Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-01-06
BIG HEARING ON
AGAIN AT CHICAGO
Flremen Are Presenting TheII
Side Of the Controversy
Before ArbitratorS.
Chicago, ILL.,, Jan. I, 1916


Chicago, ILL.,, Jan. 1, 1915.
! Fireman on switch, suburban and
transfer engines will take the wit
ness stand next Monday when the
Western railway wage arbitration
hearing is resumed in the federal
building, Chicago The members of
the arbitration board, six in num-
Der, are expected back in Chicago
either Saturday or Sunday after near
ly two weeks vacation. William S.
Carter, President of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Firemen and Engine
men, will examine these witnesses
and draw out from them the stories
OF their long hours, small pay and un-
satisfactory labor conditions.
Inc hremen in their requests to
the Western railroads ask that fire.
men engaged in transfer and unclas-
slned service be paid the through
rate' according to the class of engine
For f1remen in ordinary switching ser.
vice the brotherhood ask that the
compensation be from 1910 to s4.00 a
oay, according to the type of engine
used, the Mallett type carving tho
highest rate. Firemen who are to
begin service other than between the
nours OF 900 a. m. and 500 a. m.
shall be paid 2 cents an hour in ad-
dltlon to the foregoing rate. Ten
hours or less will constitute q davis
work in switching service. Time
over ten hours is to be computed and
paid for at the rate of time and a half
thirty minutes undisturbed for meals
are also asked for switch-engine fire.
men. For enginemen in passenger
suburban service the same treatment
IS asked as is given regular passen-
ger enginemen.
PRESIDENT Carter probably will put
on the stand at least half a dozen
hremen who will very likely come
from different roads in various parts
OF the country. They will go into de-
tails OF their work which the broth.
erhoods hope will impress the arbitra.
tors. ito the end that higher cempensa.
tion and better treatment NAV be "a.
cured from the companies. Although
the f1remen will probably occupy
most of the time for the first few
days OF the week, the same requests
for engineers in these classes of ser.
vice are made and various engineer
witnesses already have testified re-
garding their hardships.
Following the firemen, it is expected
that President Carter will call to the
stand several experts who will testi
fy concerning the hazard of a fire
mans occupation. A. H. Hawley
Grand Secretary and Treasurer Of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire
men and Enginemen,, will offer an
exhibit illustrating the proportion o1
deaths and disabilities of members ot
the brotherhood caused by railroad
accidents. These mortality statistics
are expected to show that nearly 5(
per cent Of the active firemen, whc
pass away, die with their boots on.
| DR.. w. B. Cory, General Medica
Examiner of the firemen's brotherhood
who has made careful study of thu
mortality and disability experience:
of firemen and enginemen, probabl,
will offer two exhibits directly con
cerning and emphasizing the hazard
OF the vocation. It is also possibl,
that DR.. Henry J. Harris, Phi. D., for
merly statistical expert of the Depart
ment Of Commerce and Labor, will
be witness and will supplement Dr.
Cory's testimony with other matte
along the same line. If DR.. Harri
goes on the stand, he will be ex
amined by w. S. Stone, Grand Chic
of the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers.
i Another witness who may b
heard within the next ten days /
D. B. Robertson, Vice-President of tn
tlremen's brotherhood, who may O.
fer an exhibit proving that many teci
nical experts and commissioners hav
, already formed the opinion, publicl
announced, that wage and labor col
, ditions incident of the engineers an
, f1remen's occupations are not quit
!, what they should be. In this col
: nection it is said that Mr.. Robertso
p may quote various railroad author
ties who have gone on record to th
o effect.
: If these witnesses do not occur
!. the entire week, w. J. Lauck, stati
= tical expert and economist retained /
J. both brotherhoods, will be placed c
l. the stand and examined by Gran
T. Chief Stone. Mr.. Lauck is unde
|. stood to have prepared large nur
ber Of exhibits dealing with all pha
e es of the wage and labor questio
|. Just how far Mr.. Lauck has probed
J, not being divulged by the brothe
hoods, but it is rumored that son
Of the matter he has prepared has
spicy news flavor.
D The present wage arbitration hef
D ing opened in Chicago Nov. 3Oth a.
D sessions were continuous daily un
D Dec. 22nd when adjournment was ta
D en- until Jan. 4th. The engineers a.
U t1remen's brotherhoods have been
o the bat ever since the opening of t
. hearing and will continue in this :,
:; sition possibly for a fortnight or 10,
0 er. It is understood that the railro