The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-10
ARBITRAL BOARD
|SREADy FOR WORK.
twill Attempt to Adjust Differ
cnccs Between Railroads
and Employees.
HEARINGS TO BE GIVEN
Entire Controversy Is Caused by
Demand for Increased
Wages.

New York. March 9.-Three men will
meet in this city tomorrow to arbi-
trate under the Erdman law the diff
feronces between ffty-four Eastern
railroads and their $4,000 firemen. Pub
lie sessions will be held from day to
day to hear the evidence presented by
the PARTIES to the dispute
The BOARD. which was named after
prolonged negotiations between the
conference committee or managers of
tie roaGs and a committee represent
ing the Brotherhood oc Locomotive
Firencn and Enginemen. consists of
W. w. Atterbury. vice president or the
Pennsylvania Railroad; Albert Phil
lips, third vice president OF the fire.
mems organization. and William j..
Chambers, OF Washington, formerly
chief justice of the international Court
at Samao and a member of the Spanish
treaty claims commission. Mr.. Cham
bers was named by government off,
Gals, designated i'll the Iirdman act az
the third or neutral member of the
board, after the representatives of the
f;remen and the roads had failed to
agree upon man,
] he decision of the board must be
rendered by April >, and from il there
Cab BE no appeal. The dispute has
at one time last month. through the
failure Of the two parties to agree upon
Il method OF arbitration, threatened TO
result in a strike of the firemen of the
Eastern roads serving a territory pop
ulated by 50,000,000 people. The fire.
men had voted almost unanimously in
favor OF strike if their demand for
arbitration by IL board of three mem
Ders under the Erdman act was not
granted, while the roads held out for
arbitration by a board OF six OF seven
members. such as had a few months
before adjusted similar dispute be-
tween the roads and their engineers.
AT the last moment the committee
of railroad managers save in under
protest. and on February Is reference
of the differences 20 an arbitration
board under the Erdinan law was
agreed upon.
The problem TO be solved by the
board is essentially one of wages. The
nrcmen ask for increases based upon
the size of the locomotives fired, which
would give them II wage of from $2.40
to 81 a day of ten hours or less. On
the heavier engines two firmen are
demanded The railroads. while CON
ceding that the fircmen ought to have
more pay, declare their demands ex-
cessive. and estimate that the increased
cost to the lines would aggregate
s9,6o0,000 year, or 50 per cent of the
hremenS present wages.
il is expected that the roads will
seek to demonstrate to the arbitral
board that something must give way
If railroad employees are allowed to
maintain an upward pressure on wages
while the Interstate Commerce Com
mission keeps freight and passenger
rates down, and that if the board
grants the hremen an increase in
wages IL should recommend to the
commission proportionate advances in
rates. The fircmen, according to Pres
ident Carter, of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen.
VIII bend their efforts to the task OF
proving their demands for increases
are justified in themselves regardless
OF what rates the roads are permitted
10 charge the public.