The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1913-03-15
ARBITERS MAY HOLD
A R. R. IN CONTEMPT
Withdrawal From Fircmcn 5
Proceedings Punishable,
Chairman Holds.
CAN APPEAL TO COURT
Statistics to Show Ovcrcapital.
izatiOn to Keep Down
Pay Arc Offered.

| Judge Chambers. chairman of tho
board arbitrating the demands Of the
iircmen ON the Eastern railroads at tho
Waldorf-Astoria, declared yesterday
that the Toledo. St. Louis & Western
Railroad, which wants to withdraw from
the arbitration proceedings, can be ad-
judged i'm contempt in the Circuit Court
IL it does so.
The matter came up when W. j.
l.auck of Washington. an expert on sta
tistical work, was ON the stand giving
figures to show the relation between the
wages paid and the income of the rail-
roads.
| President Carter of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen
had asked the witness whether or not
some railroad arrangements were inef-
| ficicnt through bringing about over cap
italiHaton of the railroads they werc
connected with. when the Alton. with
which the Toledo. ~. Louis q Western
had been connected. was mentioned.
| Now why doesn't the Alton pay it's
own way" asked Mr.. Carter. Don't
YOU know of the doubling of the CAPT
talization on the Alton's expresses a few
years ago?"
| II am not informed in connection
with the Alton" said the witness II
know that the Toledo. ST. Louis & West
ern is highly over capitalized"
| The fact of the matter is" said Mr..
Carter, that We have had ample evil
dendence right here that the fircmcn on
| h1 LODI 4
suffer 10y its withdrawal simply because
of this increased burden ~ capitalism
on the fremens backs"
We do not know whether they will
withdraw or not" said Judge Chambers.
This board has the power to punish u
witness, for instance, for perjury 10y
certifying to the court in the circuit in
which we sit. | am not so sure but
that We could certify an attempt to
withdraw to the same court for such
action as 1t would intiict II the case was
one pending in that court
| Continuing he said that before such
| action WAS taken by the board confer
ences would be held. He said the board
wanted to hear further as to what the
railroad was undertaking to do. They
only heard that the road might with
draw.
| 1T desires to withdraw" said MIR.
| Lee
! III that were done other roads could
withdraw said Judge Chambers. "and If
| the evidence developed against the rail-
road, why all Of them might drop out and
that sort of thing could not he permitted.
| If it could be permitted then the MEM
| bers of the brotherhood say on the
Erie and the brotherhood members on
the Pennsylvania or other roads. could
conclude to go out"
Mr. Carter said that his object in
bringing the matter up WIS not simply
| in reference To what action would be
taken to bring the Toledo. ST. Louis and
, Western Railroad to time, but to call
! !attention tn the increase in capitaliza-
ton Of railroads tn accomplish certain
purposes.
| Before this matter came up Mr.. I.auCk
| gave statistics on the relative increase
| in the pay Of the firemcn from 1902 To
| 1872. and the increases in the revenue of
the roads to show that the pay had not
| increased with the revenue. lie ad-
mittcd that the wages Of the engineers
conductors and others also had to be
considered.
Mr. Attcrhury said he thought the
statistics did not cover the ground
| thoroughly from the railroad point Of
view.
! During the forenoon session Claude
f.. Cory, chairman Of the adjustment
| committee Of the tiremcn on the Big
! -Four system, told of the examinations
| tho fircmcn were put through, which he
said were rigid. Mr.. Ice brought out
| that while the days work was 100 miles
or ten hours II the trip was done in
eight hours, the pay was tho same. II
it took twelve hours the men were paid
two hours overtime.
| on the fast train between Cleveland
| Ohio, and Bellefontaine. Ohio, the fire
men were paid s3,45 for that trip, though
II took only five hours and sometimes
less, but as much coal was handled as
during six ,or seven hours on freight
trains. The men had to clean the en-
gnes, he said without pay. even when
they were in the roundhouses
Samuel g. Stcinbcrger, clerk in the
general office of the firemen's brother
hood. CAV" statistics to show tho in
crease in the number Of largo engines
and the increase in the sizes of the
engines since 1900.
The board will meet at A. NJ. to-day
and will adjourn to MoEday forenoon.