Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-25
of such uniform rules of

establishing Of such uniform rules of
service as the board has awarded.
There has been," he says. "a gain
in essentials and a step forward has
been taken in the Standardization in
engineers rates and of conditions for
the eastern district
| Mr.. Morrissey dissen.s from the ma
jority of the board in their recon-
mendation that wage commissions be
established with power Of compulsory
arbitration, although he suggests that
there are some important activities to
which wage commissions might profit
ably give their attention.
A striking suggestion is made in his
recommendation that hereafter arbi-
! tration boards should be SO cons ,ituted
that none Of the parties composing
them-not even representatives of the
public-should have a majority of the
members; tina. the majority should be
constituted by representatives of at
least two Of the parties agreeing.
Mr.. Morrissey's dissenting report
concludes with the statement:
Il wish to emphasize my dissent
from that recommendation Of the board
which in its effect virtually means COM
pulsory arbitration for the railroads
and their employees. Regardless OF
any probable cons .itutional prohibit
tons which might operate against its
! being adopted, 1t is wholly impracti-
cable. The progress toward the set
Element of disputes between the raft
ways and their employees without re-
course to industrial warfare has been
marked. There is nothing under pres
ent conditions to prevent it's continu-
ance. 1t will never be perfect, but
even so it will be UNNECESSARILY bet
/ ter than 1t would be under conditions
such as the board propose. The peace
that would satisfy such an ideal con-
dition as that had in mind by those
making the recommendation, would be
too dearly bought even If it could be
attained. To insure the permanent
industrial peace so much desired will
require broader craftsmanship than
| that which would shackle the rights Of
a large group of our citizens
The arbitration resulted from a con-
certed movement begun by the Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers in jan
uary last, when the brotherhood pre-
scented to the railroads a series of re,
| quests involving uniform rates of pay,
uniform classif1cations Of service and
uniform working rules throughout the
/ cas- ern district. Refusal of the rail-
roads to grant the requests in part or
| in whole resulted in a strike vote by
the engineers which indicated that over
| SO per cent of the men were prepared
TO go out upon approval Of Grand Chief
Warren S. Stone. Judge Martin A.
Knapp Of the United States commerce
court and DR. Charles P. Neill, United
States commissioner Of labor, urged an
amicable settlement A conference
with these two officials brought about
an agreement between the railroads
and the engineers to submit the dis
pute to a board of arbitration.
The board began its deliberations in
| July but only today was able to an
nounce its conclusions. Hearings were
given more than a score of engineers,
whose case was presented by Grand
Chief Warren 8. Stone, and the rail
roads were represented by W. NJ. Dun
can, receiver Of the Wheeling & Lake
Erie. and B. A Worthington, now
president of the Chicago & Alton.
Each party presented an abundance
of statistical material and OF docu.
mentary evidence in support of its
contentious.
The engineers presented as argu