The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-02-05
FiREMEN TO COUNT VOTE.
statement Issued by Leading Rail-
roads Affected by Strike Vote.

The Firemen on the Eastern rail-
roads begin tomorrow to count their
strike vote.
This vote decides whether the men
at the head of the Firemens Brother
hood shall have the power to order
all firemen on the Eastern railroads
to strike.
The railroads have repeatedly Of
fered to arbitrate the controversy
and save the public the distress and
disaster that would result from
strike. The firemen's answer has
been: I'VE respectfully decline to
submit to the railroads demands that
the firemen's wage controversy be de-
termined by the railroads plan Of ar
bitration."
The attitude Of the Firemen's Broth
erhood towards the form Of arbitra-
ton followed in the engineers case
may be gained from a letter address
ed by President Carter to the Fire
men To the railroads, which the rail-
road managers feel should be made
public. Accordingly copies are being
given to newspapers, as we'll as for
warded to members Of Congress, Gov
ernors OF the different States, men,
bers Of railroad commissions, and
mayors OF cities.
President Carter said In part:
1T is noted that in your objections
to the Federal arbitration law that
you believe its most fundamental de-
feet is that the interests Of the public
are not guarded by it. Our commit
tee instructs me to compliment the
Conference Committee Of Managers
upon their solicitude for the interest
of the public, and to say that it is with
most profound regard for the inter-
ests Of the people at large, aside from
the interests of railroad employees or
any class of them, we hold that an
arbitration of wage dispute should
not be used for the purpose of mold
ing public opinion as to the necessity
of enacting laws to forbid railway en-
ployes engaging in strikes, or to Sc
cure legislation that will deprive
workingmen of their Constitutional
rights, which seems to have been the
purpose of the Railroads Plan of Ar
bitration.
IF the purpose of the railroads is
to secure legislation, or TO mold public
sentiment, to the end that legislation
will be enacted forbiddng railway
strikes, we protest that it is preju-
dicial to the interests and rights of
railroad employees in any arbitration
or wage matters that such social or
legislative problems should thus be
injected.
1T is evident that the wish OF GER
tain prominent railroad officials has
found expression in the report of this
arbitration under the railroads plan
that National and State Wage Com
missions be established with power
to enforce DEGREES. Although this
Identical suggestion has been vigor-
ously preached by prominent railroad
ofiicials for nearly two years, the sim
ilarity exists, we have no doubt, with
IN
upon the Commission.
I'VE protest that advantage should
not be taken of wage disputes to mold
public sentiment concerning the prop
cr returns upon capital invested by
railroads or the necessity for increase
in freight rates. Notwithstanding the
TACT that the frcmcn recognize that
Justic" i'm these macrs should be grant
ed To the railroads by the proper all-
thoritics. While all railroad employ
cs r"c"gniz" that the prosperity Of
tn" employers makes it possible for
them to receive higher wages. | ann
instructed 10y our committee to r,-
spcctfully submit that questions q: this
natuI" are matters of Congrcssion.l
investigation and legislation. ltahcr
than matters to be decided 10y private
citizens, chosen at random, regardless
of their representative capacity, to
pass upon the equity Of a wage dis
putc."