Milford chronicle., 1916-09-01
FEDERAL INQUIRY
IN WAGE DISPUTE
RaiIrOa1 Managers Submit
Plans to Avoid Great Strike.
ARBITRATION IS OFFERED.

Agree to Refer Demands Of Men Fo
More Pay to the Interstate commerc,
Commission or to Accept Settlement
Under Newlands Act.
New YOrk.-The announcement that
the strike vote which has been in prog
ress among the train service employees
Of 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 will soon know whether the
controversy between the railroad work
ers and their employers is to be settled
peaceably. or whether a nationwide
strike is to be inflicted upon the coun-
try.
Thus far the leaders OF the four
unions-the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Engineers. the Brotherhood Of Lo-
comotive 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 Cost S1oo,oOo,OOo.
The demands Of the train service men
for an increase in wages. which. 1t Is
estimated. would cost the railroads OF
the country s1OO,OOO,OOO a year. were
originally presented last March. At
that time the representatives Of the
unions asked for a conference with a
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 a committee of nineteen |
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 a deci.
sion owing TO the refusal of the union
eaders to consider any modification OF
heir demands, or any proposal for ar
Ditration. At the conclusion Of the
meetings the railroad managers sub
nitted a proposal to refer the whole
question to the Interstate Commerce
or to arbitration under the
PROVISION Of the federal statute cover.
ne this matter.
The alternative suggestions which
hey advanced for adjusting the con-
roversy were as follows;
II. Preferably by submission to the 4
Interstate Commerce Commission, the
nly tribunal which, by reason Of its
eeumulated information bearing on
ailway conditions and its control Of
he revenues OF the railways, is in a
osition to consider and protect the II
ishts and equities Of all the interests II
feeted, and to provide additional rev
lue necessary to meet the added cost
operation in case your proposals are
,und by the Commission to be just and III
sasOnable; or, in the event the Inter
ate Commerce Commission cannot, II
nder existing laws, act In the prem
es. that we Jointly request Congress
take such action as may be neces-
Try to enable the Commission to con.
der and promptly dispose OF the
lestions involved; or III
''2. BY arbitration in accordance with M
e provisions OF the Federal law, enti- Ill
ed. AN Act Providing for Mediation. iii
)nciliation and Arbitration in Contro-
rsies between Certain Employers and
cir Employees" approved July Is, III
13. and commonly known as the III
swlands Act" III
Unions Refuse Offer. Ill
The union leaders declined to con
Ter the suggestion OF the railroad III
and announced that they I'LL
1uld seek a vote OF the members of Ill
e unions asking that they be given ll
thority to declare a strike on all the lll
ilroad lines Of the country. This I'LL
ike vote has been in progress for the M
st six weeks, and according to re I'LL
rts which have been received here Hill
1m time to time. will result in giving iii
e four union leaders the authority l
lich they asked for to halt every III
ilroad train from one end Of the III
1ntry to the other I'LL
Meanwhile a resolution has been in. I'LL
'duced into Congress at the request Hill
the Chamber Of Commerce OF the llIll
ited States directing the Interstate Hill
mmerce Commission to investigate Hill
, whole Question Of railway wages lllll
4 their relation to railway earnings Hill
e commercial interests. the newspa. llll
rs, and public men OF the nation llll
We gone on record as demanding that lllI