The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-02-17
PERMANENT PLAN
OF ARBITRATION
Finishing Touch to Railroad
Bill Inserts Clause
Satisfactory to
Labor.
LAST MINUTE CHANGE
Appeal Board Of Nine Members With
$4,000 Year Salaries to be
Appointed by
President.
LAST MINUTE CHANGE


WASHINGTON, Feb. IA per.
manent system of arbitration which
1t is believed will be satisfactory to
labor has been agreed upon by sen.
ate and house conferees as the fin.
ishing touch to the railroad bill.
The labor provisions were changed
at the last minute because Of recon-
mendations made by Director Cen
eral Hines which are understood to
represent the views OF President
Wilson. The plan adopted is similar
to that proposed by the president
as the means Of settling the present
railway wage dispute.
All anti-strike or compulsory arbl-
tration features were previously
eliminated from the conference re-
port, and the new system relies en-.
tirely upon public opinion for It's
enforcement. The conference report,
which will be submitted to the
house tomorrow, creates railway
board of labor appeals and allows
the formation OF railway adjustment
boards whenever satisfactory to both
carriers and employees.
! E,hc adjustment boardS are OF a
temporary nature and may handfe
disputes over hours, grievances and
working conditions, but not wages.
After failure Of the adjustment
boards to agree, an appeal can De
taken to the appeals board. which
has the exclusive Jurisdiction OF all
disputes concerning wages, this pro-
vision being added to insure uniform
wages throughout the country.
The makeup of the appeals board
was one Of the last minute changes
of the sconferees. 1t had been tenta-
lively agreed that the board was to
be composed of five members, three
Of whom represented the pubic.
Hines recommended board OF nine.
with three representatives each OF
the public, the carriers and the EN-
Moves. and this plan was accepted,
with the limitation that at least ono
nnhIic representative must vote Tor
an increase in wages before it can
be accepted.
A majority vote is reaslrea 70
mako an award. The adJustHien'
boards are composed or equal mum
bers Of representatives OF the car
riers and the employees.
Members Of the appeals board are
10 be appointed by the president 1or
terms of two, three and four years;
with the approval Of the senate, am anu
their salaries are fixed at S1o'ooV'
There are nine members.
A nroyision requires that all mem.
bars of this board must dispose OF
any interests they have In raliroaa
The three carrier anu
three empIoye members are selected
from lists of six candidates submitted
to the president by the railway execu'
tives and organized labor. me presf
dent selects three members hlmseif.
To guard the rights Of unorganlzed
labor the bill allows the board to
take up any dispute upon the petltlon
of 100 unorganized workers.
Awards of the appeals board are
final but 10 penalties are provided Tor
All alleged violations will be fnves-
tieated by the board and II found TO-
be contrary to the award Will be SO
declared publicly. l
Lust as previous legislation pro-
vided that railroad rates should be
"iust and reasonable" In reaching
calres that railroad wages must be
"iust an Unreasonable" In reaching
wage agreement the following points
must be taken into consideration, the
bill states: 4r.
Wages in similar kinds Of work, the
cost of living, the hazards involved.
the training, and skill necessary and
the character and regularity of the
employees. ...