Evening star., 1928-11-08

Commendation is given to the flnd-
ings of the first presidential board ap-
pointed under the present Railroad Labor
act to settle dispute. Its verdict that
certain alternatives should be offered to
the companies and to the hrotherhoods
is viewed as probably leading the way
to a settlement. Acceptance by the in
terests arrayed In the controversy. how
ever, is not compulsory. The roads rep
resented are in the West and have
$4,000 to 10000 workers involved In the
negotiations.
The opinion of the Binghamton Press
is summed up In the statement: 1T is
in the last degree improbable that the
two brotherhoods will reject the findings
of board which has so fully and open
mindedly considered their contentious:
That the carriers should reject it is, of
course, unthinkable." The Press points
out that under the law the men are
not obliged to accept the ruling OF
presidential board, that body having no
means Of enforcing its decision" and,
reviewing the decision, says: "One con-
cession, and one of considerable mo-
ment, is made in the award. That is to
make the increased pay, on either OF
the two propositions, retroactive to the
beginning of the controversy in May
last Since the men at large are prob
ably not responsible for the needless de-
lay in obtaining relief; this is perhaps a
Just consideration. though 1t will bear
more heavily on the carriers"
Emphasizing the fact that the present
commission is puzzled by the failure OF
the parties to the controversy to settle
it by direct negotiations, the Chicago
Daily News concludes that 1.-The fact
finding board by its plain-spoken report
has made morally impossible a suSpen-
sion of transportation throughout the
West as a result of the existing contro-
versy" The Daily News argues: Pub
lie opinion, which indirectly settles many
questions, should take note of the state
ment of the board that the difference
between the final offer of the Western
railroads and the real demands of the
men amounts to from to cents a
day and that this difference is too
small to justify an interruption of
transportation Can any rational per-
son denur to this pertinent observa-
tion?"
THE award" according to the Louis
vile Courier journal virtually upheld
the decision of the Board of Mediation
and recommended that the workers
should accept one of three propositions
made by that board-a wage increase
of 61a per cent, with no change In
working rules: an increase of 7la per
cent and elimination of the union rule
against double-headers, or a 7la per
cent increase and submission OF num-
ber of working rules to arbitration.
The presidential board suggests the
Interstate Commerce Commission as
proper body to act upon these technical
matters. The carriers desire to
use their machinery of transportation
to its utmost capacity, for which they
cannot be blamed. The third
plan outlined. calling for further arbi-
tration. was agreed to by the railroads
and the brotherhoods, but was re-
jected by the chairmen of brotherhood
local committees. Perhaps they have
changed their minds"
THE report cannot be regarded with
any large degree of optimism" is the
adverse opinion of the Providence
Journal which asserts that ut follows
the lines of least resistance" and con-
tends that "inasmuch as the employees
have insisted upon the retention of the
rules in question ever since the con-
troversy started months ago, and have
agitated this phase of the dispute at
times almost to the exclusion of the
wage issue, 1t will be surprising II they
do not accept the alternative that, If
| the rules are not abrogated, the man.
agements are requested to raise wages
by only 6ia per cent" The Journal ad-
vises as to the position of the eXecu-
tives, I'm one of the most prosperous
periods in our history, generally speak
ing, the carriers, with all their improved
facilities, have not been able to earn