Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-02-24
WAGE ARBITRATION
HEARING At CHICAGO
Taking Of Testimony Beforehand
Continues With Managers
On Stand.

OVIulIlluoO vVusSl SuuuUu6VSO
On Stand.
Chicago, Feb. 22-By reason of a
strategetical slip by one Of the officers
of the ship, the Western railroad man
ayers in the current wage arbitration
hearing at Chicago virtually scuttled
their own craft this week: The slip
was an error of James M. Sheean,
counsel for the companies, who has
been acting as pilot and captain of
the corporation craft during the pres
ent stormy voyage.
Captain Sheean at Thursdays hear
ing lost his bearings and took occas-
ion 70 press the b:othcrhoods upon
the topic of rejecting or accepting the
award OF the arbitration board in
whole or in part. He was promptly
informed by Grand Chief Engineer
Warren S. Stone that under the ar
bitration agreement of last August
signed at Washington, D. c., both the
companies and the organizations
agreed to a saving clause which gave
the employees the right to accept or
reject, whichever Wer3 the more fav-
orable, the award CT the arbitrator.
Unconsciously, Captain Sheean was
l~1~ s~> I>..1l H..
battleship. A few weeks ago when the
railroads opened their direct testi-
mony they offered an exhibit which,
as they said, demonstrated that the
wage requests of the engineers and
firemen's brotherhoOds, if met in full,
would impose upon the companies a
gross annual increase of Sal 100000
At that time Captain Sheean was ask
ed by Mr.. Stone whether the COM
panies' statisticians had computed the
augmentation Of wages under the bro.
therhoods' new requests and applied
the same to present rules,-that is
added asked-for increases to existing
highest rates of wages.
Captain Sheean, or one Of his lieu
tenants, replied in the affirmative
This meant according to Grand Chief
Stone, that the companies estimate Of
SAL 100000 was erroneous because by
the arbitration agreement of last Au
gust the brotherhoods will not pile
an increase in wages upon a present
high rate, but either will select the
new rate and abandon the old one, OF
reject the new schedule and act un
der the old one.
At Thursdays session Captain
Sheean forced Mr.. Stone to show the
arbitration board just how this saw
ing clause would work and, while nc
mention of the $41,000,000 estimate
was made, those on the inside at once
saw how fatal to the railroads cause
the trend of the proceedings was be
coming.
A. w. Trenholm, general manager
of the "Omaha' road and chairman Of
the conference committee Of manag
ers, was on the witness stand and Mr.
She an had just innocently asked hin
with respect to employees being able
to accept or reject certain wage
schedule as they might see fit whe1
Mr.. Stone interposed an asked per
mission to question counsel for thu
companies. Mr.. Sheean agreed.
Mr.. Stone: Do I understand tina
you hold that, under the terms Of thi'
award, this board has that power?
Mr.. Sheean: I hold, under the terms
of this award, that this board cal
make any award which, in their judg
ment, will accomplish equity on al
the questions submitted.
Mr.. Stone: 1t is very evident t.
me, then, that you have not read tn
terms of the arbitration contract yer,
carefully.
Arbitrator Charles Nagel: Suppos
an award should be made on SUI
ject which is not covered by the rule
Of one road, but which has rules O.
another road more advantageous t
the men than the award grants. !
it your Interpretation that the men o
one road may accept the award an
the men on another road may rejec
lit, or must the brotherhood act as
body with respect to the award?
Mr.. Stone: Are you asking que
ton Of me, Mr.. Nagel?
Mr.. Nagel: I asked the questio
Igenerally, as to what occurs to me.
Mr.. Stone: Speaking for the eng
neers, and 1 think Mr.. Phillips can sa
1.-The same for the locomotive fireme1
these awards have been applied her
tofore, and 1 understand the same
true this time. The men on the Il
'dividual roads can accept or reje'
any part Of the award, and that sa
ing clause that "hold fast" clause, {
Mr.. Park termed it, we agreed to a
bitrate under still gives us that RICH
Here Mr.. Sheean made extended r
marks regarding other arbitratic
proceedings, referring to one in whi<
) he said the men, after the award W;
! in force, from day to day would choo
to accept pay under the award or u
der their old schedule, whichever W;
the more favorable to them.
Mr.. Stone: Well, Mr.. Chairman,
set any doubt at rest in regard to tn
will say right now that wrote Il
saving clause myself and know abo
what is in it. I will say right now tn
they will not make any such clail
If we elect to take the award, we W
take it during the term of the ava
and not today and the old schedu
tomorrow. 1t won't apply one way