Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-13
Cancellation BUREAU
BUSY WITH DISPUTES
Union Of Effort Manifest for Maxi.
mum Efficiency Of the =
Railroads. Aa

With the council OF national defense
concerned that the railroads of the
country should be kept running at their
utmost capacity. and with a special
committee arranging for a unification
OF the service on all the railroads of
the country for maximum efnciency.
the work Being done by the United
States board OF mediation and con-
ciliatton. This branch OF the govern
ment service has been very busy dur
ing recent months. As calls for the serv-
ices of the board have come frequent
~ in Joint request of both parties. the
railroad and the employees,
Controversies Settled in West.
Assistant Commissioner Hanger has
Just returned after an absence OF more
than three months. having successfully
mediated controversies between rail-
roads and their employees In Denver.
Col. between the Denver and Rio
Grande railroad and its engineers. fire.
men. conductors and tratnmen: In Chi
cago. between the Chicago Great West
ton agents and signal men. and a long
standing trouble between the Chicago
and Eastern Illinois railroad and Its
telegraphers. In all OF these cases the
employees had voted to strike. but be-
fore the actual retirement of the men
the services of the board of mediation
were invoked. resulting In amicable ad-
justmsnts In each case.
A strike on the Missouri. Kansas and
Texas railroad was the result OF q
lockout or discharge by the railroad of
all members OF the Order of Railroad
TeleGraphers. Under these conditions
the employees appealed to the board of
mediation for its services. but in view
Of the claim Of the railroad that there
was no stoppage Of trains or Interrupt
ton OF Its business. the only thing the
board could do was to tender Its friend
ly Offices.
Claim Made by Disputants.
The employees claim in justification
Of the strike under these conditions
that the company. through Its re-
ceiver. was arranging a force of strike-
breakers and substituting other meth
DDS and to devices to displace operators
substantially lockout. The company
claims in Justification OF its action
that it was the duty of the receiver to
be IN position to operate its trains in
any eventuality. The assistant COM
missioner has met representatives Of
the parties in conference at ST. Louis
twice in this case and the controversy
awaits further efforts at adjustment
A serious controversy involving three
railroads. engineers. fremen. switch
men and a large industrial enterprise
at Buffalo: case at Steubenville. Ohio.
and another at Indianapolis have en-
gaged the services recently of Judge
William L. Chambers. the commissioner
of mediation.
A controversy between the Rock Is
land railroad and its telegraphers.
which has necessarily been postponed
for several weeks awaiting time con-
venient to the parties when member
OF the board could meet them. will be
taken up shortly. It is understood that
in this case the Order Of Railroad
Photographers. in pursuance of the ac-
ton taken by its recent convention In
Seattle. will demand the application of
the eight-hour day. in terms of the
Adamson law. to its members In all
classes Of the service. Hitherto it has
been the general practice to pay over
time after eight to twelve hours. ac-
cording to the number OF tricks" or
operators employed at a.given station
or tower.
Invoke the Adamson Law.
since its constiutionality was sustain
cd by the Supreme Court, has been uni
versally applied to engineers. fremen.
conductors. trainmen and switchmen.
railroads have held that the language
OF the law. which reads all employees
who are now or may hereafter be &C
tually engaged IN any capacity In the
operation of trains used for the trans
portation of persons or property" etc.
does not include telegraph operators.
signalmen. etc.
A controversy on the Rutland rail-
road has been amicably settled. Just
as Judge Chambers was saying. with
an expression OF much satisfaction.
that there was now no controversy
anywhere in the country. so far as the
board has knowledge. that Is likely to
interrupt traffic or transportation on
the railroads." a request was received
for the services of the board from the
Order of Railroad TeleEraphers at
Kansas City in the controversy between
that organizat ton and the Kansas City.
Mexico and Orient railroad.