The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-03-10
ARBITRATION
OF FIREMEN'S
GRIEVANCES
Tribunal Will Start To-day to
Arbirtrate Differences of
Eastern Firemen.

NEW YORK. March 9.-Three men
will meet in this city tomorrow TO ar
bitrate under the Erdman law the diff
ferences between % Eastern railroads
and their $4,000 firemer. Public ses-
sions will be- held from day to day 10
hear the evidence presented by the
parties 10 the dispute.
The board. which was named after
prolonged negotiations between the
conference committee OF managers OF
the roads and a committee represent
ing the Brotherhood OF Locomotive
Firemen and Enginemen. consists of
W. W. Atterbury. vice president Of the
Pennsylvania Railroad. Albert Phil
lips. third vice president OF the fire
mems organization. and William l..
Chambers. OF Washington. formerly
chief justice OF the international court
al Samoa. and member of the Span
ish treaty claims commission. Mr..
Chambers was named by government
officials. designated in the Erdman law
as the third or neutral member OF the
board. after the representatives of the
firemen and the roads Lad failed to
agree upon a man
Firemen Favor Strike.
The decision OF the board must be
rendered by April .. and from il there
can be appeal. The dispute has
been in progress more than a year.
and at one time last month. through
the failure of the two parties to agree
upon a method OF arbitration. threat.
ened to result in a strike Of the FIRE
men of the Eastern roads serving n
territory populated by 10000. OO0 per
sons. The nremen had voted almost
/ unanimously in favor OF a strik" ~
/ their demand for arbitration by a
board OF three members under the Erd-
man act was not granted. while the
roads held out for arbitration by
board of six or seven members. such
as had a few months before adjusted
a similar dispute between the roads
and their engineers.
A the last moment the committee
of railroad managers gave in under
protest. and until February is refer
/ ence OF the differences To an arbitral
board under the Erdman Law was
agreed upon.
Increase in Wages.
The problem 10 be solved by the
board IL essentially one OF wages.
The fremen ask for increases based
upon the size OF the locomotives fred,
/ which would give them a wage OF from
S2.4O TO 81 a day Of ten hours or less.
! On the heavier locomotives Two fire
men are demanded The railroads.
while conceding that the fi5emen ought
20 have more pay. declare their de-
mands excessive and estimate that
the Increased cost 10 the lines would
aggregate S9.60O.OO0 a year. OF 35 Ter
cent OF the fremens present wages
II Is expected that the railroads will
seek To demonstrate 20 the arbitral
board that something must give way II
railroad employees are allowed 10 main
tain an upward pressure upon wages
while the Interstate Commerce Com
mission keeIs freight and passenger
rates down. and that ~ the board
grants fremen an increase in wages.
II should recommend 10 The COmmis-
sion prOporticnate advances in rates
The firemen according to President
W 5. Carter. o. tho Brotherhood 81
Locomotive Firemcn and EnEinemen.
VIII bond their Efforts 10 the task of
proving their demands for increases
are justified IN themselves. regardless
~ what rates the roads are permitted
10 charge the public
President Carter. of the Firemen's
brotherhood was an early arrival
among the numbers of representatives
% the fremen who reached here dur.
ing the day. in preparation for the
opening of tho hearings tomorrow.
lie jpoiued First Vice President limo.
thy shea and Third Vice President
Phillips. the latter the firemen's repre-.
sentative on the board The officials
~ tho brotherhood came 90 appear ~
Witnesses and assist in the presenta.
fion of the mems case before the ar.
| hitral body
There was no formal meeting o. the
hremen.s r officials. but numerous iufor.
mai conferences wer" held during the
day