The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-11-11
Seven Per Cent Increase Will
Amount to Fully $4,000, 900
Annually
AW ARD ABOUT HALF
WHAT WAS ASKED
Arbitration Under the Newlands
Amendment to the Erdman Act Set
ties a Controversy Which Threatened
to Seriously Affect the Country.

NEW. AOltfN. NOV. IL. - Inc long /
lived controversy between railroads of !
the East and their conductors and I
traiHmen over the latter S demands for I
more pay ended at New York last
night. The employees are granted an
increase in wages averaging seven per
cent and totaIing T6,000,000 annually
about half of what they wanted
from October ] last, effective for one
year. One hundred thousand men will
share in the increase.
Thus ends. by arbitration under the
Newlands amendment to the Erdman
act, controversy that threatened at
one stage OF its career TO tie up by
strike transportation by rail in all
states east Of the Mississippi river and
north Of the Ohio, an area with a pop
|ulation Of 47,U0o,00O. The award of
+ the arbitration commission. fled late
yesterday afternoon in the federal dis
trict court, is binding and final. To its
terms, however, the two board repre-
sentatives of the employees filed a
minority report, and the two repre-
sentatives of the II railroads d dissent
ing opinion.
In reaching its award, the board rul-
ed mainly against the employees on four
out of five points submitted by them
as reasons why the increase should be
granted and found for item on the
fifth-thc increased cost OF living.
Since 1909, when last an increase was
granted the arbitrators found that the
cost of living had increased seven per
cent Certain, minor contentious en-
hraeed within the other four points also
were conceded to the employees. 1t was
therefore, more than a coincidence that
the increase granted in wages is exact
lv the increase in the cost of living
as outlined by documents introduced
: by the employees to uphold their conten
, ton. 1.-THE board does not found It's
, action entirely upon the increased cost
Of living. reads the award, docu
ment Of IS printed pages, though il
looks upon this as basic.
: Without attempting to standardiz,
] the rates OF pay between railroad en-
ployes. Of the East and West, the boar,
t asserts its belief that it is desirable
, but not possible. ut the present time
d As to this. the award voices the opin
= ion that Congress should make an in
/. .quiry as to whether there is any Ionge
G Il substantial reason for the maintc
; nance OF 4 wage dilIerential between tn
n two sections Such an inquiry ough
Y TO result in recommendation, - read
the award. eff it is found that such
diflerential ought to exist. as TO villa
the dif'ercntiM should be. Those maxim
e the inquiry should be empowered t
= report upon existing wage scales in a
d territories for the purpose of asce
he tanning, if possible scientific basis fC
O. the payment Of railroad employees VIII
IS operate trains. This suggestion does nc
n contemplate that the body making sue
It inquiry should attempt to fix wages.
n 1t is suggested that the commission O
N industrial relations recently apPointt
by President Wilson might be comp
Ut tent to carry out the suggested inquir
% What Pay Shall Be.
OF Analysis of the vote on each artic
er submitted by the trainmen reveals s
lis almost unbroken coalition between Il
20 two representatives of the employ
n and the two independent members
ct the board with the railroads represe
to- tatives opposing them. The articles "a
rs dealt with separately in the award a,
nd fix the pay for various classifcatio
ar of labor. While technical in verbia2
vn they provide, chiefly. that the month
We pay of employees in the passeng
branch of the service shall he rs f,
OF lows:
ed Conductors. $l35; baggt9emen, SIS
or so: fagmen and rear brakemen. s.
me hrakemen, $3.50. Overtime, per hou
Conductors, - cents; assistant &c
ductors and. ticket collectors, >.
cents; baggagemen, 27.5 cents; fa
mt men and rear brakcmen, % cent
an brakemcn, 25.j cents.
De. For the freight service the folio
ING are the chief awards: Throu
runs, conductors, four cents mi
hagmen, 2.67 a mile; brakemen, 2.G7
r 8 mile, any run less than 100 miles to
ind paid for as if it were 100 miles In W
freight, pick up or drop, mine a
- roustabout service, same minimu
conductors are awarded $3.50 a day
100 miles or less, 10 hours on less. fl;
men $40 and brakemcn So; oyerti
to be paid for as time and onc-half.