The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-07-18
MORAL SIDE
 IN DISPUTE
Question as to its Influence in
 Trolley Wage Arbitration
WILL IT BE CONSIDERED?
Precedence of Alleged Breach of Faith Over Economic Ques-
 ton Much Debated

New Haven. July 1S.-Whether or not the arbitration committee which is considering the wage dispute be- tween the trolleymen and the Con necticut company will base their find ing more on a moral ground than on an economic one is a question that Is being much considered, the answer to which will be awaited with good deal of interest. This question is raised because during the hearing the trolleymen's committee were openly charged with breaking their pledge to the company in the matter of sup porting the 26 cent wage rate which they agreed to support, and because the men did not put any witnesses on the stand to deny this claim, II It was not true.
 The real question brought up, of course, was that of cost of living and living wage. Then the moral issue was interjected into this economic one. The question put by several IS can the arbitration board do any thing but first decide if the men broke faith? and if so, must they rot decide that the men shall accept to have agreed to? If this question is eliminated, of course, they say, the purely economic one will be the only enc to consider. But knowing the temper of Messrs. Case and Deming they argue that this moral question will be given first and serious con- sideration.
 AS above indicated that great ques- ton in the lay mind, is as to just how far this breach of faith will af- feet the minds of the arbitrators. To be sure the figures of the arbitration submitted-1S to 25 cents by the company, and 30 cents flat by the men-antedate any of the wage dis putes which subsequently took place between the principals in the conten- ticn, but even so, there is a grave question in the minds of many as to whether the alleged breach of faith will not have an effect upon the minds of the committee in arriving at a final conclusion.
 Of course the committee will say nothing. It's members include three of the best known men in the state. Attorney David E. Fitzgerald for the men, bright, aggressive, persistent, brainy and faithful; Clarence Dem ing, for the company, a serious stu- dent of finance, man of strong man who is conceded to possess great honesty of purpose; Judge Wm. D.. Case, the third member, who is real ly the keystone of the commission, man of profound ability and of re- markable judicial knowledge. Their temperaments will largely affect the questions under consideration.
 The case attracts the widest atten- ton, not only in this city and state, but all over the country, because 1t is considered that it will establish a pre- cedent more important than has yet been encountered in trolley disputes which, as compared with those upon other lines of transportation, may be considered to be still comparatively in their infancy. A very rich and populous territory is Involved here.
 The main question of course is as to what the conclusion of the arbi- tration will be, and while there seems to be a quite general belief that the men will be granted some sort of an increase, yet there is really nothing to base this on.
 Arbitrator Deming has gone to his home in Litchfield with the docu- ments in the case to consider them; he will turn them over to Arbitrator Fitzgerald here in a few days, and the latter will then hand them to Judge Case. Finally the three men will come together and agree upon action.
 Grand Treasurer Rezin Orr, of the Irolleymen, who aided Advocate w. B. Fitzgerald in the presentation of the Trolleymen's case has left the city for Boston, where tomorrow he will take part in a similar battle in behalf of the Springfield and Worcester troll leymen against the same company. MT. Fitzgerald will leave today for the same city to conduct the case. The hearings in Boston will be con- ducted in the State House.