The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-11
$6,00O,O00 Annual Wage In
crease Granted by Board
of Arbitration, Which
Decided Dispute
AWARD OF BOARD
is BINDING AND
FINAL UNDER LAW
knotty Labor Problem Solved After
Lengthy Arguments--Increased
Cost of Living Considered in
Making Awards-Find-
ings Explained

New York, November IO.--Phe Iona
lived controversy between railroads ot
the east nnd their conductors and frain-
men over the iatter's demands for more
pay ended tonight. The employees ara
granted an Increase in svngcs averaging:
: per cent and tOtaling So en0.00O
nually--nbout half of what they want
ed--from October 1. effective for
year. One hundred thousand men will
share In the Increase.
Thus ends, by arbitration under TIA
Newlands amendment TO the Erdman act
a controversy that threatened al one time
TO tie up by strike the transportation
ia acilities of an states east of the Missis-
sippi river and north of the ohio. The
award of the arbitration commission. He'd
late this afternoon in the federal district
court Is binding and final The two
board representatives of the employees hled
a minority report in addition and the two
representatives Of the Il railroads a dis
sentng opinion.
Rule Against Employees
In reaching its award the board ruled
| mainly against the employees on four out
OF five points submitted as reasons why
the increase should be granted. and found
for them on the hfth. the Increased cost
OF living Since i99 when last an in
crease was granted, the arbitrators found
the cost of living has increased per cent
Certain minor contentious embraced also
We're conceded so the empoXes :. vas
: therefore more Than : saabi.deae
/ the sHe aaas 5iaphd N wages IS Exactly
| the increase n the cost 81 living as out
lined by documents introduced by the
employees
The board does not found its action
entirely upon the increased cost of liv-
ing, reads the award a document OF -
printed pages though it looks upon this
Without attempting to standardize the
rates of pay between railroad employees
of the east and the west, the board as
serts its belief that it is desirable but
not possible at the present time As TO
this the award voices the opinion that
Congress should make an inquiry as To
whether there is any longer a substan-
tial reason for the maintenance OF a wage
differential between the two sections.
No Attempt to Fix Wages
such an inquiry ought to result in a
recommendation" reads the award If it
is found that such difarentlal ought to
exist, as to what the diderentia should
be- Those making the inquiry should be
empowered to report upon existing wage
scales In all territories for the purpose
OF aseertainns, If possible, a scientific
basis for the payment of railroad en-
ployes to operate. trains. This sugges-
ton does not contemplate that the body
making such Inquiry should attempt to
fix wages
1t is suggested that the commission on
inf
President Wilson might be competent 10
carry out the suggested inquiry.
An analysis of the vote ON each article
submitted by the trainmen reveals an
almost unbroken coalition between the
two representatives of the employees and
the two Independent members of the board
opposing them. The articles are dealt with
separately and fix the pay for various
classliications of labor. While technical
In Verbiage, they provide, chiefly that
the monthly pay of employees in the pas
senger branch of the service shall be-
"Conduetprs $l35, baggagemen Ss2. SO,
flagmen and rear brakemen s7S, brakemen
$7G so, with overtime, per hour, as follows:
Conductors f5.7 cents, assistant conductors
and ticket collectors 81 cents baggage
men 27.5 cents, flagmen and rear brake
rnen 26 cents. brakemen 255 cents
Freight Service Awards
For the freight service the chief awards
are:
Through runs, conductors cents Il
mile; fiagmen 2.67 cents a mile, brakemen
2.67 cents a mile. and run less than 100
miles to be paid for as If it We're 100
miles. In way freight. pick up or drop,
mine and roustabout service, same min
imum, conductors are awarded $3.50 a
day of 100 miles or less 10 hours or less
hagmen $40 and brakemen 50. overtime
to be paid for as time and half.
This was one Of few instances in which
the employees triumphed In their demand
Continued on Page NineD