
Vice-President Kelly puts the situation
into a pithy sentence. He says:
| Mr. Herbert and Mr. Barrow have
done more for the negro than Lincoln
and Grant and Sherman and all the rest
ever did"
MR.. ARNOLD'S OPINION.
Attorney Arnold. of counsel for the
I firemen, does not agree with Vice-Presi-
dent Kelly that the award of the arbitra-
/ tion board leaves It possible for the wage
/ of white firemen to be reduced instead
I CT that of the negro firemen being raised.
l 1t Is his opinion that the wording of the
award is such that it cannot be taken
to mean other than that the wage of ne
/ gro firemen is to be raised.
Such an increase would mean that the
Georgia road must pay $1,000 year more
] to its firemen. This is the sum that It
saves annually through the cheaper wage
to negro fremen. Before the award Of
the board, negro firemen on the Georgia
road got SO per cent of the wage of en-
gincers white fremen, AZ per cent For
the round trip from Atlanta to Augusta,
negro firemcn on passenger runs received
| $50; white hremen. $3.50 on freight runs
negro fremen received $3.50; white fire.
men, 500.
| Vice President Kelly says that. in his
opinion. the placing of negro and white
firemen on the same plane will not effect
the percentage Of negro fremen on the
Georgia road for the reason That this
road Is oppressed 70 the Order Of Engine
men and Firemen. and, to Strike at Il,
would employ negroes in preference to
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