The St. Joseph observer. [volume] (St. Joseph, Mo.) 1906-1932, 1916-08-05
RAILROAD CRISIS IS
Up To CONGRESS
Strike Seems Certain Unless Fed
eral Commission Acts.
1T REPRESENTS THE PUBLIC.

One OF which Provides For Inter-
state commeroe Commission as Ar
bitrstor - 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-
tion 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 oyer 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 a resolu-
ton which was introduced by Senator
Newlands on June 90 providing for an
investigation by the commission Of the
whole subject of railway wages and
their relation to railway earnings.
This resolution was proposed by the
chamber of commerce of the United
States after having been approved by
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 decision. The
Newlands resolution is much broader
and. without contemplating a final set.
Element by the commission, directs 1t
to investigate and report on "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 he 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 flea OF federal tribunal fixing
wages and declare that an investiga.
tion 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 be
more inclined TO yield to their de
mands when confronted with a strike
| vote.
| In their reply to the brotherhoods the
railways advanced as their reasons fol
proposing to refer the question to tn,
Interstate commerce commission tha
1t Is "the only tribunal which by rea
son OF its accumulated informal tior
bearing on railway conditions and II.
bontrol of the revenue of the railway,
Is In a position to consider and pro
tect tie rights aud equities of all tn,
interests affected and TO provide addi
tionaI revenues necessary to meet tn,
proposals are found by the commits
sion to be just and reasonable"
Whereas a board OF arbitration con
stituted under the Newlands act coul'
pass only on the questions presente,
TO II In an arbitration agreement sign
ed by both parties and would In N
way represent the interests OF the pub
lie in the controversy. the interstate
commerce commission would not be 81
restricted and could consider the rels
tion Of the wages of the train and en-
gine men 20 those OF the other EN-
ployees, as well as the necessary ei
rates to be paid by the public.
IL without the support Of public opin
| ION the railway brotherhOOds could no