Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-11-12
WAGES INCREASE
GIVEN employees
BY ARBITRATOR{
RAILWAY men BENEFICIARIE;
Arbitration Board Ruling is
Final

trainmen over the latters demands
for more pay has ended.
The employees are granted an IN
crease In wages averaging per cent
and totaling s6,0O0,0O0 annually =
about half of what they wanted-from
October l, last, effective for one yea.
One hundred thousand men will share
in the increase.
Thus ends by arbitration under tle
Newlands amendment to the Erdman
act, a controversy that at one time
threatened to tie up by strike the
transportation facilities of all states
east of the Mississippi river and north
OF the Ohio. The award of the arbi
tration committee, filed in the district
court here is binding. The two boar /
representatives of the employees filed
minority report and the two repre-
sentatives of the forty one railroads a
dissenting opinion.
In reaching its award the board
mainly ruled against the employees on
four out Of five points submitted as
reasons why the increase should be
granted and found for them on the
fffth-the increased cost of living.
Since 1909 when last an increase was
granted, the arbitrators found the
cost of living had increased per cent
1t was, therefore, more than coin
cidence that the increase granted "a
wages is exactly the increase in the
cost of living, as outlined by docu-
ments introduced by the employees.
THE board does not found it's &C
ton entirely upon the increased cost
VI h'iA5, AOddo INC q" di u d NoSu-
ment of seventy-five pages, though /
looks upon this as basis.
Without attempting to standardize
he rates Of pay between railroad en-
ployes of the east and west the
board asserts its belief that it is de-
Sirable. Upon this word voiced the
opinion that congress should make an
inquiry as to whether there is any
longer a substantial reason for the
maintenance of a wage differential be-
tween the two sections.
1t is suggested that the committee
on industrial relations recently ap-
pointed By President Wilson might be
competent to carry out the suggested
inquiry.
Analysis of the vote on each article
submitted by the trainmen reveals an
almost unbroken coalition between the
two representatives of the empolye4
and the two independent members vi
the board, with the railroad members
Opposing them.
For the freight service the CHIEF
awards are: Through runs-Conduc-
tors, 4. cents mile; fagmen, 2.67 a
mile; brakemen, 2.67 mile; any rul
less than 100 miles, to be paid FOR as
if it were 100 miles. In way freight
pickup or drop, mine and roustabout
service, same minimum. conductors
are awarded $3.50 a day or 100 miles
or less, ten hours or less; fiagmel
1910 and brakemen, $500, overtime
to be paid for as time and one-half.
OF vital Importance to the employee
Is the finding that present schedules CT
pay are not TO be changed, or disturb
ed anywhere where they exceed thu
amounts named. Nor are employees to
be curtailed in mileage or hours II
labor to Offset the increase granted.
The roads contention that they are
between two horns of dilemma from
which there is no apparent escape
that they either must raise rates 81
cease raising wages--is dismissed by
the arbitrators with this assertion:
This board believes it must max i
its finding without any reference %
the dilemma in which the roads are
evidently placed The interstate com
meree commission and not his arbi-
tratlon board has the duty Of deter
mining whether the roads can earn
in addition to their other charges,