Semi-weekly herald., 1913-11-17
TRAINMEN ON EASTERN RAIL
ROADS GRANTED INCREASE


The following telegram in the1
Denver News will prove of interest
to all wage earners:
NEW YORK.-The long eontro-
versy between railroads of the east
and their conductors and trainmen
over the latter's demands for more
pay ended tonight. The employees
are granted an increase in wages
averaging per cent, and totaling &c.
100000 annually-about half of what
they asked-from October / last, eff
fective for one year. One hundred
thousand men will share in the in
crease.
Thus ends by arbitration to New
lands amendment to the Erdman act
controversy that threatened at one
time to tie up by strike the trans
portation facilities of all states east
of the Mississippi river and north of
the Ohio.
The award of the arbitration COM
mission, filed late this afternoon in
the federal district court, is binding
and final. In reaching its award the
board ruled mainly against the em-
ployes on four out of five points sub
mittad as reasons why the increase
should be granted, and found for
them on the fifth-the increase cost
of living. Since 1909, when last an
increase was granted, the arbitrators
found the cost of living had increased
Z per cent. Certain minor conten-
tions also were lost by the employees.
"The board does not found its ac-
tion entirely upon the increased cost
of living" reads the award, a docu-
ment of seventy-five printed pages,
Though it looks upon this as basic. !"
Without attempting to standard
ize the rates of pay between railroad
employees of the cast and west, the
board asserts its belief that it is de
sirable, but not possible at the pres
ent time. AS to this the award voices
the opinion that congress should make
an inquiry as to whether there is any
longer a substantial reason for the
maintenance of a wage differential
between the two sections.
"Such an inquiry ought to result in
recommendation" reads the award
-" as to what the differential should
be if it is found that such a differ
ential ought to exist. This suggest
ion does not contemplate that the
body making such inquiry should at
tempt to fix wages"
| Conductors, $135; baggagemen,
$3.50; flagmen and rear brakemen,
s7s; brakemen, S76.50. Overtime, per
hour-conductors, 45 cents; assistant
conductors and ticket collectors, 35.7
cents; baggagemen, 27.5 cents; flag
men and rear brakemen, 26 cents ;
brakemen, 25.5 cents.
;, For the freight service the chief
awards are:
i Through runs-Conductors, a cents
a mile; flagmen, 2.67 cents mile;
brakemen, 2.67 cents mile. Any run
less than 100 miles to be paid for as
if it were 100 miles. In way freight
pickup or drop, mine and roustabout
service, same minimum, conductors
are awarded $3.50 day of 100 miles
and less, ten hours or less; flagmen
$3.10, and brakemen SO, overtime to
be paid for as time and one-half.
4 To the entire finding the railroads
representatives dissented.
The railroads contention that they
are between two horns of dilemma
from which there is no apparent es-
cape-that they must either raise
rates or cease raising wages-is dis
!. missed by the arbitrators with this
assertion:
: "This board believes it must make
its findings without any reference to
; the dilemma in which the railroads
are evidently placed. The interstate
commerce commission and not this
arbitration board has the duty of
determining whether the railroads
can earn, in addition to their other
charges, without an increase in rates,
the rates of pay that this board be-
lieves at the present time to be due
to the conductors and trainmen."
The board calls the attention of the
interstate commerce commission to
the decrease of hazard that follows
the installation of steel cars, double
tracking and improved signals.