New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-21
NEW MEDIATION BILL
MAY AVERT BIG STRIKE
Favored by Both Railroad Off.
Gals and Representatives
of Employees.
THREE ARBITERS PROVIDED
impending Walk Out of IS, Don
Conductors and Trainmen
Promises To Be
Headed Off.
[From The Tribune Bureaul

Washington, June 20-Assurances ,L..
the impending strike OF $500 conducts,
and trainmen on the flfty-four rsllroas,
in the Eastern territory might be aysr,.a
by the enactment of the proposed subsn.
tute for the Erdman act providing n,
the arbitration OF railroad wage A,
putes, were given At the joint hearing
of the Senate and House Interstate Com.
merce committees to-day.
The bill would create a commissions,
appointed by and responsible only TO ths
President. This commissioner. with tvo
designated government officials. would
constitute a board of mediation and con.
cilatlon, to whom matters Of dispute
could be referred.
W w. Atterbury. vice-president OF N.
Pennsylvania Railroad. said that IL the
bill increasing the number Of arbitration.
were passed, the railroad he represents
would be willing 20 submit the dispute "a
arbitration. Daniel Willard, president a,
the Baltimore & Ohio, said that II such
a course were taken by the Pennsylvania
he had no doubt that it would be FOL.
lowed by all Of the railroads involved.
Employees Seem Compliant.
Representatives Of the railroad en-.
ployes. although not giving direct as.
surances. lntimated plainly that they
would not oppose the submission Of ths
question TO arbitration. The 500 en-.
ployes are now voting whether or not q
strike shall be declared. The result o.
the balloting will he known shortly after
July /. II the bill now under consiiera.
ton has not been enacted by that time,
strike will be declared should the en-.
ployes approve such action.
The railroad officials insisted that ties
would not submit so complex a wage DIS.
pute to a single neutral arbitrator as pro.
vided by the Erdman law. In this me
/ representatives OF the railroad employees
were disposed TO agree. All factions rep.
resented at the hear.ng-railroad en-.
ployers. railroad employees and shippers
urged the adoption az the earliest op.
portunity Of the bin agreed upon and In
troduced by Senator Newlands
4 marked difference OF opinion deysl.
oped between Secretary Wilson and thoss
who have had 20 do with the adminstra.
ton OF the Erdman act ana the men, both
employers and employees, who are afecI7.
! by f. The Secretary OF Labor insisted
that the proposed substitute for the Ed
man act be amended so as not 10 take
away from the Secretary Of Labor tie
power Of appointing the arbitrator Dr..
Charles =. NELL, former Commissions o.
Labor. and the railroad employers and
employees urged. on the contrary. tha, tbs
permanent arbitration commissioner pro-
vided for by the new bill be made as IT,
dependent as possible. Secretary Wilson
contended that his department would BE-
limited In the exercise Of the funeron
for which IL was created y the aroitrs-
ton commissioner were made independent
of II.
Demand Freedom from Politics
( Or. NELL. Mr.. Willard and Warren
Stone. chief Of the railway engineers all
insisted that to make the COMMISSIONS
subject 20 the Secretary Of Labor wole
be a fatal defect They contended thai
the Office should be kept entirely ha
| from political influences; that Il vola
arouse suspicion II II were not and thai
efforts would be made in important wage
disputes 10 go back OF the aroitrau'a
| commissioner and attempt 20 inhushcs
the Secretary for political considerations
10 exercise his influence In the aroir"'
! ton.
The witnesses who appeared 10 uFs'
the immediate enactment OF the New
| lands bill. which has been agreed upon
| by all parties after months Of CONSIDERS
ton. were Seth Low, president Of the Ma
tiona civic Federation, Martin A
| Knapp. Chief Justice OF the CommeF0'
Court: W. s. Carter. president OF US
/ brotherhood OF Locomotive Englneel'
and Firemen. A y. Garrettson. presiaea'
of the order Of Railway Conductors ana
Mossrs. Atterbury. Willard and stone
II was stated last evening that the -
600 trainmen and conductors on the Eas'
ern railroads who have been taxing .
vote on the question of going OUT nav,
almost finished voting and that the Yo'
will be for a strike by a large maJoHs,
on July l the conference commlttee =.
the trainmen and conductors VIII me-
the MANAGERS committee of the rallIoasii
at the Engineering Societies Building az.
inform them OF the result OF the N lHa
II is expected that conferences wiz w
low in the effort 20 prevent STRIKE.