Evening star., 1926-05-30
GOOD WILL CHIEF HOPE
FOR RAIL LAW SUCCESS
Compulsion Wholly Lacking in Plan for
Settling Disputes-Failure May
Mean Drastic New Act.

or its predecessor, the Erdman act Of
1898. similar legislation both Of
which applied only to transportation
employees. while all classes are cared
for by the Parker-Watson measure.
Briefly. it provides first that the
railroads and employees shall settle
all issues arising, either by regional
or local boards of adjustment of their
own. When they fail, the Federal
Board of Mediation of five members,
created by the act, is empowered to
take steps to settle the difficulty. II
the mediators are hnable to effect
settlement. and the pa rites refuse to
arbitrate. the board will so report TO
the President, who will name an
emergency committee to institute an
investigation If the dispute threatens
to assume the proportions of a strike
While this emergency committee
can do nothing except give its opinion
as to which party is at fault, sponsors
OF the bill said that this would be a
powerful deterrent in q strike. Tho
committee is to report its conclusions
within 80 days after it's creation, and
for 80 days thereafter mo change, ex-
cept by agreement, shall be made by
the parties to the controversy in the
conditions out Of which the dispute
| arose." under the law, which is .Ster,.
days for Il cooling off" period, accord
| ing to the sponsors of the act. 1t was
into this section that the manufac-
turers wanted to write an out-and-
| prohibition against striking. during
this period, but it was declared that
| this would contravene the spirit of
the law, which lays obligations not
| only on the emplOye to precipitate no
trouble. but on the employer also.
Procedure of Arbitration.
! Where arbitration is decided upon.
machinery is provided for the selection
Of a group of arbitrators, whose find
ings will be final, and be entered as
| Federal court orders to give them
effect. Appeals from these rulings
will only he possible where fraud has
entered into the decisions. or where
the award does not conform TO the
provisions Of the arbitration agree
| mcnt.
While the plea has been made that
| the public has MO voice in the settling
Of disputes such as was furnished by
| the Labor Board. which was tripartite
labor, employer and public represen-
tation being provided-those behind
| the bill say it is so drawn as likely to
make fragrant disregard Of public well
| fare subject to prosecution under the
conspiracy law. which might or might
not stand in court, as the Supreme
| Court has never handed down deCi-
sion on this identical angle.
SO far as a check on wage agree.
ments is concerned. where they would
! entail heavy rate increases. the belief
| is held that the interstate commerce
! committee could act effectively. even If
| only indirectly. inasinuch as il could
I deny rate increases where deemed en-
| orbitant or uncalled for. thus leaving
! employer and employe to fight out
wage disputes the best they could.
| Peace Is Aim of Both.
| But for the minute the Parker
Watson sponsors are laying aside all
thoughts of possible conflict, as from
high in the councils of both employers
and employees come pledges Of using
every means to preserve peace now
| that they are in control Of their
| affairs once more. Only under two
railroad labor laws. the act of 1883
and title 3 of the transportation act.
/ into which compulsion was written.
have extensive labor troubles existed.
| it is pointed out, reference being made
to the Debs strike of 1894 and that
of the shopmen in 1922. while. on the
contrary, the period covered by the
Erdman and Newlands acts demon
strated the success of voluntary medi-
alton, it Is contended.
''They employers and employes) are
now asking to have this agreement
written into law. not for the purpose
of having governmental power ex-
erted to compel the parties to do right.
but in order to obtain government
aid in their cooperative efforts and
in order to assure the public that their
interest in efficient continuous trans
portation service will be permanently
protected
| That was the attitude of the spon-
sors of the bill as<eutlined by Donald
+. Richberg. counsel for the brother
hoods. and one of the leading figures
in the fight for the new measure. in
his testimony before the House COM
mittee on interstate and foreign com
merce, holding hearings on the bill.
| For once, capital and labor has an
opportunity to operate under legisla
ton of it's own making. for their own
bill passed Congress virtually without
'the crossing of a It or the dotting
Of an i'." If there is any fall down.
the public will know where to place
the blame.
Il