The Washington times., 1912-04-15
Federal .BOARDOF I
MEDIATION IS NOW
PROPOSE0BYKNA
Htad of Commerce Court
Appears Before House
Committee.

Judge Martin A. Knapp, of the Com
merce Court appeared before the House
Committee on Interstate and Foreign
Commerce today and urged the creation
Of Federal board of mediation and
cancellation to arbitrate Industrial dis
putes, Commissioner of Labor Charles
p. Neili will be heard by the commits
tee this afternoon and will make SIM
iiar recommendations.
Judge Knapp and Commissioner Neiii
are the SPONSORS of an amended bill In
troduced by Congressman Lee, of Penn
sylvania, to extend the Brdman act to
coal mine operators and miners. Under
the amendments proposed by Knapp and
NELL, who are arbiters under the ex-
lsting law, the proposed new board
would have Jurisdiction over all indus
tr1al wars, large and small, affecting the
coal industry. The mediation board
would attempt to bring about Industrial
peace at the request Of either part to
the controversy.
Judge Knapp told the House Commit
zee today that the work already inn
Posed upon himself and Commissioner
ing. He suggested that II would be
impossible for them to give the reouisite
smae ume 70 the extended Erdman act, and
ton q Soara %ssS sSs thsota the orea e
entire time to industrial problems.
Work Would Be Great.
If the law 10 extended to new fields"
ne said, the work would be SO great
that It would be virtually impossible
FOR officials engaged in other duties, to
which these duties would be incidental,
to officiate as arbiters."
The solution. he adHaA Ita. T. A. -
pointment OF q Commissioner Of Ar
DURATION and Cancellation, named by
tne president, and two assistant COM
missioners. He suggested that these Of
s aSal snould not be named for any
Both Judge Knapp and Commissioner
Nelii suggested provision In the law
that would enlarge the arbitration board
cases OF great Importance. -
with this aleorate machinery, why
not take In other Industries and en-
ploymentT' asked Congressman Hamlin
my administration of the law" said
Judge Knapp, leads me to believe we
ought to extend Its cope, but one step
at time. Ultimately Il should be
done. done but we we cannot force the labor
Judge Knapp and Commissioner Ne,ll
said the $40 per diem suggested In the
Dill Tor arbitrators was Inadequate He
suggested that the permanent board
ohouiu nave Ine rlSnt 10 increase this
per diem for the additional arbitra-
more than $50 per day.
Fifty Dollars a Day. a..
There ia pending" said Commissioner
Neill. "a dispute which might tie up
the railroads from New York to Chi
cago. You would lose millions q day
In eevnt Of a strike. Compensation at
the rate of $50 per day would be incon-
sequentional' for arbitrators who might
be able to solve a conflict like this. The
compensation should fiuctuate accord
ing to the magnitude OF the work to be
No one has an idea, said Judge
Knapp, the amount of work to be per-
formed under the Erdman act as II now
exists
''1 have sat up days and nights under
q constant strain in an attempt to arbi-
trate some OF these railroad questions
feared might leave the room within
the next sixty minutes and produce a
strike that would tie UP every railroad
In the country No one who has not
gone through with II can appreciate the
satisfaction which comes when a settle
ment Is reached with good feeling on all
sides"
The total cost of the -I'rdn.an act to
cate. including the expenses of all medi-
tations. said Judge Knapp has not ex-
' ceeded $3.50.
Questions hy the -cnrnnittee members
Indicated that they are in sympathy
with the proposal tn extend the Erd-
man act to the cnal mixing industry. 1t
now applies only tn r;tilroads