Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1916-08-12
RAILROAD CRISIS IS
UP TO CONGRESS
Strike Seems Certain Unless Fed
eral Commission Acts.
II REPRESENTS THE PUBLIC.

Brotis-hood Leaders Reject Proposals.
One Of Which Provides For inter-
state commeree coa,missiou AZ Ar
bitrator-Aiso Oppose Arbitratior
provided BY Law They. Helped to
Enact.
Washington.-Wheth the wage con-
troversy sbetween the railways and
| their engineers. conductors, firemen
and bralzemen is to be settled peace
| ably or by strike now seems to de-
pend largely on what action congress
will take on the proposal to refer the
| question to the interstate commerce
| commission.
| The national conference committee
of the railways at the recent confer
ence in New York with the train serv-
| ice brotherhoods proposed settlement
| either by submission to the interstate
commerce commission or by arbitra-
ton under the provisions of the New
| lands law
The brotherhood leaders promptly
| rejected both proposals, not only OBJ
| jecting to the interstate commerce
commission as an arbitrator, but ex-
pressing their determined opposition to
the plan of arbitration provided by the
law which they had helped to get en-
acted.
To meet the objection that the inter-
state commerce commission now has
no Jurisdiction over railway wages the
| committee representing the railways
proposed "that we jointly request con-
gress to take such action as may be
necessary to enable the commission to
consider and promptly dispose of the
questions Involved
Upon the failure of the companies
and the labor organizations TO reach an
agreement the question was put up to
congress in another form, in resolu-
ton which was introduced by Senator
Newlands on June % providing for an
investigation by the commission of the
whole subject of railway wages and
their relation tosrailway earnings.
This resolution was proposed by the
chamber of commerce of the United
States after having been approved by
a practically unanimous referendum
vote of nearly 1000 commercial organ
izations throughout the country. The
Newlands resolution differs from the
proposal of the railways. The latter
refers only to the questions presented
by the demands of the Is per cent of
railway employees engaged in train
service and asks the commission to set
tie the controversy by a decision. The
Newlands resolution is much broader
and, without contemplating final set
tlement by the commission, directs 1t
to investigate and report on ssthe mimi
mum, maximum and average wage
paid, with hours Of SERVICE to each
class of railroad employees in the Unit
t<><l
brotherhoods of train employees. The
commission would also be directed to
report on the hours and wages in 9TH
er industries, the relation of wages
to railroad revenues, the question OF
whether railroad revenues based on
existing rates for transportation will
admit of equally favorable terms to all
classes of railway employees and t'any
other matter in this connection that
the commission may deem relevant"
The brOtherhOods object strenuously
to any idea Of federal tribunal fixing
wages and declare that an investiga-
ton by the commission would only
serve to delay matters. The only pro-
posal they have made is that their de-
mands be granted in full, with the
alternative of a nation wide strike
They insist that the railroads viii be
more inclined to yield to their de-
mands when confronted with strike
vote.
In their reply to the brotherhoods the
railways advanced as their reasons for
proposing to refer the question to the
interstate commerce commission that
it is 1.-The only tribunal which by rea-
son of its accumulated information
bearing on railway conditions and its
control Of the revenue of the railways
is in a position to consider and pro-
tect the rights and equities of all the
interests affected and to provide addi-
tionaI revenues necessary to meet the
added cost of operation i'm case your
proposals are found by the commits
sion to be Just and reasonable
Whereas a board of arbitration con-
sdtuted under the NewIands act could
pass only ON the questions presented
to it in an arbitration agreement sign
ed by both parties and would In no
way represent the interests of the pub
lie in the controversy, the interstate
commerce commission would not be SO
restricted and could consider the rela-
ton of the wages of the train and en-
CINE men to those of the other en-
pIoyees. as well as the necessary eff
feet of an increase in wages on the
rates to be paid by the public.
Without the support of public opin-
ion fine railway br0fhorhoOds cot1Id not