A Small-Town Wage Fight Goes to Arbitration—and Both Sides Pay Half
When a Richland nursery salesman disputed his pay, the town improvised a three-man board instead of a courtroom.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
It would seem that Richland is on a par with large cities which boast of labor organizations, boards of arbitration and “sich like.” On account of a little difficulty in regard to what remuneration he was entitled to as salesman and workman at the Home Nursery Co., in Richland, C. S. Gibbs found it necessary to enter into an agreement with his employer, Fred P. Freeman, manager of the Home Nursery Co., to leave the matter to a board of arbitration. On this board Mr. Gibbs was represented by Harry Wheelhouse, Mr. Freeman by W. M. Relton, and the third member, chosen by the other two, was Judge F. A. Howes. After thoroughly going into the matter the board decided to split the difference and make each side stand one-half of the disputed sum. This would seem a very good idea in case of difficulty as to a wage scale controversy, but the majority of people err on the safe side and know what wages they are to get before they start to work.
“The board decided to split the difference and make each side stand one-half of the disputed sum.”
Arbitration over uncertain pay is still a live issue in Washington agriculture and nurseries, where seasonal and piece-rate work can leave workers and employers disputing what was owed. The improvised three-man board is a reminder that before formal labor boards, small towns settled wage fights through neighbors and local judges.
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