Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-03-24
CASE SOON
TO BE COMPLETE
Second Week Of Rebuttal Testimony
Shows End in Siqht.


Chicago, Mar. 18-Testimony tend
ing to impeach some of the vital evil
dence presented by the railway COM
panies at the Western wage arbitra-
ton inquiry was offered by witnesses
for the engineers and firemen's bro
therhoods during the current week. 1t
was the second week of the employees
rebuttal testimony and, according 70
officials of the brotherhoods, their case
will be in complete form before the
arbitration board some time within
the next four or five days. The rail-
road companies have notified the ar
bitre tors that they will have some
sur-rebuttal testimony which probab-
ly will mean at least one more week
for the taking of evidence.
There will follow the preparation
and filing of briefs and other prelim-
inaries before the board finally takes
a recess to consider the entire case.
The wages and working conditions of
$4,000 Western railroad employees are
affected in the arbitration and ninety
eight railroad companies are said to
be represented. The arbitration board,
under the agreement, must have a
AAe1A eS"1Au AOC1uy OA VI uOOOL 61HA IL
Goth.
AS for the current week, the field
covered by the brotherhoods in re-
buttal evidence was vast. Many wit.
nesses took the stand and told stor.
les, for instance, in direct contradic.
ton of the testimony of William ].
Tollerton, mechanical superintendent
of the Rock Island road. Mr.. Toller.
ton early in February was on the
stand and related the story of 1900
test runs on passenger and freight
trains in Western territory wherein a
fireman was demonstrated, according
to Mr.. Tollerton, as being "at leisure
about two-thirds of his time. Out OF
nine hours on duty, for example, Mr.
Tollerton's statement indicated that
scoop shovel men would be at rest
about six hours. This was the invari
able ratio.
William S. Carter, President of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen
and Enginemen, examined various
firemen and engineers who had parti
cipated in these test runs of which
Mr.. Tollerton gave details. E. Laher
ty, an engineer on the M. K. & T
railroad, Cherokee Division, said he
was on a test trip. A fireman named
Peterson was with Mr.. Laherty in the
engine cab. Mr.. Carter asked Mr.
! Laherty il Mr.. Tollerton's statement
that Peterson had worked something
over three hours in seven was cor
rect. Mr.. Laherty replied in the mega
tive.
"Was Peterson engaged in manual
labor most Of the time throughout that
trip" asked Mr.. Carter.
Eyes, sir, practically all the time,
replied the witness.
Mr.. Laherty explained that one Of
the railroad officials who was clicking
a stop watch on Peterson rode on the
engine from Muskogee to Venita and
then got off.
"He got off the engine and told me
he was going to the caboose," remark
ed Mr.. Laherty.
"Well, who ran the clicker after he
got of the engineer" asked Mr.. Car
ter.
Il don't know" answered Mr.. Lab
erty.
HE made a report, however, of the
entire trip, did he not?' inquired Mr.
Carter and the witness replied in the
affirmative.
G. B. Roberg, fireman on the Chi
cago and North Western road, be-
tween Chicago and South GAINESVILLE
who was allowed something less than
three hours of actual labor by Mr.. Tol
lerton's watchers, informed the arbf
traitors that he was on duty on that
test trip nine hours and six minutes.
II know for g. positive fact that
did not spend six hours and forty-siz
minutes at leisure" declared Mr.. Ro
berg.
This witness said that the observ
ers in the engine cab had pulled down
most of the coal for him, although the
exhibit shown by Mr. Tollerton indi
Gated that Mr.. Roberg himself had
done that particular work.
E. o. Bell, an engineer of Newton
Kans., employed by the Santa Fe road
was on the witness stand long time
at Thursdays hearing. Among other
things Mr.. Bell testified as to the
hardships of the fireman's job. AL
though Mr.. Tollerton had indicated
that it was snap, here is the other
side of the picture as shown by Engi
neer Bell.
Mr.. Carter: On an extraordinary
Hong run have you ever stood in front
Of the fire box to keep from going to
sleep? - 81
Mr.. Bell: could go to sleep hang
ing on to the chain.
Mr.. Carter: Your knees gave away
under you? .....
y na}1s Vac