Salt Lake Telegram | 1928-09-19 | Page 10 | Coolidge's Aid Now Looked for in Rail Dispute

COOLIDGE'S AID NOW fOR IN RAil Sept 19 Rep AP-Rep- or of five fifty ive western railroads and and conductors now look to President t CoolIdge to expedite 1 te a settlement of Wage differences between them 1 The federal board of medIation which has JUlS been attempting to toi i rec reconcile opposing dema demands l s of the unions and railway officials for the i past ast week announced yesterday that no adjustment of wages and 1 working rules had been reached t. t L' L No Nocle cle definite official action can be 1 t ken for two months officials ex- ex r r ed although the he trainmen n and conductors have voted In favor of ofa a strIke It President Coolidge I should Intervene and appoint a fact I finding commission under the rallay railway rail rall way ay labor act the special board Would have thirty days to J gate and report If such a report were made the unions w would uld be compelled to walt wait another thirty days daJ's before acting It Ie the president should to refrain from takIng taki tak- tak i ing a hand the unions might act at once REFUSE ARBITRATION Increased wage demands varyIng i from 10 to 15 per pel cent were made by the unions while Jh ro roads di were willing to all allow ow increases ases of 01 7 2 1 per cent On the working rule which the railroads have sought to elimInate the unions ns have hav refused I to arbitrate claiming that its elim- elim t t. t would mean a 1 15 per cent reduction reductio In salaries J. J V. Higgins who represented t the western carriers explained the to arbItrate 1 The public should understand f that the failure to settle the con con- controversy between th western railways rail rall- ways and their conductors and nd r. r trainmen has has' been entirely due to the rejection by the labor organ organ- organIzations ns of the two t different pro pro- or of arbitration One of these proposals was made by the conference committee of managers representing the rall The other was drawn up by the United d States board of mediation and was accepted as a fall fair basis of 01 settlement by the presidents of the Order of Railway Conductors and he Brotherhood of 01 Railway Train Train- nen but was repudIated by the general committees of these organ organ- I EXPLAINS POSITION l The rhe unwillingness ess of 01 the unions unions' I committees to accept the boards board's propositiOn n was described b by Mr Higgins as a refusal to ac- ac any fall proposItion InvolvIng arbitration i E. E P CurtIs l' l representing the I conductors explained the arbitral failure thusly l We Ve have ref refused sed to arbitrate the elimination of the doubleheader rule in its entirety because It has been In In effect i for seven twenty years and Js ia a settled condition of employ employ- ment as much so as collective bargaining bargaining bar bar- gaining and the hour eight day Railroads have no need for two S on a single train Mr Curtis declared explaining that they have ample to move mom tonnage than they now carry U I