The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-06-27
RACE PROBLEM IS LEFT
 OUT OF THE QUESTION
Arbitrators Decide That Railroad Must Pay Same Wages to Both White and Black Bremen for Same
 Amount of Work.

strike arbitration board tonight decided against the seniority of white firemen over rssnegroes. The arbitrators, however, placed a premium on intelligence among f1remen which it is believed will ultimate ly result in the gradual elimination of all except the most expert negro fire men.
 The arbitration board was composed of Hilary A. Herbert of Montgomery, rep resenting the Georgia railroad; Congress- man Thomas Hardwick of Georgia, rep resentng the firemen, and Chancellor Da- vid c. Barrow of the Georgia university as umpire.
 Their decision was worded guardedly and did not in any case deal directly with the race problem. Their most di- rect reference to the seniority problem was in the worlds: we find against proposition C."
 This proposition read: "All hremen when hired shall be placed In freight yards or hostling service and senior white f-emen shall have preference of engines and runs"
 The award made the pay of negro fire- men equal to that of whites. The ne- groes have been receiving from about 20 to 50 cents per day less than whites.
 Award in Full.
 The award In full follows:
 A. The Georgia railroad, when using negroes as locomotive firemen on the Toad or in the yards, or as hostlers. or es hostlers' helpers. shall pay them the same wages as white men in similar posi- tions. (Concurred in by Messrs. Herbert and Barrow. Hardwick dissenteD.
 B. Bremen in the line of promotion to the position of engineer shall have three Years experience before being promoted 10 the position of engineer. and shall be promoted in the order of their seniority; provided they are able to pass all reason able requirements and examinations. If they refuse or fail to pass the first ex- animation they will be reduced to freight service without losing their seniority, and the next senior man in turn will be called on to pass. Failing on the second ex- animation they will be reduced to the bottom of the extra list, or disposed of as the company desires. Firemen now in the service who are physically in capacitated for service will not be sub ject to this rule. When firemen are pro-
 
 shall be given certificate of promotion signed by the engineer (Concurred in by all three arbitrators).
 The decision against proposition ''C'' was by Herbert and Barrow, with Hard- wick favoring it.
 D-This proposition covered only minor points in dispute and was concurred in by all the arbttrators.
 No Seniority.
 E-In assigning vacancies to firemen seniority alone shall not control, though it may be considered in connection with the efficiency and with the necessity, where 1t exists. of giving experience to candidates for promotion to the position of engineer. (Concurred in by all arbi- trators.)
 F-Arbitrators unanimously concurred against demand 'sB'' of the firemen. which was that they be not required to throw switches and flag street crossings except in cases of emergency.
 MT. Hardwick, in a dissenting opinion from proposition .A." fixing negroes wages the same as those of whites, said:
 Insofar as the above finding permits the continued employment of negro fire men, dissent, because bslieve from the evidence that such employment is a menace to the safety of the travelling pub lie. Insofar such finding requires that when negroes are so employed, they shall receive wages equal to those paid white men, I concur believing that such re- Qurement, by removing the principal in- . centive to their employment, will result 4 in the speedy elimination of this cheaper labor and a consequent improvement of the service
 The arbitrators reached their decision after about three hours conference, but 1t required a long time to draw up the agreement
 White Mans Country. H. l.. Dickson, general counsel for the Brotherhood, declared that this is a white mans country, and that the ns Fro was menace to the safety of the travelling pub lie when put in the cab of locomotive. '"rhe Georgia railroad wants to hire the negro because 1t can pay him less, main him for less and by keeping him. can di- vide the white man and keep him down ! to a level with negro" He closed by an appeal to send the negro back to the cotton field, where he belonged, and where he was needed. He promised, mat ter what the verdict was, that the fire 1 men would accept 1t without appeal.
 Major Cummings, general counsel for the Georgia railroad, grew very much ex- cited when he referred to the efforts of the national Brotherhood to force the discharge of the negro. With a high lpitched voice. which trembled as he lspoke. he said:
 .-The north came into the south on conquest before, to establish negro equal uty or negro supremacy. And now these ' hen from Peoria, Chicago and New Maven on their second conquest come Town to say that the negro they freed annot even work to make an honest liv- cg They charge that we employ negroes because they work for less money than i'll the white men. What If we do? Is
 crime to practice economy on a lilroad.
 E'The proposition we are asked to ac- lpt is inhuman. We refused to accept at the behest of mob. We will not tcept 1t unless forced to do so by legis-
 five enactment or by an order of this
 hrt of arbitration.~