New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-11
TRA|NMEN WIN SEVEN
PER CENT INCREASE
Continued from first page.

hallway Conductors, and d. l.. Cease,
editor Of the organ OF the Brother
hood Of Railroad Trainmen. represent
ing the unions.
The arbitration affected 10000 con-
ductors and 10000 trainmen in the SER
vice of the forty-one railroads in the
Eastern territory. The operating eX-
penses of the railroads amounted in
1912 to S14S. s92071, and the ayment
in wages to conductors and trainmen
amounted to SSJ, GAG, $50 The popula-
ton Of the district served by the forty
one railroads was 4T,O00,G00. The in
crease asked for by the employees was
estimated at S17,97j.6SS.
For independent Inquiry.
The arbitration recommended in it's
award an Independent inquiry by some
public authority authorized by Con-
gress as to whether there is any long
or any substantial reason for the main
tenance Of a wage differential between
the West and the East, based on terri
NDl IDA NOllulllOlS. II wac gus EfSAfu
that such an inquiry might be made
by the Commission on Industrial Rela-
tons. recently appointed by President
Wilson.
Under the head Of safety" the board
called wildly 10 the attention Of the
Interstate Commerce Commission" the
necessity Of the railroads as speedily
as possible substituting steel fer
wooden cars, in installing safety april
ances. double tracking and adopting
the various other advanced safety
methods in railroadng. both for the
protection OF their employees and the
travelling public.
This board wishes TO call the at
tention of the country to its belief" the
award said, that railroad accidents
can be reduced almost precisely in pro-
portion TO the undermining Of the rail-
roads and the improvement in their
equipment"
All these things cost in the aggre-
gate a vast sum Of money. and any pol
icy that would make it impossible for
the railroads 10 command this money
would be a profound misfortune to the
whole nation, the board said.
Minority for Safety First.
Mr. Atterbury and Mr.. Smith. in
their long disse ting opinion filed with
the award, made point that the rail
roads may be preCluded to a large eX-
tent in securing better and safer equip
ment because Of the increase granted
10 the conductors and fremen. They
said:
1t is most unfortunate that the ra,l-
roads should be compelled to divert
further sums from the essential i'll
vestments-improved signals. elimina-
ton Of grade crossings. heavier track
and bridge structures, steel cars and
other improvements absolutely neces-
sary to the highest state of safe opera
tion and TO greater safety Of the pub
lie and the employees themselves"
Without Authority on Rates.
Referring 10 passenger and freight
rates, the board declared that il had no
authority to determine such rates and
was not in position to determine
whether the increase in wages allowed
was justified by all the circumstances.
This board, however. believes" the
award said, that 1t must make its
findings as 10 what Il n proper rate Of
pay TO be awarded 20 the conductors
and trainmcn as a result of this drbi-
tration, without any reference to the
dilemma in which the railroads are
evidently placed by the laws which
make il impossible for them TO in
crease ssengcr and freight rates
without the authority of the Interstate
Commerce Commission or Of the RAIL
road commissioners OF the various
states.
TO take any other view of the ques-
ton would be- TO decide that no in
crease Of pay while the laws remain
as they are. can ever be made except
voluntarily 10y the railroads.
such a decision would render arbi-
trations like THIS valueless and it would
be in effect to hold that railroad ser
vice in the Eastern territory must con-
tinue TO be rendered at existing rates
Of pay. even though this were to con-
denim the employees Of the railroads TO
g., fsg az Ia,
determined by the most careful in
quiry to be Inadequate
Cheapest on Face of Globe.
AT the present time ton of freight
is moved in the Eastern territory for
more than three miles for the value OF
a two-cent postage stamp This is the
cheapest railroad service to the ship
per 10 be found on the face of the
globe.
In the face of such fact, it would
be unjust to say that railroad en-
ployes must continue TO be satisfied
only with what can be paid from
freight rates as low as this. The In
terstate Commerce Commission, and
not this arbitration board, has the
duty of determining whether the rail
roads can earn in addition to their
other charges, without an increase of
freight rates, the rates of pay that
this board believes to be due at the
present time to the conductors and
trainmen."