Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1912-12-13
becisIon of Locomotive Engineers Arb.
trati0D Board

AJeEtdFiHR bHht Ca9I has NV pN~'
made for an advance all along the line
IN the com pensation Of locomotive en-
gineers, the Board Of Arbitration, be
fore which the railroads and engineers
presented their cases in July have
handed down thesr decision. The
board fixed minimum wage in pas
senger service Of $4.25 per day, and
$40 for through freight service. The
engineers had asked for "a 40 and SAC
according to the size of the engines
IN passenger service, and for as high
as 500 for freight service.
The Arbitration Board as appointed
Dy the Chief Justice OF the'Supfeme
Court, the United States Commission
er OF Labor, and the Presiding Judge
of the United States Commerce Court,
consisted of Oscar s. Straus, Of New
York, Charles Il. Van Hise. OF Madi-
son, Wisconsin, Albert Shaw, editor Of
the Review of Reviews, Frederick \.
Judson, Of st. Louis, and Otto NJ. Ed.
liz, former president of the Building
Trades Association of New York City.
The railroads were represented on the
Board by Daniel Willard, president Of
the Baltimore Il Ohio railroad and the
engineers by p. H. Morrissey, former
Grand Master of the Brotherhood of
Railroad Trainmen.
The report Of the Board was unani.
mously agreed TO by the five members
appointed by the Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court, the United States
Commissioned of Labor and the Pre-
siding Judge of the United States
Commerce Court. II was signed by
Mr.. Willard with an explanatory
statement. Mr.. Morrissey lied dis
senting opinion.
In an explanation of its decision, the
Board said, ain fixing the minimum
wage in passenger service at "A % per
day in the Eastern District, higher
minimum rate is established than that
which now exists on all but few
sthe roads. In awarding a mini.
mum through freIgh rate of ~ - per
day, a rate is established that measu.
Tabiy approaches the current minima
on roads now paying the better rates
With reference to the standardiza-
lion Of wages asked for Iby the engin-
GERS, the decision says: 1.-THE Board
feels that at the present time they
have gone rs far toward establishing n
uniformity of pay rs is practicable by
introducing a minimum wage for each
class Of service.
The practical effect of the decision
on these two i'm portant features of the
engineers demands is that as general
rule the poorer paid OF the engineers
are brought up, while those receiving
the higher wages will not be affected
10 any appreeiable extent.
q While stating that they should not
deny an increase of compensation to
The engineers on the ground that the
roads are unable to pay, the Board
says "if they are not able to pay such
com pensalion with existing rates, there
is just cause for them To open again
the question of an increase of rates
with the Interstate Commerce Com
mission,
As far as the public is concerned, 10y
far the most important feature of the
Boards decision is a recommendation
for "the creation of national and state
wage commissions or labor comissions
which should exercise functions re-
garding labor, engaged at work in pub
lic utilities, analogous to those now eX.
eTcised with regard TO capital by the
public service commissions already in
existence
The board says "from the view point
of the public II is an intolerable Situa-
lion when any group of men, whether
employees or employers, whether large
or small, have power TO decide that
great section of the country, as pop
great loss of life, unspeakable suffer
ing and loss OF property beyond the
power of description, through the stop
page OF necessary putlie service
That the Board considered the gene
raj labor proposition presented by the
engineers ease of far more Importance
than the amount of money involved,
is indicated by their statement that
"the amount of money involved, while
IL is very large, is far less important in
the eyes of the Board than the public
interests. F"
The Board in concluding its report
says at is we'll understood by the
Board that the problem for which the
above plan is a suggested solution is a
complex and difficult one. The sug.
gestion, however, grows out of pro-
found eons lotion that the food and
clothing of our people, the industries,
and the general welfare of the nation,
Ihe policies and the dictates of any
particular group of men, whether EN-.
ployers OF employees, nor upon the de-
Termination OF a group of employers
and employees combined. The public
utilities of the nation are of such fun
damental importance 10 the whole
people that their operation MUST not
be interrupted, and means must be
worked out which will guarantee This
result."