The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1915-04-02
YELLED THREAT
T0STRKE MADE
BYPRES. CARTER
brotherhood of Locomotive Fire.
men and Enginemen In West
May Not Accept Arbitration
As Means of Securing Wage
Increases In the Future.

Statement Made Before Federal
Board of Arbitration Alleges
Railroads Have Availed Them
selves of All Possible Excuses
To Deny Requests of Men.
CHICAGO, April Ia thinly yelled
threat of strike by Western engi-
neers and firemen, instead of accepting
arbitration as means of securing
wage increases in future, was made
today by President w. S. Carter, Of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire.
men and Enginemen, before the Fed
eral Board of Arbitration.
This threat did not appear in the
printed brief which President Carter
filed on behalf Of the engineers, fire.
men and hostlers, but was interpolated
by him in his argument. He charged
that the railroads, in former wage
arbitrations, had availed themselves Of
all kinds of excuses for denying the
requests of the men. In this proceed
ing, he declared the railroads had
pleaded reduction in traffic since the
wage demands were presented, at the
reason why the railroads could not
afford to pay them.
IF these wage movements are ad-
justed amicably," said President Car
ter, Through arbitration and under
federal law, it must take fro INTO two
years to reach a conclusion. These
wage movements may be begun when
railroad business is at it's height and
it may be that when the time comes
for the rendering of an award, one or
two years later, railway traffic may be
at low stage. If railroads are to
take advantage of that, it would make
it impossible for the officers and COM
mittees of these organizations to curb
the man on the engine.
"We were told in the beginning of
this movement" continued President
Carter, "that if we did not strike there
would be change in traffic before
the arbitration could render an award.
And if what they told us is true, fear
they will never give US consent again
to prolonging the agony for two years
before an award is made"
President Carter did not point out
the fact that the employees presented
their demands for higher wages in
the month when railway earnings were
highest during a period of years, nor
the further fact that the earnings
have greatly declined since October,
1913. Neither did he acknowledge
that only the intercession of President
Wilson prevented a strike last August
which would hav tied up every railroad
west Of the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers, and paralyzed business
throughout the nation. Nor did Pres
ident Carter say that the railroad Of
fcials needed the plea which Presi-
dent Wilson made to them to make the
sacrifice necessary to save the busi-
ness interests of the country from
ruin, while the officials Of the organ
izations of engineers and fremen re-
fused to make any concessions.
One highly important admission
President Carter did make during his
argument. Referring to the wage ar
bitration of 1910, in which the firemen
on oil burning engines were awarded
15c per day less than those on coal
burning engines, he said: II have
heard it said by one of the arbitrators,
who was not a neutral, that the reason
the iremen lost that differential was
because a lot of oil burning firemen
came in there and tried to prove that
their work was harder and they failed
to prove this. If that be the fact We
cannot object to the award. 1t was 8
mistake"
Article of the wage demands of the
employees is as follows: "Engineers
and firemen arriving at terminal OF
end of run, will be automatically re-
leased; when used again, they begi1
a new day."
Hon. J. C. Pritchard, chairman o
the board Of arbitration asked: II
an engineer runs distance of so mile
in two hours, then had layover o
80 minutes and was asked to max
the return trip, do you think the
should call new man for the return
trip, thus giving full days pay t.
each engineer for run of two hours I?
President Carter reluctantly ad
mitted that under a strict interpreta
tion of article 7, the engineer would b
entitled to two full days. pay for run
ming 100 miles in four hours with
layover of 80 minutes, or if two en-
gineers were called on, each would re
ceive full days pay for running onl
so miles.
wouldn't you call that working a
undue hardship on the railroads ?
asked Chairman Pritchard.
President Carter had contende
throughout his argument durin