The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-22
Railway Heads Would Settle
Dispute by Arbitration.
WOULD LEAVE IT TO HIM
Presidents Offered to Allow
Wilson Complete Power.
Explanation of Wage Side of
Strike Question.

tension IN IOpeRa 7IdllWdy clrCleS
went tighter again today when private
official advices were received from
Washington to the effect that Presi-.
dent Wilson, after throwing aside ar
bitration as a way of settling the
train-service brotherhood wage con-
troversy. has refused a proposition of
the railroad heads to settle the dispute
thru a disinterested board of investi-
CATION. The investigation proposition
was put before the president in an
executive conference as many other
propositions which he has rejected
have been.
The railroad presidents, states the
advices, offered to leave the appoint
ment of such a board to the president
and the only stipulation they made
was that it be disintereSted in the de-
mands of the railroads and trainmen.
The board would probe the demands
of both sides. taking three months or
any period President Wilson would
designate to do so. The probe com
pleted, the board would make its re
port and the report would be- accepted
by both sides and allowed to become
effective September 1 this year.
On the rejection of that offer, the
presidents offered to eliminate all de-
mands they have made in the dispute
and arbitrate the demands of the
hoods. the advices state, rejected that
offer Immediately and have taken
their stand squarely behind Wilson
in his demand that the railroads grant
an S-hour basic day which, 1t is
pointed out, means higher wages for
the trainmen.
A Complicated Question.
Figures compiled recently by both
sides in the controversy show that the
10 n
Gated one. Ordinarily controversies
about wages may be readily under
stood, as they are virtually simple
problems in addition. Mechanics and
laborers are paid at a stated rate an
hour for each days work. Carpen-
ters in Topeka are paid As cents an
hour and 8 full hours of work and
no less make up a day, so for each
days work a carpenter receives $3.50.
The method of paying railroad train
service employees is not so simple, be-
ing computed on a dual basis, both
hours worked and miles run and the
employees get the benefit of whichever
basis is the more favorable to him.
For example, the. engineer on the San
ta Fe freight train running between
Topeka and Atchison, a distance of
fifty miles, which he covers both ways
each work day, is paid $5-O5 for the
round trip of 100 miles. whether he
ten hours. If it takes him longer
than ten hours he is paid extra at the
rate of eight mills for each additional
minute that he works. Should it re-
quire twelve hours to make the trip,
he would be paid 5000 for his days
work.
One Sided Plan.
II other words, while the railroad
company must pay for any overtime
the man may work, which is proper, it
does not receive any benefit from any
saving in time under ten hours, and
cannot use the man in any other work
till the ten hours are completed with
out it pays him for an additional full
day
President Wilson's offer to the rail-
roads, as stated in press dispatches,
would mean that the man on the above
run would be paid minimum of $5.05,
the rate he is now paid for ten hours
work for the suggested eight hour
basic day, and he would receive in
addition overtime for each minute
worked in excess of eight hours at
the rate of 1 cent and one-half mills
per minute; so that under the pro-
posed basis for ten hours work, for
which he is now paid s5.05, he would
receive $6.31, an increase of $1.26,
equivalent to rs per cent. If it should
take him twelve hours to make the
trip, he would receive $7.57, as against
$b.O3 unQer the present ScneQuIe.
1t will be seen from the above that
there is quite a difference between
paying for eight hours actual work as
in the case of mechanics end paying
rate for a complete eight hour day
for less than eight hours work.
Increase of 46 Per Cent.
1t is also contemplated in the propo-
sition of the men that for all time
worked in excess of eight hours the
railroads shall pay time and one-half,
and on such a proposition, if the en-
Continued on Page TwoD