The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-02-17
Wilson, Hines, and Congress
Redraft Railway Bill.
Every Effort to Speed Passage
VIII Be Made.
BOARD OF Nine PROVIDED
Workers, Employers and Public
To Be Represented.
Subsidiary Adjustment Boards
Another Part of Plan.

Washington. Feb. IA permanent
system Of arbitration which it is be
lieved will be satisfactory to labor has
been agreed upon by senate and house
conferees as the finishing touch to
the railroad bill.
The labor provisions were changed
at the last minute because Of recon-
mendations made by Director General
Hines which are understood to rep
resent 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 arbi-
tratiOn features We're previously elimi-
mated from the conference report and
the new system relies entirely upon
public opinion for its enforcement.
Provides Adjustment Boards.
The conference report. which will be
submitted to the house tomorrow
creates a railway board of labor ap-
peals and allows the formation of rail-
way adjustment boards whenever
satisfactory to both carriers and en-
ployes.
The adjustment boards are Of a
temporary nature and may handle dis
working conditions but not wages.
After failure of the adjustment
boards to agree an appeal can be taken
to the appeals board which has the
exclusive jurisdiction of all disputes
concerning wages this provision be-
ing added to insure uniform wages
thruout the country
Appeals Board Last Change.
The makeup Of the appeals board
Of CT r,,fr1 Oh
of the conferees. 1t had been tenta-
lively agreed that the board was to
be composed of five members, three
of whom represented the public.
Hines recommended Il board Of nine
with three representative each of the
public. the carriers and the employees
and this plan was accepted with the
limitation that at least one public rep
resentative must vote for an increase
in wages before it can be accepted. A
majority vote is required to make an
award The adjustment boards are
composed of equal mum bers of repre-
sentatives of the carriers and the en-
ployees.
Members of the appeals board are
: to be appointed by the president for
terms of two. three and four years,
with the approval Of the senate and
their salaries are fixed at $4,000.
There are nine members.
Must All Be Neutral.
A provision requires that all mem
hcrs of this board must dispose of any
interests they have in railroad securi-
ties. The three carrier and three en-
plOye members are selected from lists
Of six candidates submitted to the
president by the railway executives
and organized labor. The president
selects three members himself.
To guard the rights of unorganized
labor, the bill allows the board to take
up any dispute upon the petition of
100 unorEanized workers.
Awards of the appeal board are
final. but no penalties are provided for
violations. All alleged violations will
be investigated by the board and if
found to be contrary to the award
will be so declared publicly.
Just as previous legislation provided
that railroad rates should be Just
and reasonable" in reaching a wage
agreement. the following points must
he taken into consideration, the bill
states;
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.
Conference Is Called.
Coincident yesterday with the an
nouncement that house and senate con-
ferees had practically redrafted the
labor section of the bill so as to pro-
vide for compulsory arbitration. Di
rector General Hines sent a request to
President Cuyler of the Association Ct
Railroad Executives for a conference
here with h IN of a committee repre-
senting the railroad corporation heads
TO discuss President Wilson's proposal
for the creation of a joint commission
to hear the union employees demands
At the conference Mr.. Hines will
have with the railroad officials. nc
date for which had been fixed today
he will seek TO learn their attitude
toward President Wilson's plan for
settlement of the wage controversy ir
event the arbitration machinery pro
posed in the reorganization bill fail:
TO become law. The general conven-
tion of union representatives will be-
held here next Monday, and Mr.. Hines
hoped to have his conference with the
nffinials- Lafn--n - L..