Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-11-25
VICTORY IS PARTIAL
ArbitraI Board Rules on De.
mands of Engineers.
PUBLIC SAFEGUARD URGED
Has More at Stake Than Wage Dis
putants, Commission Holds.
THE SCHEDULE OF AWARDS
Held That General Increases for
Employees On All Eastern Roads
Is Not Warranted.
THE SCHEDULE OF AWARDS

Thirty-two thousand locomotive ensi-
neers on fifty-two eastern railroads gain
ed partial victory in their demand for
more wages, under the award announced
Yesterday by the board of arbitration.
In its decision however. the board holds
that the public. which had no voice in the
controversy and no choice but to abide
by the decision. had more at stake than
either engineers or railroads; and the re-
port emphasizes the necessity of plans to
safeguard the public against the posi-
biity Of a future strike whose conse-
quences it depicts in somber vein.
1T would be difficult to exaggerate the
seriousness Of such a calamity" reads the
report cit is safe to say that the large
cities Of the east would find their supply
of many articles OF food exhausted with
in a week. OF so important a commodity
as milk they would have no more than a
days supply. II a strike of the charac-
ter lasted for only a single week. the
suffering would be beyond our power Of
description. The interests of the public
so far exceed those of the parties to
controversy as to render the former para
mount. To this paramount interest both
the railroad operators and the employees
should submit.
For Wage Commissions.
To place such a strike beyond the
realms of probability the board advocates
the creation of federal and state wage
commissions. These commissions. the
board suggests, should be vested with
practically the anne powers over organic
ed labor as public utilities commissions
now exercise over quasi-public corpora
tions
TT is the belief of the board" contin-
ues the decision. that in the last analysis
the only solution is to qualify the prin-
ciple of free contract in the railroad
service
From this suggestion. P. H. Morrissey.
the representative of the engineers on
the board. dissents.
Following are the more important of the
boards awards and the requests of the
engineers:
In passenger service minimum wage
was granted of $4.2o for 100 miles or less
and an overtime rate OF 30 cents an hour
with an average speed of 20 miles an
hour. The engineers asked 81. 80 and 81. go
day of 100 miles, according to the size
of the locomotive cylinder, with an over
time rate of 20 cents an hour after five
hours.
Through Freight Service.
In through freight service minimum
was granted Of $4.75 day Of 100 miles Or
less, with overtime pro rata after ten
hours. The engineers requested rates Of
1925, $50 and 1918 a day Of 100 miles,
according to size of the engine, and 81
for Mallett engines, the same rates to
apply to mine runs, work. wreck, helper
or pusher. milk and circus trains.
In local freight service Is cents addi-
t.onal to the through freight rates was
granted. This met the full request Of the
engineers.
In switching service minimum Of 81 10
day of ten hours or less was granted.
The engineers asked $50 day of ten
hours in switching service and for belt
line service.
All existing rates higher than the min
imum granted by the board are con-
t.nued.
In fixing the minimum wage in passen-
imum rate is esta blished for the roads
which are parties to the arbitration with
the exception of a few.
In awarding the minimum through
freight rate Of s4.75 day the board es
tablishes wages for the district that
approach the current min
fmum of roads now paying the better
rates.
In making the rate for local freight
service % cents higher than through
pensatiOn Is granted.
Scope of Increases.
While the award increases wages on
some railroads and for some classes
of service. it holds that a general in
crease on all roads Is not warranted.
The award dates back to May last and
will hold for one year from that date
" h.
neers. already has indicated doubt as
to its renewal In the past. with sew
eral notable exceptions. the contracts
between the roads and the engineers
have been renewd annually.
TIL attitude OF the railroads, as out
lined in a statement today by President
Ohio railroad. who represented the rail-
roads on the arbitration board, Is like
wise indefinite as to the future.
MY acceptance of the award as a
whole does not signify my approval
of all the findings in detail" said
President Willard. He added that al
though the award is not such as the
railroads had hoped for" not such as
they felt justified by the facts. they
now accept without question the con-
clusion which was reached"
The members of the board of arbitra-
ton were appointed by the Chief JUS
tice of the Supreme Court of the United
States, the United States commissioner
Of labor and the presiding judge of the
United States Commerce Court and
Daniel Willard. president of the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad. representing
the railroads. They We're: Oscar S.
Straus of New York. Charles r. Van
Hise of Madison. Wis; Albert Shaw.
editor of the Review of Reviews: Fred
erick \. Judson of st. Louis and Otto
NJ. Eidlitz. former president of the
Building Trades Association of New
York city.
The railroads were represented on this
board by Daniel willard, president Of
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. and
the engineers by p. II. Morrissey. former
grand master of the Brotherhood OF
Railroad Trainmen.
Concerted Movement.
The arbitration resulted from a con-
certed movement begun by the Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers in January
last, when the brotherhood presented to
the railroads a series of requests involv-
ing uniform rates of pay. uniform CLASH