Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1916-08-18
RAILROAD CRISIS IS
UP To CONGRESS
Strike Seems Certain Unless Fed.
eral Commission Acts.
1T REPRESENTS THE PUBLIC.

Brotherhood Leaders Reject Proposals,
One Of Which Provides For Inter.
state Commerce Commission as Ar.
bitrator - Also Oppose Arbitration
Provided by Law They Helped to
Enact.
Observation-Disclosures the wage con-
troversy between the railways and
their engineers, conductors, fremen
and brakemen 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 to railway earnings.
This resolution was proposed ty 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 it
to investigate and report on 1.-THE mini
mum, maximum and average wage
paid, with hours Of service, to each
class Of railroad employees In the Unit
ed States" not merely the "big four
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 "any
other matter in this connection that
the commission may deem relevant"
The brotherhoods object strenuously
to any idea Of a 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 nation wide strike
They insist that the railroads will BIZ
more inclined to yield to their de
mands when confronted with q strike
vote.
In their reply to the brotherhoods tn,
railways advanced as their reasons To-
proposing to refer the question to thu
interstate commerce commission tina
1t 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 add
tional revenues necessary to meet the
added cost Of operation in case your
proposals are found by the commits
sion to be just and reasonable"
Whereas board Of arbitration con.
stituted under the Newlands act could
pass only on the questions presented
to 1t 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 rea-
ton Of the wages of the train and en-.
CINE men to those of the other en-
ployees, as we'll as the necessary eff
feet Of an increase In wages on the
rates to be paid by the public.