Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-11-26
Report of Arbitration Gu. d
mission Involving Wage
Scale on So Roads, Made;
Increase Not Big. /
MORRISSEY WOULl /,
NOT SIGN DECISION
'le'slH s,s,s s rtative Of Engint
men Says Conditions Pro
posed by Board are I'M
possible; Dissents.

---- ~ ~ n &
I Washington. d. Co. Nov. 25.~sAn
award that is considered a partialsRic.
tory for the 10000 locomotive engin-
GERS in their coiftFpversy, begun last
January, with the Fhfty-two railways
operating in the sterritory east Of Chi
cago and north of N6ffolk ysand Gin
cinnati, was ann1unced here by the
board Of arbitration which investigat-
ed the questions at issues It grants
certain increased compensation and
improved and uniform rules OF serv-
ice requested by the engineers, hut
holds that.a general increase OF wages
on all roads rs not warranted upon the
basis Of the evidence presented
The board found that on some roads
and for certain classes of service, the
compensation was too small and there
fore introduced into the award the
principle ofga minimum wage for the
entire district. The award, which back
to May ! last. and will stand for ono
year, settles the most important Amer.
lean labor dispute submitted TO arbi-
tration since the anthracite coal strike
In 1902.
t Morrissey Dlssented.
In it's report the board suggests the
creation OF federal and state wage
ltcommissions which shalt exercise fu4c-
tons regarding labor, engaged lp6n
public utilities, analogous to gthof0
exercised with regard, to capital BY the
public service commissions already In
existence. The representative OF the
engineers on the board, p. H. Morris
sey, dissented from this suggestion
which, he said, in it's effect virtually
meant compulsory arbitration and WIS
wholly impracticable.
Reduce Scale. Asked For.
Following are the more important
OF the boards awards and the requests
of the engineers: Y tssil$ss y.
In passenger service, minimum
wage was granted Of 34.25 for 10,
miles or less; and an overtime
rate Of fifty cents per hour with
an average speed Of twenty miles
per hour. The engineers asked
$4.40 and $46O per ) day OF 10D
miles according to the size OF the
locomotive cylinder, with an. over
time rate of seventy cents per
hOnrrafter five hours. lts
In through freight service, q
minimum was granted Of $4.75 per
day OF 100 miles or less, with
overtime pro rata after ten hours.
The engineers requested rates OF
$5.25, $3.50 and $5.75 per day OF
100 miles, according to size of the,
engine; and 81 for Mallett en-
gines; the same rates to apply 10
mine runs, work, wreck. helper
or pusher, milk and circus trains.
Grant Demand on Local Fright. !
IN local freight service, twenty
five cents additional to the
through freight rates was granted.
This met the full request OF the
engineers.
In switching service, q minimum
of $40 per day OF ten hours or
less was granted. The engineers
asked $3.50 per day OF ten hours
in switching service and for belt
line service.
All existing rates higher than
the minimum granted by the board
are continued in force.
Fl In fixing the minimum wage in pas
senger service at $4.25 per day,
higher minimum rate is established
for the roads parties to the arbitrar.
tion with the exception ofga few.
In awarding the minimum through
freight rate OF $4.75 per day. the board
establishes wages for the district that
measureably approach the current
minimum of roads now paying the
better rates. ae
In making the rate for local freight
service twenty-five cents higher than
through freight service, a. general IN
crease Of compensation is granted.
The effect OF the twenty mile per
hour basis of computing overtime in
the passenger service. the rules re-
garding final terminal delay, and other
changes In the rules Of service, are all
more. favorable to the engineers than
existing rules upon many OF the roads.
Problem Was Complex.
The problem before the board OF
arbitration was one Of such difnculty
that 1t became necessary before an
award was made for the board to- con.
slider the principles which should OBJ
tain. The facts upon which 1t reached
It's conclusions were 80 involved and
numerous that they cannot be sum.
married.. The Investigations regard.
Ing the compensation to capital. the
inter-corporate relations OF the rail-
roads, their present earnings. their
future possible earnings, and other
Continued on PagS