The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-11-25
Minimum WAGE FOR THE
DISTRICT IS INTRODUCED
of Federal and State
Wage Commissions Recon-
mended So Government Can
Regulate R. R. Labor.

NV so.--<An award
that is considered a partia; victory
tof the 10000 locomotive engineers in
'heir controversy, begun last January,
with the fifty-two railways operating
III 'he territory east of Chicago and
north OF Norfolk and Cincinnati was
announced here today by the Board
ot Arbitration which investigated the
question at issue. IL grants certain
increased compensation and improved
rules "t service requested by the en-
Rineers, but holds that a general In
crease OF wages on all roads is not
warranted upon the basis of the evil
dence presented.
Ihe Board found that on some roads
and Tor certain classes of service. the
compensation was TOO small and there
fore introduced into the award the
principle of a minimum wage for the
entire district The award, which
dates back 70 May l last and VIII
stand for one year, settles the most
important American labor dispute
submitted to arbitration since tre
anthracite coal strike In 1902.
Wage Commissions Advised,
In its report the board suggests the
creation OF federal and state wage
commissions which shall exercise func-
tions regarding labor, engaged upon
public utilities, analogous to those
exercised with regard tc capital by
the public service commissions already
in existence. The representative OF
the engineers on the Board, p. n Nor
rissey. dissented from this suggestion
which, he said, in It's effect virtually
meant compulsory arbitration and was
wholly imrractcable.
Following are the most important Of
tho Boards awards and the REQUESTS
of the engineers:
In Passenger service, minimum
wage was granted Of $4.25 for 100 miles
or less. an overtime rate oc 50 cents
per hour with AE average speed OF
20 miles per hour. The eng1neers
asked si.40 and Si6O per day of lga
miles according 10 the size of the
locomotive cylinder. with an overtime
rate ct ~ cents per hour after five
hours
In through freight service a mini
mum was granted Of S4.75 per day OF
100 miles or less, with overtime pro
rata after ten hours. The engineers
requested rates of 1925, $3.50 and S5.75
per day of 100 miles, according 10
size of the engine; and $500 for Nal
lett engines. the same rates 10 apply
to mine runs, work. wreck. helper or
ruSher milk and circus trains.
In local freight service. 20 cents ad-
ditional to the through freight rates
was granted. This met the fun re-
quest OF the engineers.
In switching service, a minimum Of
Sale per day of ten hours or less was
granted. The engineers asked $3.50
per day of ~ hours in switching ser
vice and for belt line service
All existing rates higher than the
minima granted by the Board are con.
linued In force.
In fixing the minimum wage I'm
passenger service at S4.25 per day. 70
higher minimum rate is established for
the roads parties 10 the arbitration
with the exception OF few.
In awarding the minimum through
freight rate OF S4.75 per day. the board
establishes wages for the district that
approach the current
of roads now paying the
better rates.
In making the rate for local freight
service % cents higher than through
freight service, a general increase of
is granted.
The effect of the 20 mile per hour
basis of computing overtime in the
passenger service, the rules regarding
final terminal delay. and other changes
in the rules of service are all more fa-
To the engineers than existing
rules upon many Of the roads
How Awards Were Reached.
The problem before yhe Boarc of
Arbitration was one OF such difficulty
that 1t became necessary before an
award was made for the board &c con-
slider the principles which should OBJ
tain. The facts upon which Il reached
rs conclusions were so involved and
numerous that they cannot he sum-