The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1916-08-18
FEDERAL INQUIRY
IN WAGE DISPUTE
Railroad Managers Submit
Plans to Avoid Great Strike.
ARBITRATION Is OFFERED.
Agree 60 Refer Demands of Men For
More Pay to shs Interstate Cemmsrcs
Commission az 20 Accept Settlement
Under New lands Act.

OnoeF NeNianoe Aets
New York.-The announcement that
the strike vote which has been In prog
ress among the train service employees
Of A American railroads for the past sew
eral weeks has been completed. and
that the final demands by the union
leaders are soon to be presented to the
railroad managers here. indicates that
the public win soon know whether the
controversy between the railroad work
ers and their employers Is to be settled
peaceably, or whether q nationwide
strike is to be infiicted upon the, coun:
try.
Thus far the leaders Of the four
unions-the Brotherhood Of Locomo-
tive Engineers. the Brotherhood Of Lo-
connective Firemen and Enginemen, the
Order of Railway Conductors and the
Brotherhood OF Railroad Trainmen-
have refused to consider any proposal
for an arbitration Of the questions In
dispute. or for settlement of the con-
troversy By. the Interstate Commerce
Commission.
Would ss%-$1oo. COX. 900.
The demands Of the train service men
for an increase In wages, which, 1t IN
estimated. would cost the railroads Of
the country 500. 10000 q year. were
originally presented last March. At
that time the representatives Of the
unions asked for conference With
committee OF railroad managers repre-
senting the various railroad lines Of
the country.
This conference began here In New
York on June 1st, and continued for
two weeks. The railroads were repre-
sented by committee Of nineteen
managers, and the brotherhoods by the
heads Of their various national and 10
cal organizations-some eight hundred
men In all
Choice Of Methods Offered.
The conference failed to reach q deci-
sion owing 80 tho refusal OF the union
leaders to consider { ny modification Of
their demands. or any proposal for ar
bitration. at the conclusion Of the
meetings the railroad managers sub
mitted q proposal to refer the whole
question to the Interstate Commerce
Commission, or to arbitration under the
provision of the federal statute cover
ing this matter.
The Alternative suggestions which
they advanced for adjusting the con-
troversy were as follows:
"f. Preferably by subpission 60 the
tntsrstats Commerce Commission, the
only tribunal which. by reasen oe its
accumulated infornssion bearing On
railway conditions and hs control Of
the rsvsnuss Of the railways, 10 in .
position 60 consider and protect the
rights and equities Of all the interests
affected, and to provide additional rev
enue necessary to meet the added cost
Of operation In case your proposals are
found by the Commission to be Just and
reasonable: or. In the event the Inter
state Commerce Commission cannot,
under existing laws. act ip the prem
ises, that We Jointly request Congress
to take such action as may be neces-
sary to enable tho Commission to con-
slider and promptly dispose OF the
questions involved; or
"2. By arbitration In accordance with
the provisions OF the Federal law, enti-
tied. IAN Act Providing for Mediation.
Cancellation and Arbitration IN Centru-
versies between Certain Employers and
their Employees approved July 10,
1913. and commonly known as the
Newlands Act"
Unions Refuse Offer.
The union leaders declined to con.
slider the suggestion OF the railroad
managers. and announced that they
would seek q vote OF the members OF
the unions asking that they be given
authority TO 0eciare a strike on all the
railroad lines OF the country. This
strike vote has been IN progress for the
past SIX weeks. and, according to re
ports which have been received hert
from time to time. will result In givins
tho four union leaders the authority
/ which they asked for 10 halt ever,
rafr6a train from one end Of th,
country to the other.
Meanwhile resolution has been In
troduced into Congress at the reoues,
OF the Chamber Of Commerce OF tbs
/. United States directing the.Interstat,
Commerce Commission to- tnv eat, ga Z,
the whole question of railway wage.
and their relation TO railway earnings
The commercial interests. the newspa
pers, and public men OF the natior
thave gone ON recOrdias demanding tha
the dispute be ssttled peaceably.