Putnam patriot., 1912-07-19
Afbitratofs Meet m Railroad Cases

Arbitrafors Meet m Railroad Cases
 Representatives of fifty railroads east Of Chicago and north Of The Ohio river met the official heads Of their Io- eomolixe engineers unions before an arbitration commission Monday at the Oriental hotel, Manhattan Beach, in an effort lo reach settlement Of differ ene6s which recently threatened to fe suit in strike that, 1t was eislmed, would have pafalyzed the Industries oi the country. Increased pay estimated al v ,500. .Od0 year and better working conditions for engineers are involved.
 Oscar A. stfaus, former secretary of commerce and labor, presided. The other members Of the commission are Charles k. Van Hise, president of the University of Wisconsin: Frederick Newton Judson, leading lawyer Of St. Louis; Df. Albert shaw, editor Of the Review Of Reviews; Otto NJ. Eid- litz, New York contractor; Daniel Willard, president Of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and r. II. Morris sey, former president of the Brother hood of Railway Tfainmen.
 Warren II. stone, chief of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, occupied the whole afternoon present. Ing the case of the men. He reviewed the differences between the railroads and the engineers and outlined the pressure that was brought to bear to have the controversy arbitrated.
 "We accepted the offer to submit to this board for arbitration, said Mir. Stone, "as We believe we can win be- fore any fairminded tribunal on earth. We expect to meet every question that may be raised and 10 present absolute facts. Not only are the eyes of labor and capital watching the outcome of this hearing, but organized labor the world over is waiting to learn whether the dawn of new era Is at hand or if we are to take d step backward"
 Mir. Stone said the men based their claims chiefly upon two grounds, the responsibility of the engineers while on duty and the skill required of an en- gineer. He said that no matter how we'll railroad Is built and equipped, or how perfectly il is fitted with mod ern devises, it Is upon the engineer that the responsibility for the safety of trains falls. lie pointed out that the engineer must pass rigid examina- ton and be pronounced physically perfect before he is given charge of an engine. Insurance statistics showed, Mir, Stone continued, that the average working life Of a locomotive engineer sis only eleven years and seven days and he added that fl man has only that much labor ta sell he should be paid more than living wage.
 MT. Stone was interrupted by run ming fire Of questions from members of the commission. He answered them all and submitted reports made by railroads to the interstate commerce commission and other data in support of his contention that the increased speed of passenger trains, the heavier type Of freight locomotives and the more elaborate signal systems in use combined to add to the strain and res possibility of the engineer.
 Warren s Stone, ehiet of the loco motive engineers, completed the oral presentation of the case of the engine drivers before the arbitration comml- itee Tuesday 5. A. Morlhingtou, president of the Chicago and Alton, the chosen spokesman for the railroads involved, later began hts argument in reply.
 Mf. Worlhington said there was no disposition on the part of the railroads To make conditions of service for engi- neers or any other employees unduly burdensome. lie declared that there is no higher class of service in the world today than that of the engineers.
 aWe have, however, an honest diff ference of opinion with these men, he continued. .fhe railroad companies involved in this controversy in 1910 employed 2T,775 engineers at an an. nual wage of s87, ,672, ,6s9, or an average wage of Sl ,360 for each engineer. The average yearly compensation received by the engineers in 1910 was 20 per cent. more than the average yearly compensation received by the engi- neers in 1900. The wage adjustments of 1910 and 1911 gave the engineers fur