Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-07-26
RAILROADS WOULD
GAIN MUCH time
Proposition to Refer Demands
Of brotherhoodS to Interstate
Commerce Commission.
Cleveland, Ohio, July Is, 1916.


The following statement was issued
today by the Transportation Broth
erhOOds.
The proposition of the railroads to
therhoods for an eight-hour day to the
Interstate Commerce Commission is
nothing but a proposition to gain time
for the railroads and to waste time
for the men.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion is mot now equipped to undertake
this task. In order to undertake it
the Interstate Commerce Commission
Act would have to be radically amend
ed by Congress. Such an amendment
would require at least a month for
passage, and upon its passage several
months would be required before the
Commission could actually begin the
work. thus imposed upon it.
Whatever may be the desirability
of empowering the Interstate Com
MERGE Commission to- handle wage dis
putes, this is not the time to do it..
The Commission is overwhelmed with
duties. "A bill has been pending be-
fore Congress, urgently advocated by
the railroads, themselves, calling for
an increase in the membership of the
Commission in order to enable it to
handle cases already on it's docket.
A resolution is now pending in the
House, after having been passed by
the Senate, Calling for an investiga-
ton by joint committee of Congress
into the need for railroad legislation,
particularly into the need for legisla-
ton affecting the Interstate Commerce
Commission. This resolution was in
troduced at the request Of the rail-
roads and for the express purpose of
heading off any railroad legislation till
a comprehensive survey Of the entire
situation should have been made. Re-
representatives. of the railroads have
urg. d this resolution for these rea.
sons.
Yet now the railroads, forgetting
these arguments, and frightened at
the prospect of being forced to yield
to the brotherhoods, are demanding
hasty and illconsidered legislation,
the first effect of which would be to
give them an advantage in their dis.
pute with their employees.
The Commission only has author.
ity over rates, etc., on interstate traf'
fic and has NO control over matters
that are wholly Within state.
If authority is conferred on the In
terstate Commerce Commission by
Congress to fix or exercise amy con-
troll over wages, it would only apply
to employees whose runs are from one
state to another.
Inasmuch as the bulk of trainmen
work wholly withim a state, it would
result in the worst muddle possible
A few employees having their wages
fixed by the U. S. and the rest of them
standing just where they are now.
The claim made by the railroads
that as the Interstate Commerce Com
mission has authority over freight
rates, it should also have authority
over rates of pay, is a clever and
seemingly plausible argument; put for
ward to secure public sympathy.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion has always taken cognizance Of
wages or labor costs in passing upon
freight rates. One of the leading ar
guments of the railroads in making
applics ton for authority to advance
their freight rates has been that out
lays for employees have increased and
as consequence that they should be
permitted to charge more for theil
services.
Elaborate statistical exhibits have
in all general rate cases been pre-
sented by the railroads to the Com
mission, which set forth in great de
tail how many more dollars are paiC
out in wages and salaries now as com
pared with former years. AS a conse
quence, the Interstate Commerce
Commission has always passed on the
question of the relation Of wages Il
freight and passenger rates, and to to
tai operating costs.