New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-23
LAWYERS ROW ENLNENS
RAILROAD ARBITRATION
Counsel for Men Comes to the
Rescue of Witness Under
Cr0Ss-Examination.
RULES A POINT AT ISSUE
Head of New Haven Conduc-
tors Committee Says Higher
Wages Should Follow In
creased Responsibilities.

Charles II. Brigham. chairman OF the
ductors of the Sew Haven. was on the
stand throughout the session Of the rail
road arbitration board at the Manhattan
Hotel yesterday He testified as TO
number If reports concerning the rules
for conductors on the railroads before
he was examined as 10 the wages and
conditions Of the conductors and their
demands
During the testimony there we're one
or two spats between the attorneys tor
the railroads and those for the employees,
but they all ended amicably.
In his testimony about the rules for
the conductors the witness referred fire.
quently TO a book OF rules. He said the
rules provided that the conductors should
be polite and oblglng, the goodwill OF
the public being an essential matter. and
II passenger was so dlsorderly as 10
cause trouble he was not TO be elected
unless II was absolutely necessary Even
then. he said the gentlest methods we're
TO be used.
When he testified as to wages and con-
dltions he said that i5J miles was sched-
uled on a great many roads as min
imum days run. for which s. is DAY
was TO be- paid. with overtime under some
conditions. He said that the work and
responsibilities had increased, and that
tho demands OF the men were therefore
just.
Brigham, on cross-examination by
Elisha Leo and some of the members
Of the arbitration board said the con-
ductors on tho express trains from Bos-
ton 10 New York had a Do mile trip. and
were paid Sc q for the trip. which usual
~ took five hours he said.
II was stated by the representatives Ct
, the employees that very few Of the con
ductors made nearly as much. on cross
examination BY Elisha Lee. after Brigham
had testified that the number OF trains
was increasing. which he said Increased
the work, thus justlfyiug the demand
for higher wages. Mr.. Lee said that &C
cording To the witness the more trains
the more reason for the advance in wages.
Then he asked the witness II he thought
the pay should be decreased If the mum
f, ber OF trains were decreased the witness
did not think so.
Then this would be a iule that works
only the one way. IT appears, said Mr..
Lee.
Brigham, who took matters coolly and
quietly. said in reply that Nj. Lee was
presupposng a condition OF things that
would never occur.
When he was testlfying about the wage
demands he said that he believed the men
| in the East should be paid as high wages
as those in the West giving as the rea-
son that the responsibilities and the work
were as great here as In the west. lie
! was asked how long it was since he was
In the West He replied that II might be
twenty -four or twenty-five years
Mr.. Lee asked how he could testify
under oath that the work in the East and
the responsibilities OF the men were as
great i'm the East as in the West when
| ne had not been In the West for twenty
| five years Before he could answer W. q.
: Lee. representing the employees. got up
and objected angrily. He denounced the
method OF examination by the attorney
for the railroads as unfair.
The matter ended amicably. and the
| witness said that from the Information
he received he believed his testimony was
| right.
In reply TO a question by a. p. Garrett
son, of the conductors, as TO the opera
| ton OF the full-crew law on the New
| Haven, Brigham said that, so far as he
knew, ii did not make any change in the
number of employees on the New Haven
There were enough men, and no change