The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-07-19
RAILROADS WILLING
TO LET BOARD DECIDE
What Matters Shall Be Presented for
Arbitration--Sent Letter To Their
Employees Last Night.

New York, July l9.-The eastern rail
roads engaged in wage controversy
with their $4,000 trainmen and eondue.
tors, indicated last night their willing
ness to leave with the board of media
tion and conciliation appointed by Pres
ident Wilson the decision as to which
questions are to be submitted for arbi.
tration under the Newlands amendment
to the Erdman act.
In letter to the leaders Of the train
men, the conference committee of man
ayers said it seemed TO them that the
immediate difference OF opinion relat-
ing to the points TO be submitted for ar
bitration is a matter TO be considered
by the board of mediation and concilia-
ton"
The managers had reference to their
demands that "all questions of pay and
working conditions" be settled along
with the mems demand for better wages
A definite statement that the roads
would abide by the mediation boards
decision, even if it ruled out all but the
trainmen's present demands, was lack
ing in the managers letter last night,
and no railroad official could be found
who would supplement the formal ut
terance, The roads have maintained
that they would insist upon "all ques-
tions' being arbitrated but their letter
this evening was phrased so as TO lead
the trainmen's leaders to believe that
the roads would abide by whatever de-
cision the mediatSn board might make,
The managers in their letter Of July
l6, setting forth their eight grievances,
referred to them as the ones which the
railroads "intend" TO have incorporated
in the agreement to arbitrate. The
roads in their letter to the men last
night, while describing their position as
unchanged, expressed themselves as
willing to refer their demands to the
mediation board
President Lee of the Brotherhood of
Trainmen commented upon the change
in wording. He expressed belief that
of the phraseology of the
two letters indicated that modification
of the roads position has taken place
within the last forty-eight hours.
In their letter the managers quoted
from the record of the meeting between
the conference committee and the train
mems officials on July l6 when A. B.
Garretson, president of the Order of Rail
way Conductors, had asked that the
mems attitude in regard to the media
tion be not misunderstood.
1--WE among ourselves" the record
quoted Mr. Garretson as saying. "have
not discussed the question of bringing
in. | will say to you frankly
that this condition might readily arise;
that if disagreement arose between us
in the matter of formulating the stipula-
tions which the Newlands bill calls forth,
it would undoubtedly be desirable
thing to do. .
The managers apparently quoted this
with the intention of showing that the
trainmen themselves had suggested pos
sible differences in framing the arbtra
tion stipulations and had regarded the
mediative body as the proper one to
which such differences should be re-
ferred.
The men reiterated their purpose to
demand that this meeting be held at
once and indicated that strike would
be called within twenty four hours aft
Prward if the roads refused to sign a
that only the mems demands |
be submitted for arbitration.
The trainmen's representatives of the /
Erie system, which road withdrew from
the controversy after declaring that it
,ould not afford to raise wages. did not /
hold their announced meeting yesterday.
Il was explained that. until it has been |
determined which questions are to be
for arbitration, the Erie is |
"a the same position as the other roads. |