The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-11-16
LABOR HEARINGS
COMPLETED HERE
BY war BOARD
Decision May Not be Render
ed Within Month, Accord
ing to Examiners.

Hearing of labor complaints before
members of the war labor board were
completed Friday afternoon. Exami
ners Bland and Smith left for Wash
ington SATURDAY,
II Is not known when a decision will
be siven. but it will probably be at
least a month or two, as the board
has as many as forty cases a week
upon which to make decisions.
When the decisions are made the
employees and employers will be mott
fed
Friday afternoon the J. M. Hutton
charges were dismissed, it was stated
because of the fair attitude Of Walter
Hutton Of the company. The matter
will be settled by employer and en-
ployes.
In the hearing Of the Davis Motor
Car company it was discovered that
petition had been signed which stat
ed that the complaint filed with the
war labor board and signed by the
employees did not represent the sign
ers OF the petition. and the signers Of
the petition, upon examination, are
employers. They are contractors who
pay the employees and engage them.
In discussion it became known that
the contractors did not wish the in
crease in wages as 1t will affect their
wages.
A document from the company de-
MED the jurisdiction of the War La
Dor board and the Validity of the
charges against the company. 1t stat
ed that there was no discrimination
in the plant against the employers
who are affiliated with labor unions.
that here is harmony in the plant and
the complaint was animated by the
activities of labor organizers.
Boy Gives Testimony.
A document from the +. N. Lawn
Mower company was read after
few more witnesses had presented
testimony. The document stated that
the company did no war work, and
therefore can not come under the
Jurisdiction of the war labor board,
md that the company carries insur-
lnce policies on each employe.
Witnesses testifying against the
Jenkins-Vulcan Springs and the Mil
er-Kemper companies stated that in
he case OF the former the employees
we're recognized. but that in the case
If the latter shop committees were
lot recognized. A document was in
reduced from the Miller-kemper CON-
,sny stating that 1t had no contract
With the government. and that the
var labor board could have no juriS-
fiction whatsoever.
Earl Bauserman, IL years old. was a
FITNESS in the Safety Gate case. He
'nld that nc " orks ten hours a day for
q cents an hour and helps support
l's family. His father is out Of work
Ind his mother takes in washing. One
brother is in France and there are Ave
,ther children in the family. He was
n the seventh grade when he left
school and has been out for year.
Witnesses in this case testified that
sanitary conditions were very bad. 1t
was stated that strike called at the
Safety Gate was held back by labor
organizers.
1t was testified that letter was is
sued at the Safety Gate company on
October %, which stated that pending
the decision of the war labor board,
the Safety Gate company would in
crease the wages of the employees and |
this would become retroactive Sep
tcmber 1, and whatever decision the
war labor board came to would be
concurred in by the company.
No RebuttaI Offered.
A document introduced from the
company stated that 1t would not rec
ngnize any authority of the war labor
hoard
Witnesses in the Hayes Track Ap- |
plancc hearing stated that they made
62la cents an hour They said that |
their hours were too long and the |
wages were not high enough. They |
said that Mr. Hayes, president, said |
that If he recognized the union men |
the other manufacturers would run |
him out of town.
Mr.. Smith said he did not wish to
offer any evidence in rebuttal, because
1t was an ex parte hearing, as the
manufacturers were out of court, de-
MED the jurisdiction of the board and |
did not offer any evidence to substan-
tiate allegations in their briefgs.
Examiner Bland, in a final state
ment, expressed the gratitude of the
board for the courteous manner in
which the hearings were conducted.
He refused to make a statement as
to the probable outcome of the hear
ings.