Evening journal., 1912-11-26
INTEREST in
new WAGE FOR
ENGINEERS
LOC; Railroad Men Affected
byInCreaSe Recommended
" Arbitration Board
WAC COMMISSION TO
FIX PAY IS SUGGESTED

FLA TAI ID SUUUESlED
Raioad men employed on the lines
passb through Wilmington, particu-
larlyhe engineers, are greatly inter-
estedn the adjustment of the wage
dispe between the enginemen and
varie railroads east Of Chicago and
nortof Norfolk which was announc-
ed the board of arbitration yes
terd.
II settlement Of the wage difficulty
is dall the more interest TO Whining
tonecouse two divisions if the Penn
SYLVIA Railroad, a division of the
Bamore and Ohio Railroad with one
of branches, and a division of the
Phdelphia and Reading Railway
haa terminus in Wilmington.
he arbitration board fixed
mimum wage in passenger service
o'4.25 per day, and $4.75 for through
fight service. The engineers had
sed for S4.4O and $3.50 according
1.-THE sze of the engines) in passen-
r service, and for as high as S5.75
I freight service.
The report of the Board was UNI
iimously agreed to by the FIVE MEM
Ars appointed by the Chief Justice
the Supreme Court. the United
tates Commissioner Of Labor and
he Presiding Judge of the United
States Commerce Court 1t was
signed by Daniel Willard, repre-
senting the railroad managers with
Pm explanatory statement P. II.
Morrissey representing the railroad
men filed a dissenting opinion.
In an explanation of its decision,
the Board said. "In fixing the. min
imum wage in passenger service at
S425 per day in the astern District,
higher minimum rate is established
than that which now exists on
all but a few of the roads. In
awarding minimum through
freight rate of S4.75 per day
a rate is established that measurably
approaches the current minima on
roads now paying the better rates"
With reference TO the STANDARDIZED
ton of wages asked for by the en-
gineers the decision says: %The
Board feel that at The present time
they have gone as far toward
establishing a uniformity Of pay as is
practicable b. introducing a min
imum wage for each class of service
service"
Tie practical effect of the decision
on these two important features Of
the engineers demands is that as a
general rule the poorer paid of the
engineers are brought up, while those
receiving the higher wages Will not be
AFFECTED to any appreciable extent
While stating that they should not
deay an increase of compensation TO
thA engineers on the ground that the
rnds are unable to pay. the board
sers, "if they are not able to pay such
Compensation with existing rates,
there is just cause for them to open
gain the question of an increase of
ntes with the Interstate Commerce
Commission"
With/reference to electric service,
inc point on which the railroads laid
hiuch stress in the hearings before
the board. no change is made in eX-
listing working rules and conditions,
though the minimum days wage Of
ls425 in passenger service is awarded
the engineers.
With reference to the right Of en-
gineers to man electric service the
board says, wherever electric SER
vice is installed as a substitute for
steam, or is now in operation on any
Of the railroads parties to this arbi-
tration or on any Of the tracks oper-
ated or controlled by any of them as
part of their system. the locomotive
engineers shall have the preference
for the positions of engineers or mo-
tormen on electric locomotives or null
tiple unit trains; but this right of
the engineers shall not operate to
displace any man operating electric
power on any of the railroads parties
to the agreement on May 1. 1912"
Suggest Wage Commissions.
AS far as the public is concerned
by far the most important feature OF
the Boards decision is a recommends
ton for the creation of national and
State wage commissions or labor COM
missions. which should exercise func-
tions regarding labor, engaged at
work in public utilities, analogous to
those now exercised with regard 10
capital by the public service commits
sions already in existence.
From the view point of the public
it islan intolerable situation when any
group of men. whether employees OF
employers. whether large or small
have a power TO decide that a great
section of the country, as pOpulous as
all of France shall undergo great
loss of life, unspeakable suffering and
loss of property beyond the power OF
description. through the stoppage of Q
necessary public service.
Tie Board says that it does not hold
"tha the advance in pay TO organized
labr has been too frequent or toe
1arp hut merely that the question OF
adTnce for a given class of labor
engaged in work upon the public utili-
tiesshould not depend upon organiza-
tioI but upon Justice. Especially fol
thepublic utilities is il important that
lsbr should have a just wage. and II
chi existing wages are not adequate
thy should be increased. If the in
d6ese In wages places the public utili-
les in a position that does not enable
Them to secure a fair return upor
capital invested and maintain-a proper
reverse. they should be allowed 70 in
I crease their rates until they are in
that position. In short, the public
utilities should not impose an undue
burden upon the public by payinl
higher wages than are reasonable, mol
should the public receive services
from the railroads at a rate so low
that labor does not receive fair com
pensation and capital its fair return
How important this statement is vii
he understood when il isiappreciate'
that of the gross earnings of the rail
roads Of the United States as a whole
excluding officials, over g. per cent
goes to labor and on the afty-tvo rail