New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-22
Elisha Lee, of Managers
Committee, Issues State
ment for Roads.
HE INSISTS UPON
ARBITRATION PLAN
Figures That Pay Would
Be Increased as Much
as Is Per Cent.
,r,,n, SIAN ccnc.pondrn, Of The Tribune.

frr,r, a san Correspondent Of The Tribune
Washington. Aug. elisha 5. Lee
s,oakipq for the committee of general
managers of railroads who are discuss
ing with President Wilson terms for
the settlement OK the dispute with the
unions. issued the following statement
tonight to put the railroads case be-
fore the public:
"That the railroads should grant
under threat of n national strike
$50. 600 900 wage preferment TO small
minority of their employees without a
hearing before a public tribunal IS IN
concciyable in democracy like ours.
"All questions at issue wages, hours
costs. operating conditions these are
submerged by the greater issue: Shall
arbitration be abandoned in the settle
mcnt of industrial disputes?
"If we are to throw arbitration into
the scrap heap, what hope can there be
in America for industrial peace in the
| future?.
"a nation wide strike is unthinkable
when the railroads are urging that all
the matters in dispute be placed before
anv tribunal constituted by public au-
! thority.
Congress for Arbitration.
"Arbitration is urged by Congress az
final method for settling controver-
sizes as 10 both hours and wages on the
railroads. The Newlands act Of 1913
was enacted by unanimous request OIL
the four railroad brotherhoods and
representatives Of the railroads. And
vet the leaders who urged this law now
take the position that a question OF
hours is beyond arbitration.
But wages, not hours, are in
volved in these demands. No pro-
posal has been made to establish an
eight hour work day. The demand
Is for an eight hour pay basis, ana
the employees have emphatically MADE
il known that they do not want eight
hours work for eight hours pay a
real eight hour day.
"a simple illustration will suffice
10 show how the eight hour basis OF
pay would work out Take for exam
pie. a freight employe paid . cents
mile with a days guarantee OF 80 for
100 miles Of ten hours or less. IL
is proposed TO make this guarantee
the same for eight hours or less. On
a freight run Of, say, only sixty miles
in ten hours, he earns 50 for his
time. II is now proposed that for
this work he be paid IS for the first
eight hours and Sl.25 for the other
two hours. a total Of S6.25, increas-
ing his pay p per cent
az by reason Of traffic delays he is
held idle on sdetrack. so that he
does not complete his trip until the end
OF twelve hours, he now is paid So for
his time. no matter how little work he
performs The demand is 10 pay him
$3.50 for this twelve-hour service.
How Pay Jumps Up.
meanwhile the employees would con-
tinue TO have the same opportunities "a
now 10 make still larger pay on the
mileage basis. For example, the man
on five-cents-a rate, making, say,
$50 miles in only seven hours, earns
$3.50 for his days work. If after this
he is called for short period of emer-
gency work-say, only two hours he
gets another full days guarantee OF 50,
making $3.50 in this example for only
nine hours service.
"Many other schedule provisions in
crease the wages of these well paid
men without increase in their hours
of service. II is because Of these OPP
portunities to take pay under mileage
or arbitrary rules that their yearly
earnings are so far beyond those OF
other workers charged with no less
responsible duties.
"The proposal from the President
now before the railroads, is;
Ito adopt the eight-hour day as
basis for wages, even where the
actual work to be done cannot be COM
pleted within eight hours to quote the
Presidents words.
2-"To increase the hourly rate Of
pay % per cent.
The Result as a Whole.
"The result Of the acceptance of this
proposal would be:
"First Absolutely no change in the
| les Of the work day.
"Second An increase in wages OF