Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-11-13
UNIONS IN STRIKE
HEARING CLAIM
VICTORIES
Judge Chambers Declares He
Will Not Allow Real Issues
To Be BeCIouded.

Union leaders scored what they con-
slider victory in several points today
at the third days session of the arbiters
in the Georgia railroad strike Judge
William L. Chambers announced that
the board unanimously decided that the
only bulletin to be considered in the
evidence was that issued November Il,
1911, prescribing how the 16-hour law
should be complied With that the board
would consider that trainmen under
stood the bulletin to mean that they
should stay on duty 16 hours and then
time caught them at such a point that
they would have to proceed on to the
next station or stop; that no more ex-
traneous testimony should be intro
duced tending to waste time. and that
no more questions be put to witnesses
on the distance between Conyers and
Lithonia, except to an expert whom the
road expects to summon. On all these
points the board was unanimous and
dhe' desire seemed to be to hurry
through, so that the question of wheth-
er or not Conductor Paschal violated
the bulletin could be determined
Can't Becoud Issue.
James Murdoch, of the union forces.
declared that ii was the evident pur-
pose of the road officials to becloud the
actual facts with a lot of extraneous
testimony, but Judge Chambers said:
well, If that is what they're trying,
they won't succeed"
Mr. Murdoch reiterated his charge,
made from the beginning, that Interior
motives caused the dismissal of Con-
ductor Paschal. and the claim that Pas
chal did not violate the bulletin. This
bulletin was issued additional to a bull
letin of 1908, which set forth the pro-
visions of the Federal law, which pro-
hibited employees working more than
16 hours continuously. In the old bull
letin there was no provision, it is stated,
for getting rid Of trains caught be-
tween points by the expiration of time,
bu the new one made such provisions,
as follows:
ITO engineers. Trainmen, F'iremen and
Conductors:
"To comply with the hours of serv-
ice law. the period of duty should be
computed from the time the employee
actually goes on duty to the time he is
relieved of his engine or train, If q
train is caught without instructions or
the main line at any point by the ex-
piration of the 16-hour period, the crew
will place the train on the sidetrack, &c
of duty and report action to the dis
patcher.
wv. S. BRAND, Superintendent"
Brand Defends Road
This means according to the uniol
readers. that 1t is impossible at times tS
comply with the rule. since a mar
caught between stations after working
1s hours would have TO go on to a stoI
where he could sidetrack his train The
company. on the other hand, interpret!
the rule TO mean that the men mus
take time out Of 16 hours TO perform
such feat
Mr.. Brand made for the first time
vigorous defense of the road. declaring
that in only four cases had an inspector
of the interstate commerce commission
found grounds for Federal suit grow
ing out of violations.
The railroads scored point by the
exclusion of a Southern railway engi-
neer. put up as a witness by the unions
the court holding that his evidence
would be merely cumulative
A message to Nj. Shedd, Georgia
engineer, was read which ordered the
engineer to proceed with his train in
regardless of the 16-hour law There
were several other witnesses and points
already covered were rehearsed.