The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-11-11
TRAINMEN WIN WAGE INCREASE OF ' PER. GENT ArbitratOrS Base Award On In- creased Cost Of Neces-
 sitieS of Life. Decision is Against Employees Four of Five Points-Men Get Half What They
 Ask.

New York Nov 1.-The long-lived controversy between railroads of the East and their conductors and train men over the latter's demands for more pay ended last night. The em- ployes are granted an increase iEl wages averaging T per cent. and to- taIing $6,OO0,0OO annua1ly-about half of what they wanted-from October 1 last, effective for one year. One hundred thousand men will share in the increase.
 Thus ends, by arbitration under the Newlands amendment to the Erdman Act, a controversy that threatened at one stage of it's career to tie up by strike transportation by rail in all states east of the Mississippi River and north of the Ohio, area with population of 47.0oO,o0o. The award of the arbitration commission, filed late yesterday afternoon i'm the federal district court, is binding and final. To its terms, however, the two board representatives of the employ es filed a minority report and the two representatives of the forty-one railroads a dissenting opinion.
 In reaching its award, the board ruled mainly against the employees on four out of five points submitted by them as reasons why the increase should be granted. and found for them on the fifth-the increased cost
 
 increase was granted. the arbitrators found that the cost of living had in creased per cent. Certain minor contentious embraced with the other four points also were conceded to the employees. It was, therefore. more than a coincidence that the increase granted in wages is exactly the In crease in the cost of living, as out lined by documents introduced by the employees to uphold their contention.
 ''The board does not find. it's ac- ton entirely upon the increased cost ment of seventy-fve printed pages, though it looks upon this as basic.''
 Without attempting to standardize the rates of pay between railroad em- pIoyes of the East and the West, the board asserts it's belief that it is de- sirable but not possible at the present time. As to this, the award voices the opinion that Congress sh ould make an inquiry to whether there is any longer @ substantial reason for the maintenance of a wage differentia1 be- tween the two sections.
 Such an inquiry ought to result in a recommendation,'' reads the award. eff it is found that such a differentiaI ought to exist, as to wEdt the differ entiaI should be. Those making the inquiry should be empowered to re- port upon existing wage scales in all territories for the purpose of ascer- taining, if possible, a scientific basis for the payment of railroad employees who operate trains. This suggestion does not contemplate that the body making such inquiry should attempt to fix wages"
 It is suggested that the commission on industrial relations recently ap- pointed by President Wilson might be competent to carry out the suggested inquiry.
 Analysis of the vote of each article submitted by the trainnen reveals an almost unbroken coalition between the two representatives of the employees and the two independent members of the board with the railroads repre- sentatives opposing them. The arti- cIes are dealt with separately in the award and fix the pay for various classifications of labor While tech nicaI in verbiage, they provide, chiefly, that the monthly pay of employees in the passenger branch of the service shall be as follows:
 Conductors $135, baggagemen $82.5O, flagmen and rear brakemen SIS, brakemen $76.50; overtime an hour-conductors 45 cents, assistant conductors and ticket collectors 357 cents, baggagemen 27.5 cents, f1agmen and rear brakemen 26 cents brakemen 25.5 cents.
 For the freight service, the follow ing are the chief awards: Through runs, conductors, four cents a mile, nagmen 2.67 a mile, brakemen 2.67 a mile, any run less than 100 miles to be paid for as if it were 100 miles. In way freight, pick up or drop, mine and roustabout service, same mini mum, conductors are awarded $4.50 a day of 100 miles or less, ten hours or less, flagmen $3.10 and brakemen S3 overtime to be paid for as time and one-half.
 This was one of few instances m which the employees triumphed in their demand that overtime be paid for at one and one-ha,If the. regular rate. The award is distinctly against such practice in most instances. To this finding the employees representa- ttves filed a minority report of pro- test. To the entire finding the rail- roads representatives dissented.