The Washington times., 1913-07-15
ARBITRATION BILL
BECOMESLAW TODAY
Congress Rushes Action to
Avert Great Railroad Strike
in the East.
Continued from First Page.)


practically ready for the signature of
the President. The House Judiciary
Committee proposed that the chief of
the Bureau of Labor Statistics should
be head of the board of mediation and
concfliation, and that the President
should name one additional member
from the Government service. Secre-
tary Wilson wanted that amendment,
but finally yielded and agreed that 1t
should go into the discard. Complaint
came from the railroad side against
any plan to have the board as an ad-
junct to the Department Of Labor, or
any other executive department.
AS written into the Senate bill, II Is
provided that:
~There shall be a commissioner OF
mediation and conciliation, who shall
be appointed by the President. by and
with the advice and consent Of the
Senate and whose salary shall be
$1,000 per annum and who shall hold
his office for term of seven years.
and until a successor Qualities. and
who shall be removable by the Presi-
dent only for misconduct in office.
The President shall also designate
not more than two other officials of
the Government who have been ap-
pointed by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate, and the Of
ficials thus designated, together with
the commissioner of mediation and
conciliation. shall constitute a board
10 be known as the United States
board of mediation and -conciliaton.
There shall also be an assistant COM
missioner of mediation and conciliation,
who shall be appointed by the President
by al1d with the advice and consent OF
the Senate. and whose salary shall be
5000 per annum. In the absence of the
nj q a
ton, or when that Office shall become
vacant. the assistant commissioner shall
exercise the functions and perform the
duties of that office. Under the direc-
ton of the commissioner of mediation
and conciliation. the assistant comnnis-
sioner shall assist in the work of me-
diaton and cancellation, and when act
ing alone In any case he shall have the
right to take Acknowledgements, receive
agreements of arbitration. and cause the
notices In writing to be served upon the
arbitrators chosen by the respective par
ties TO the controversy, as provided for
In section Of this act'
Arbitration Rules.
II is provided that the agreement to
erbitrate- 80. 60
Shall be in writing. 90,
Shall stipulate that the arbitration Is
had under the provisions of this act.
shall state whether the board OF arbi-
tratfon is to consist Of three or six mem.
bers. -
Shall be signed by duly accredited rep
resentatiyes Of the employer or employ
ers and the employees.
Shall state specifically the questions TO
be submitted to the said board for de-
cision.
Shall stipulate that a majority OF said
board shall be competent to make
valid and binding award.
small NIX period from the date Of the
appointment of the arbitrators ,feces-
sary to complete the board, as provided
1or IN the agreement, within which the
s1o board snai commence its hearings
shall fix a period from the beginning
OF the hearings within which the said
board shall make and file its award:
provided That this period shall be thir-
y days unless a different period be
agreed to.
Allowed To Fix Date.
Shall provide for the date from wbie,
the award shall become effective and
shall tx the period during which the
said award shall continue in force.
Shall provide that the respective
parties to the award will each faith
XuAy cAeCute Tue same.
Shall provide that the award and the
papers and proceedings, including the
testimony relating thereto. certified un-
der the hands of the arbitrators. and
which shall have the force and effect
of q bill of exceptions shall be FLED In
the clerks office of the district court
OF the United States for the district
wherein the controversy arises or the
arbltration Is entered into, and shah
be f1nal and conclusive upon the parties
10 the agreement unless set aside for
error Of law apparent on the record
May also provide that any difference
arising as to the meaning or the appii-
cation of the provisions of an award
made by a board of arbitration shall be
referred back TO the same board or to
q subcommitte Of such board for a
ruling, which ruling shall have the
same force and effect as the original
award, and il any member of the ori-
gtnal board Is unable or unwilling to
serve another arbitrator shall be
named in the same manner as such
original member was named
Amendments Retained.
In accordance with the White House
agreement two comparative
~ minor amendments TO the Newiands
bill were retained. These amendments
~
mittee Strengthened out an Inconsistency
regarding the fling of awards in arbi-
tration proceedings and provided that
no employe should be forced TO work
against his will The latter was in
ciuded TO meet possible objection on
the ground Of unconstitutionality- 1t
reads;
',Notiling In this act contained shall
be construed to require an employe to
render personal service without his con-
sent, and no Injunction OF other legal
compel the performance by any en-
pioye against his viii Of a contract for
personal labor or service"
That Mrs. ]. Borden Hartman. of
New York. appointed by President VIII
son as a member OF the industrial COM.
mission, was more responsible than any
other outside factor for bringing TO an
amicable settlement the threatened
strike OF 5000 railroad employees of
the White House today.
II is stated that months before the
conference held yesterday at the White
House between the President and the
employers and employees in the contro-
yersy, Mrs. Hartman, getting wind of
the trouble and foreseeing the serious
consequences that might result, called
on President Wilson and laid before
him the situation.
Urged Wilson To Act.
upon the President the advisabiIity Of
calling such a conference at the proper
time. and using his good offices 10
bring about a peaceful settlement. IL
was because of these representations
i