Abbeville progress., 1913-11-15
EASTERN IRANMEN GET INCREASE ABOUT THROUGH WITH MEXICO
INCREASE FOR YEAR FOR a HUN
OREO THOUSAND EMPLOYEES.
The End Of a Long Controversy-Ar-
bitration Settlement Gives Men
About Half Asked For

New York.-The long controversy
I between railroads of the East and
heir conductors and traiumen over
..he laugr.s demands for more pay
ended Monday. The employees are
granted AN increase i'm wages avcrag-
ing per cent and totalug $4,000. 600
annually-ahout half ~ what they
/ wanted from 0Ct-t last, effective for
one year One .hund;e,i thousand men
will share in the increase.
Thus ends, by arbitration under the
+ Newlands amendmeut.to the Erdmau
act. a controversy thar threatened at
/ one Time & tie.up ~ Strike tine trans
portauou facilities OF all states east
/ Of the Mississippi river and north
4 OF the Ohio. The award Of the arb1-
tration commission, sled Monday in
/ the federal district court. is btudinI
and final. The TWO board representa-
tiVes OF the. employees filed Z minority
report in addition, and the two rep
resentatives OF thy forty-on6 railroads
/ a dissenting opinion
/ 80 In reaching its award the board
/ ruled mainly against the employees on
four out of five points submitted as
| reasons" why the increase should be
/ granted and found for them on the
/ fifth--the increased cost of living
! Since 1909, when last an increase was
| granted, the arbitrators found the cost
/ of living has increased I per cent
! Certain minor contentious embraced
/ also were conceded to the employees.
/ 1t was therefore more than a coinci-
dence that the increase granted in
wages is exactly the increase in the
[ cost of living as outlined by docu-
! ments introduced by the employees.
The board troes not find its action
/ entirely upon the increased cost of
/ living" reads the award, document
of seyenty-five printed pages, though
/ it looks upon this as basic" q .
Without attempting to standardize
| the rates of pay between RAILROAD en-
/ ployes of the East and the West, the
/ board asserts its belief that il is de
sirable but not possible at the present
/ time.
As to this tire award voices the
! opinion that congressman should make
| an inquiry as to whether there is any
/ longer a substantial reason for the
maintenance OF wage differential be
tween the two sections.
+ Such an inquiry ought TO result I'm
/ a recommendations reads the award,
-"if it is found that such dfferential
/ ought TO exist, as 10 what the differ
! ential should be. Those making this
/ inquiry should be empowered to re-
| port on existing wage scales In all ter
/ rit0ries efOr the purpose of ascertain
| ing, if possible, scientific basis for
! the payment of railroad employees to
/ operate trains. This suggestion does
not contemplate that the body making
such. inquiry. should attempt to fix
wages"
1t is suggested that the committee
on industrial relations. recently APP
pointed by President Wilson might be
competent to carry out the suggested
/ inquiry. - -.
While technical in verbiage, they
provide chiefly that the monthly pay
of employees in the passenger branch
/ of the service shall be:
Condp c.tors, 1885, .baggagemen,
! $S250; flagmen and rear brakemen; !;
SIS; brakemen. $3.50; overtime (per
hour, conductors 45.7c, assistant con
! ,ductors. and ticket collectors 35.7c,
baggagemen 275c, flagmen and rear
I brakeman 26c, brakemen 25.5c.
For the freight service the chief
awards are: Through runs. conduc-
tors &c. a mile. flagmen. 2.67c a mile,
brakemen 2.67c mile; any run less
than 100 miles to be paid for as if
it were roo miles. LII any freight, pick
! up or drop, mine and roustabont serv-
/ ice, same minimum, conductors are
awarded $3.50 a day of 100 miles or
! less, ten hours. or less; flagmen 1910,
and brakemen. s9,. overtime to be paid
| for as time and one-half.