The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1910-07-17
Is Between Labor and Capital
Commission Appointed Under the Erdman Act Accomplish
Great Work as Arbiter of Trouble on Railroads.
~ SIDNEY espey.

~ oioNGv eoPGY.
Warrington. July 16.-Probably no
commission under the federal govern
ment today II attracting more notice
by its good service than that ap-
pointetd under the Erdman act to me.
diats differences between employers
and employed engaged In interstate
commerce. For more than a month
the employees OF the Southern railway.
the Seaboard Airline and of practical
3y the entire railroad systetm of the
southwestern section of the country
have threatened to cripple the rail-
road industry by going on strike. AZ
ter conferences lasting nearly two
weeks. during which two and three
sessions Q day were held with both
the railroad ofiicials and the leaders
Of the laboring men. the mediators
amicably adjusted the differences. The
men received a substantial increase
In pay. and now everything pertain
ang to interstate commerce In the
south presages to run smoothly for
an indefinite period. Both sides are
satisfied and the people of the south
ern states were saved from q disagree
able strike.
Right on the heels OF the adjustment
OF these differences comes the news
that the employees Of tho Pennsylvania
railroad are about to strike for higher
wages and other wants. This would
mean the throwing out OF work Of
Thousands Of men, privation in the
families Of those men and general
halt Of business In the section travers-
ed by the rails Of the company. All
eyes are at once turned to the govern
ment mediators-C Commissions of La
Dor Neill and Chairman Knapp OF the
interstate commerce commission-for
q possible adjustment OF the trouble.
Perhaps the mediation commission as
Il has come to be popularly known.
will be asked to hear the troubles Of
both sides of the controversy within
the next few days. Perhaps the differ.
ences will be threshed out by repre-
sentatives of the railroad and the
railroad and the leaders OF the men
without asking the aid OF the commits
sion. but at any rate both Of the me-
dlators are prepared. regardless OF the
strenuous two weeks they have just
experienced settling the southeastern
situation. to patch the threatened
strike.
And II the threatened railroad
strikes of the past fiscal year can be
construed IA q forecast there will be
no strike on the Pennsylvania lines
providing the matter Is left to the me
diation commission. For out Of four.
teen cases which have been brought to
1ts attention within the past twelve
months. thirteen Of them have been
settled satisfactorily without any loss
of work on the part Of the men or diff
hculty to the railroads.
Praise for Commission.
Railroad officials and labor leaders
alike are loud in their praise Of the
commissions work. They explain
the gigantic task of keeping employ
er and employed In harmony and show
how many thousands OF tons of grain
and other products would be left tC
rot In the field II the strikes were not
in some way averted. They strongly
favor the way in which the commits
sioin works when adjusting differences
and presage that Its importance vii
become daily more evident.
At first there was some skepticisn
on the part of the parties engaged II
interstate commerce as to whether tht
commission would be the right place
20 take their troubles. This feeling
however. has been dispelled, and abou
the hrst thing the head Of railroad
or labor organization does now whei
q controversy, starts is to telegraph
the mediators.. It IL just like a per
son sending for the doctor who hur
.ries to the bedside and administer
itreatment. Both Commissioner Neil
and Chairman Knapp telegraph in an
swer to the requested aid. whether tn
parties involved would prefer havin
their differences threshed out Il
Washington or near the scene Of tn
ithreatened dimculty. II the railroa
folk wish the proceeding held in tn
WAst, sought or any other section tn
m0diators pack up and immediatel
begin holding conferences with tn
opposing sides alternately In the cit
lor town decided on.
Were Unsuccessful Once.
The one instance where the medal
rOrs were unsuccessful this year wa
IN the settlement Of the strike OF II
switchmen Of the Great Northern an
Northern Pacific railroads. Both tn
awitchmen and the railroad ofncial
telegraphed the mediators when tn