Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-05-01
Dissenting Opinion


A dissenting opinion was filed or
behalf Of the brotherhood of engine
men, in which the arbitration was
branded as a failure and the New
lands law, under which it was ar
ranged, an inadequate device for the
settlement Of industrial disputes. The
award, effective May 10 and binding
for one year only, was frankly de-
clared as merely postponing for a
twelve months the actual settlement
of the differences involved. The rail-
road members of the board issued Il
formal statement criticiZing features
Of the regulation governing the arbi-
tration and remarking that certain
concessions, regarded as intrinsically
unjust were made for the sake Of pre-
serving peace with the employees.
Judge Peter c. Pritchard of Rich
mond, Va. chairman of the board ex
planned his position and stated tina.
while in his OPINION the men in GER
tain branches Of the service were en-
titled to greater advances than were
made he had to make concessions in
order that an award might be mad,
and he found much of a helpful nat
ure in the award. Charles Nagel 81
St. Louis, former secretary of COM
merce and labor, who with Judge
Pritchard represented the board Of
mediation and Cancellation on the
board was the only member who is
sued no statement He is known to
have been deeply offended by the re-
cent attack made on him as an arbi-
ed out that he was trustee of the
estate Of the late Adolphus Busch,
and that railroad. securities form a
part of the assets Of the estate.
AS explained by concessions of
Louisville. KY, Assistant General
Chief Engineer of the brotherhood Of
Locomotive Engineers and represen-
tatives of the Brotherhood of the
board, the essential concessions to the
men were:
/. Standardization of rates of pay
on the weight of locomotive on drive
wheels
2. Overtime pay to passenger fire.
men and engineers, ranging from 4.
to IS cents an hour, respectively.
3--Enginemen of steam power may
transfer to electric power when installed
without loss of seniority rights after
May l, 1915 The board was unable, be-
cause Of the newness OF electric rail-
way service to fix rates of pay in detail,
but named $3.50 day as the minimum
for motormen in passenger service and
$50 for their helpers; $4.-5 for motormen
in freight service and s2.75 for helpers.
4-Enginemcn of milk trains, circus
trains and other irregular service such as
pusher and helper, receive the rate ac-
corded on through freights. an increas-
ing from 10 to Is cents.
The men will be paid for delay while
in their cabs at initial and final termi-
nails and for time in excess of 30 min
utes spent in preparing their engines for
service.
S-Switch engineemen will receive an
advance in daily pay Of % cents on
small engines and Is on large ones.
Men held away from home terminals
shall, after % hours idleness, receive a
minimum days pay Of 10 hours, based
on last service, out Of each succeeding
"a hours until he gets a run.
s-Througn freight wage rates were
advanced FIVE to 20 cents increasing with
weight Of engine, and 25 GEMS on some
Of the extremely heavy engines.
Sway freight enginemen will receive
so cents a day more than through
freight men.
N-Surprise tests will be conducted in
such a way as not to endanger life,
limbs or nerves.
11-Firemen will be assisted where as
sistance Is available in keeping coal
forward, and the coal shall be broken
into proper sizes at chutes.
12-Where f1remen on big engines deem
an assistant necessary the. matter may,
If necessary be adjusted through arbi-
tration.
13-Frremen win not be required to
clean engines nor will engineers be re-
quired to fill grease cups, set up wedges
or perform other minor duties about an
engine where others are available to do
the work.
1.-THE weight on drive wheels Of each
engine shall be posted where the engine
man can have convenient access to the
information.
Requests which were not granted were
the automatic release. time and half
for overtime in freight and switching
service and the fve-hour day in passen-
ger service. The award on the surprise
test, which was a matter Of bitter con-
tention in the course of the fourth
months hearing, was precisely as desired
by the railroads. but Mr.. Burgess listed
1t among the results satisfactory to the
men.
Judge Pritchard,s statement follows:
II deem it proper to say that in my
opinion the freight rates as well as the
yard rates for iremen and engineers
agreed upon by the board are not as
high as they should be. Nevertheless.
the rules as RESPECTS weight on drivers.
time CONSTITUTING q days work. initial
and terminal delay and overtime. pas