Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-03-04
TEE RELIEF SCHEME.
The p. II. "a. Employees in Confer
enco Oppose Ht,

enco Oppose 1t,
PHILADELPHIA, March 2.-The three hun
dred and more employees of the Pennsyl
vanla railroad, who were selected as dele
gates 10 the convention called by Genera
Manager Charles L. Pugh, to discuss thu
proposed relief fund as. ociation scheme
met In the large reading room OF Broa(
street station this morning.
The delegates were admitted by certificates
and. except Mr.. Pugh and half a dozeI
| prominent officers OF the company, no one
without a delegates certificate was admitted
special orders having been Issued thai
no newspaper men should be allowed to be
| present.
There was no formal organization OF the
convention, Mr.. Pugh assuming the chair
and announcing that the meeting had been
| called for the purpose of a discussion OF
| the proposed relief fund scheme between
| himself, representing the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company, and the delegates sent
from the employees themselves.
The delegates were given to understand
that the conference was to be strictly conf
dental and, while no pledges to secrecy
were made, an intimation was given that
the delegates would be expected to be close
mouthed about the proceeding.
Mr.. Pugh did not submit any plan to the
meeting, stating that the general provisions
were already pretty well known to the men
and 1t would be in time hereafter when the
matter had been thoroughly discussed to
prepare basis upon which an agreement
might be reached.
The delegates were then invited to
address the convention and present their
views.
Some feeling was aroused at an early
hour by one OF the delegates, who moved
that the time In which delegate could talk
should be limited.
There was general cry of Indignation at
this proposition, and Mr.. Pugh refused to
entertain the motion.
Two hours were consumed after the dis
cussion began by half dozen delegates,
every one of whom stated that he had been
Instructed TO oppose the plan as proposed
in several material particulars and nearly
all OF them declaring respectfully but firmly
and warmly that the bodies which had
sent them had instructed them not only to
oppose the plan suggested, but to oppose
any plan for any insurance association
which would compel them to give up their
local and departmental associations, or in
any way be compulsory.
Several of these delegates, however, who
thus expressed their opposition, anticipat- |
ing that the plan in some shape would be |
insisted upon by the company, presented |
notifications which they said II adopted |
would at least soften their opposition.
In every ease the chief Of these modifca- |
tons was the abandonment OF the clause /
which eOmpes the men to surrender all /
claims for injuries received In their com Il
panys service in lieu of the relief proposed
by the fund.
There were 1924 delegates, IL from each OF |
the ~ divisions. Solicitor Scott said that
the policy of the management ui the Penn
sylvania Railroad Company was Intended Il
to be II liberal one toward its employees, and
under no circumstances was there desire |
In force t1A intn unutbfno that UNI Il
luxurious or a source OF annoyance.
The divisions OF the railroad being called
In alphabetical order, Altoona came first,
and the sentiments expressed by the dele
gates from that section proved to be those
largely dominant In the convention. They
said that with the most loyal sentiment |
coward the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany,, the men whom they represented felt
hat the relief fund, as proposed and which
Affected them most seriously, was not such
ls they could indorse. And that any scheme
>f the sort, however greatly modified,
would present difficulties which would
% hard for them to accept. They
we're opposed to the plan and asserted that
! similar feeling prevailed among the men
hey represented. Independent OF the OBJ
ection of the plan In its entirety, or to any
plan Of the sort, there were special obiec-
lions to the scheme us presented. II is pro-
posed to supersede all the local and depart
neuJ reiel ussoclhtlOns, 10 which many oil
he men were attached; 1t compelled the
men to surrender legal remedies against
the company for injuries received In Its SER
vice, and accept In its place the benefits of
a fund accumulated by their own contribu-
lions; and 1t did not provide for an equal
of the men most directly in
terested upon the advisory board. These
and other special objections were presented.
The New York men, the Baltimore men
and the Pittsburg men were especially en-
phatic in their objections to the plan. One
Of the New York delegates went so far as to
say that he represented men who did not
want the relief fund, modified or unmodi-
fled; would not have it, and didn't want
any moro circulars about il. Tho Phia-
delphia and the Middle Division men,
the former, did not agree alto
gether with the sentiments expressed by
the other large divisions, but even they de-
sired n decided modification. The Phila-
delphia delegates wanted relief plan, but
not like the one proposed. One of the dele
gates from the Delaware & Belvidere divi-
sion created something of a sensation by
declarlngth that herepresented men who were
not only in favor of the relief fund as pro-
posed but We're willing, II the basis of con-
tributions was not sufficient, to be assessed
at higher rate. One of the other dele
gates from that division said that this state
ment was not true, and that In expressing |
such an opinion his colleague only repre-
sented himself. When the delegate at
Lempte to reply to this contradiction, he
was Missed down by the convention and
could not he heard. Some of the delegates,
and In some cases an entire delegation from
/ division, expressed their Willingness to
ndorse the relief fund If materially modi-
led, but the almost unanimous sentiment
Of the convention was very well described
by one of the delegates whan he said: sin
short, we desire to respectfully represent
hat we don't need this relief, we don't
want 1t, and we hope the company will not
insist that we shall say that we will not
nave It,"
After the convention had adjourned, with
three cheers for Manager pugh and no
-elief," I'm official statement was made by
,Ir. Pugh, in which tho following is given
IS result of the days talk: "While the most
iindly feeling was expressed for the COM
lany and its officers throughout, the |
Of the relief scheme and all its
eatures were of tho most candid and out
'poken character, and the drift of the senti-
nent was against its adoption. The |
'easons given for this were too numerous |
o be recited in report. One-which was
prominent above all others-was the fact
hat various classes of employees have
llready taken life insurance to rs large an
,Xtent rs they felt able to stand, and did
lot wish to be put in the position of either
what had already been ac-
lulred or of accepting the benefits of the
'elief fund"
The men are greatly encouraged, and
vent home full of confidence that the relief
und would be- abandoned. The New York |
delegates said that all of their men pro-
POSED at once to withdraw from the asso-
'intion, which they had Joined under
The officials of the company declined to |
my what effect the expressions OF the dele |
E..A.. -
und. All Of the objections and expressions
II opinion We're carefully noted and will be
considered.