Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-02-03

$41,000,000, the wage increase would
would probably not mean over $751;
100000 to the railroads, if that.
A sensation broke Tuesday when
Mr. Stone informed the arbitrator
that the data offered by the railroads
up to that time apparently was so
swollen and inaccurate that he would
have to ask for the time cards, train
sheets and delay sheets upon which
these alleged statistics were based.
Mr.. Sheean laughed and railroad off,
Gals present nearly fell off their
chairs with surprise. Vice President
w. L. Park of the Illinois Central, an
arbitrator, said it would mean train
loads of documents rushing into Chi
cago, and Chairman Pritchard seemed
dubious that any such order could be
agreed to.
However, in Section 5 of the New
lands Act the Chairman found that
any evidence which might be mater.
ial to an arbitration must be brought
into hearing if it is called for and
he said that he would not deny Mr.
Stones request, but suggested certain
| roads he specified. Mr. Stone and the
opposition conferred and on Wednes
day it was agreed that the following
five roads would furnish the primary
data asked for: Burlington, "Omaha,
Colorado Southern, Great Northern
and Southern Pacific.
An attempt to show the poverty Of
| Western railroads was made by Wit
ness Keefe, in tabulations, by compar
ing the fat years of 1910 and 1911;
with the lean year of 1914. Mr.. Keefe
declined to admit that 1914 was bat
year, saying he had not read the pa
pers closely and had not kept il
touch with Wall Street or read tn
Wall Street Journal, and was un
aware that Mr.. Stones contention
that 1914 was panicky and slack wa
correct. Grand Chief Stone contend
ed that the railroads when they de
sired to prove the brotherhoods' dc
mands were burdensome had pickle
out the busiest month of recent years
October, 1913, as basis for compu
tation and when the desire was t
prove railroad poverty the companie
had compared extremely busy year
with a very lean one.
i From the brotherhoods' standpoint
the companies reached their limit FIR
day with the presentation of hug
tome of I'll pages comprising photo
stat sheets of payrolls of ninety-eigh
Western railroads. This exhibit
said to have cost the companies SIS
900 and covered the month of Oct
Der, 1913, only Mr.. Sheean pointe
out various high wages noted on tn
pages-such as compensation to pa
senger and freight engineers of frol
5000 to $3.50 a month. On cross e,
animation, Mr.. Stone took the sam
figures Mr.. Sheean had dilated O
with such breezy gusto and turned til
tables.
| For instance, Mr.. Stone picked o,
J. A. McCredie, a Canadian NOrther
engineer, whom Mr. Sheean ha
shown as having made $333.90 in tt
month mentioned. The Chief Eng
neer then spoiled the picture with tt
following statement:
"This same payroll shows, does
not, that McCredie worked 10 da!
in through freight service, averagir
14.4 hours day, and then worked
days in local freight, averaging
" hours a day? That would be a tot
e of 1895 hours, or 1873 hours day, fl
1 which McCredie received $333.90. I
: you think, Mr.. Keefe, that any ma
can stand that very long? Isn't it
e fact that McCredie did two mems VOL
to earn that pay?"
Mr. Keefe, who did not know TIL
1914 was slim year, was not sui
+ of this.
Mr.. Stone was not through. f
: took up various other cases similar
e Mercedes and asked Mr.. Keefe if +
! thought "even government mu
i would be treated like that" M
: Keefe said he was not posted as
;. the hours and wages of governme1
I mules.
: Proceeding to another artifce CO.