The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-02-19
SETTLE QUESTION
BY ARBITRATION
Agreement Ends Danger of Fire
mems Strike on Eastern
Railroads.
DECISION WILL BE BINDING
Managers Finally Decide to
Submit to Terms Of
Erdman Act.

New York. February 1S.-There will
be no fircmen,s strike on tho Eastern
railroads. The railroads yielded to-
day and agreed to arbitrate under the
Erdman act the controversy with the
Brotherhood OF Locomotive Firemcn
and Enginemen
The firemen had stood. to man, fo-
this method o. arbitration ever since
the deadlock began the railroads had
stood firm for arbitration before COM
mission or six or seven men.
Three men, acting under the law
will decide tho firemen's claims. Their
decision will be binding. The decision
of the roads was announced this morn
ing In an Official statement issued by
Elisha Lee as chairman of the confer
ence committee of managers.
The managers feel" says the state
ment, that the public will not tolerate
a strike"
Mr.. Lees communication was ad-
dressed to Judge Martin a. Knapp. OF
the United States Commerce Court, and
C. W. w. Hanger. acting United States
commissioner of labor, who have been
acting as mediators In the dispute.
1t is as follows:
Text or the Notice.
"At the urgent request OF you as
representatives of the government. and
under the strongest protest we are
able to voice, the managers committee
agrees to arbitratc' the iiremen's con-
troversy under the Erdman act. The
managers also desire to give notice
at this time that they shall earnestly
request that the hearings in this arbi-
tration be open to the public.
AS the managers have stood out
TO the limit against arbitration under
the Erdman act. and as the govern
mentor the public-is responsible
for whatever the consequences may be,
the managers reiterate their principal
objections TO the Erdman act These
were pointed out by the board of arbi-
tration in the engineers case:
The responsibility which ultimate
ly would rest upon a third member Of
an Erdman arbitration board was too
great to impose upon any one man.
The operation of the act is to set
tie dispute rather than to adjudcate
a controversy
" The arbitrators are three in mum
ber. Each side is represented by one
arbitrator. II rests therefore upon the
third arbitrator TO bring the other
two as nearly as possible together
and if he cannot do go he must de-
eide between them. This is accom-
plished by splitting differences, and the
case may be adjusted without adequate
investigation of the facts involved, and
the award may not rest upon basis
OF equity.
But the most fundamental defect
of the Erdman act is that the interests
of the public are not guarded by it,
The managers feel that the public
will not tolerate strike. and realizing
their three-fold responsibility to the
lAi, s,t,,.
holders. they only agreed to arbitra-
ton under the Erdman act when it
seemed the only way to avert the ca
lamity Of strike. The fremens
brotherhood has no responsibility cX-
cept TO its members.
For the Public to. Consider.
The question the public should Sc
riously consider is whether, in com
pelling the railroads to arbitrate un-
der defective ana Inadequate law
and in thus securing temporary con-
venience and accommodation, they are
not sacrificing thoir permanent well
fare.
THE managers committee wishes to
warn the public at this time of an
other and similar demand for increased
wages made by the conductors and
trainmen We desire TO put the public
on notice as to the crisis that will
confront them when these demands are
considered by the railroads.
"We also desire to call attention to
the serious public danger. of these re-
curing demands, backed up by de-
bitrate under the law 2ss<
The whole situation is now in the
hands of the government and the pco-
pie. They have taken it out OF tho
hands of the managers.at a time when
Continued on Tenth Pagc.J