Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1914-07-29

pledge by stating that he would not
only give us his promise to do so as
general manager of property, but
would give us his word of honor as
Southern gentleman.
Solemn Pledge Disreoarded.
Notwithstanding this assurance on
MS part, we were a little bit skepti-
cal because we had had some bad ex-
perlences along the line of arbitra-
ton, and still declined. But after sew.
eral conferences we decided to call
on the Honorable William l.. Cham
bers, United States Commissioner of
Mediation and Cancellation, and he
came to a conclusion and decided to
adjust the matter through mediation,
but was unable to effect settlement.
1t was then decided to place the mat
ter before a board of arbitration, and
both parties consented thereto. The
board convened in Augusta, and after
several days rendered an award
granting the employees about a. II per
cent increase. This did not bring
them up to the standard wages paid
in that territory. However, a few
days afterwards, this same general
manager, regardless OF his promises
both as manager of the property and
as a Southern gentleman, served not
ice upon our arbitrators and our grand
officers that he had appealed from
the decision of the Arbitration Board
to the United States court; and so
far as the award is concerned, it has
not been placed into effect yet. It is
III the courts and probably will be
there for the next year or two.
with this experience in the last
three cases we have had under arbi-
trat1on, you can readily understand
why our men are bitterly opposed to
any further arbitration, unless some
plan can be devised whereby the
award will be placed into effect with
out any quibbling and without any
sharp practice on the part of the man.
ayers Of the different railroad prop.
critics subject to the arbitration"
President Carter Speaks for Firemen.
w. S. Carter, President of the Bro
therhood Of Locomotive Firemen and
Enginemen, says that he is but ex-
pressing the sentiments OF the men,
bership of that organization when he
states there will be no more arbi-
trations Of railroad wage disputes un-
til the men are convinced that rail-
road officials will not repudiate Arbi-
tration Awards" President Carter
says that he has always advised arbi-
tration in the past when strikes were
threatened, and that he was one of
several representatives of organized
labor that appeared before a Con-
gressional Committee advocating the
enactment of the present Federal Ar.
bitration Law, known as "The New
lands Act" but he now believes that
law to be prejudicial to the interest of
railroad employees. $50 long as the
law permits either party to a wage
dispute to administer an Arbitration
Award, growing out of that dispute,
the award will be applied in parti-
san manner, and we have ample evil
dence that some railroad officials do
not hesitate to deliberately misapply
Arbitration Awards" says Mr.. Car
ter. "There should be some author
itative representative of the Federal
Government to insist that an award
be applied on all railroads concerned,
as interpreted by the arbitrators, and
so long as railroad officials are per-
mitted to place their own interpreta-
ton on such awards, and to apply
awards to suit themselves, and thus
defeat the real purpose Of arbitration,
the public should not insist that the
engineers, firemen and hostlers sub
nit the present wage controversy to
arbitration" Mr.. Carter further
states that while the arbitration of
the firemen and hostlers wage dispute
on Eastern railroads in 1913 resulted
in an award not entirely unsatisfac-
tory to a majority of the men, the
manner of applying that award has
made radical opponents of arbitration
VI AAOAC IAAdA OV,VVV "OA WIN tOLOO
favor Of arbitrating the Eastern wage
dispute of firemen and hostlers."
Obligation to Abide by Awards by
Companies Held Only Moral.
He asserts that latter the signing
Of an agreement to arbitrate all mat
tiers in dispute, which form Of arbitra-
ton was prepared by the representa-
tives Of the Federal Government, and
after the arbitration hearings had
commenced, the Toledo, St. Louis and
Western Railroad management served
notice that it would not be bound by
the arbitration and desired to with.
draw therefrom. The Federal Board
of Arbitration took this matter under
consideration and officially decided
which decision was made part Of the
record, that the Toledo, St. Louis and
Western Railroad could not legally
withdraw from the arbitration at that
late date Mr.. Carter asserts that the
Toledo, St. Louis & Western
Railroad has never applied any
portion of the award and that ir
this particular case the Federal au
thority, to whom the matter was re
ferred, decided that the observation
of an Arbitration Award under thu
present Federal Law is simply NOR
al obligation. "Of what effect is {
moral obligation on a railroad corpor
[ation?" exclaimed Mr.. Carter. HI
|says that other railroads that joine'
in the Eastern arbitration of 1918
through the activity of the Managers