The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1912-11-26


tEeoc ~ o. UeEs - n-ll
Sll-z rIid lo that ty cn'
not be Sun1maTfzed. Ehe inEeStllSa-i
ions reafding the eOmpensatI0n 70
capital. 70 intereorporate relations
OF the railroads, their present. earn
tnGs., thei future possible earnings.
and other factors, were 50 complex
that the board was unable to arrive
lat concIusions regarding the ability
of the reads to pay an increased
lcompensatiea.
1t yy8s determined. however, that
= reasonable wage should be PAID
lDisregard:ng, therefore. the claim
Iof the railE6sds that they were mn
tabIe to bear3aa Increase, the board
agreed to tie principle that the en-
igineers hp1ld be paid fair wases-
IR determining thel basis OF a fair
wage, the board took the point Gf
view that the existing facts re-
Eading the relation OF wages OF en-
lEineers to those OF other classes Of
employees in the train service IN
the eastern district and in other
parts OF the country should be the
guiding principle. The boards dis
eussion OF facts IN this connection
LED to the conclusion that a general
increase Of wages on all roads was
mot warranted upon the basis OF the
evidence presented.
It was concluded by the board.
however. that on some roads and for
certain classes Of service, the COM
pensatiou was too small: and there
lore the board introduced into the
award the principle OF minimum
wage for the entire district in ques-
ton.
The board states as its belief that,
Ethe engineers should be granted al
fair compensation. It further states
it to be probable that the great MAJ
jor:ty OF the railroads in the district
considered are able to pay a fair
compensation. If they are not able
to pay such compensation with ex-l
isting rates, the report says, there isl
just cause for them to open again
the question Of Increase OF rates
with the Interstate Commerce Com
mission
The board points out that a rail-
road strike for the great centers OF
the United States can no longer be
considered as a matter which pri-
.marily Affects the railroad operators
and employees. While it does affect
them seriously the public is far
more deeply interested; indeed the;
interests Of the! public so Far exceed
those OF the parties the contro-i
versy, says the report, as to render
them paramount. 1t is therefore
imperative that some other way be
sound to settle differences between
railroads and their employees than
by strike, the report says. In this
connection the gains secured through
the Erdman act and the Canadian
Industrial Disputes Act are dis
cussed, and while these acts are
1OunQ 10 nave ueE4lS SASy- al = ASAN&
by the board to be inadequate to
meet the situation.
In many respects the railroads
are subject to the Interstate Com
merce Commission and various state
commissions. The same is not true
of the employees of the railroads,
the board says. This display OF.
status suggests the creation OF fed
eraI and state wage Commissioners
which shall exercise functions re-
garding labor engaged in work upon
public utilities analogous to those
exercised with regard to capital by
the public service commissions al
ready N existence.
+. ut is well understood by the
board" the report says. that the
problem forsWhich the above plan IS
a suggested solution is complex
and dimeult one. The suggestion,
however, grows out Of a profound