The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-09
BUT LITTLE CHANCE
 OF ARBITRATION Wage Dispute of South Is
 Nearing Crisis COMMITTEES TO MEET
Final Action Will Be Taken Wednes- day When Committee Meets Railway Managers-Affects
 Many Southern Roads

Washington. September s.--fspeclal.) )-
 Between 140 and 16o labor leaders, repre-
 senting practically every railroad In the
 southeast, will arrive in Washington be-
 fore Wednesday morning, when thoy will
 consider an offer made by tho railroad
 managers to settle by arbitration the
 wage controversy between the managers
 and the employees
 More than 30 are already here. The
 complete committee is composed of one
 representative from every road operating
 in the southeastern section.
 A call has been sent to all these com
 mitteemen by A. B. Garretson, president of the International Order of Railway Conductors. and Val Fitzpatrick, vice
 president of the Brotherhood of Hallway
 Trainmen and it is expected that prac- ucally all the members of the committee will respond
 Will Make Answer Wednesday
 At o'clock Wednesday afternoon next
 subcommittee will carry to the com
 rnittee of managers the final answer of the union men. Neither Mir Garretson 1 nor MT. Fitzpatrick will prophecy what this answer would be. MT. Fitzpatrick admitted he was reasonably sure what the labor leaders would decide, but did not care to make his opinion public. From the general attitude the labor men have assumed throughout the con- | troversy there Is little hope that the offer to arbitrate will be accepted. It is be- | lleved that had MT. Fitzpatrick and MT Garretson cared to arbitrate the matter | they could have done so without ealing 1 on the committeeman, and that if these | two men advise against arbitration the | committeeman will follow their advice. The last meeting that can properly be l called conference was ended yesterday afternoon when the managers offered to
 arbitrate. Wednesdays meeting will not 1 be in the nature of a conference unless
 some new proposition is worked out in the meantime, It will probably be but lit- I tie more than formal answer of the ] union men to the managers.
 No Details Settled 1 Who the arbiters will be in case the proposition is accepted has not been dis | cussed. nor have any of the details that must be agreed upon before the offer can l be accepted The question the union com- mitteemen must face Wednesday morning
 is whether or not arbitration of any knd ! will be agreed to.
 | Wednesdays meeting will bring to a head differences that have hecn evident for some time between the employees and ttfle 4aiIs. Iss. tt Is claimed iy He taDor- CTS that some of the sagruen and brake
 men make less than S1 day under the present wage system. which Is computed on the mileage basis.
 A series of conferences were held in July on the subject and were resumed a | little more than a weeK ago.
 They have been attended for the rail- roads fby about 10 managers of the largest railroads involved. and until yes- terday MT, Garretson and MT. Fitzpatrick were the only labor men on the ground Officials Attending Among the railroad officials who have
 been present are W. II. Royal and P. R. Albright, general manager and assistant
 general manager respectively of the At lantlc Coast Line; E. C. Rendell general superintendent of the Mobile and Ohio;
 J. T Johnson. superintendent Of tue Gen. tral of Georgia; c. E. Hlx, vico president
 and general mnnager of the Seaboard Air Line H. Bakers general manager of the Queen and Crescent lines, ana E. H. Coap-
 man. vice president and general manager of the Southern railway.
 Other railroads in this section including several Virginia roads and the Louisville and Nashville. are not affected by the controversy and it Is stated toere will be
 no sympathetic strike on any road that is not affected.