Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-10-10
LOOKS OMNIBUS.
Situation on the Erie Road
Rather Strained.
THE MEMS DEMANDS REJECTED.

Wages. Hours Per Day and That Texed
Question of Discipline and Discharge
All NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Kings Letter
Declining to Grant The Demands
The Federation of Railway Employees
Interested and the Men Determined
on Their Purpose.
NEW YORK, Oct. I0-The New York,
Lake Erie and Western railroad, through
President King, last evening made known,
by means of a brochure addressed to all
its employees. its reply to the demands of
its engineers, conductors, and firemen
and trainmen made some time ago. These
demands numbered eighty-three, and re.
to govern the employees of the road. They
came from the federated body of employees
of the system.
Cannot AFFORD a Raise.
The reply says: THE company is una
bic to advance wages generally. II does
not expect or desire to pay less wages for
similar service than those paid upon COM
peting and adjacent roads, bur, on the
other hand, as il cannot obtain higher
rates for transportation, it cannot afford
to pay rates higher than those of its COM
petitoEs and the fact is that its present
rates are almost without exception high
er than the average paid by them. In the
few instances where it is not the case the
company will, however. readjust its rates.
The Central Question Again.
$50 far as the management of the cor
porate business and the employment and
discipline of the company's officials are
concerned those matters are committed
by law TO the wise discretion of the Of
ficers and directors in Office when Ques-
tions regarding the same may arise. The
interest of all concerned-of the employees
no less than of all others-require that
the law in these respects should be
obeyed. But the officers of the company
will continue in the future, as they have
j n the past, to faithfully endesvor to pro-
mote the welfare of each and every en-
ploye, as we'll as the efficiency of the
service.
The Meat of Another Matter.
"Of the demand that ten hours shall con-
stitute days work the reply says: zone
o. the articles of the schedule proposes
that ten hours shall constitute a days
work, and overtime shall be paid for at
the rate of one tenth day per hour. While
tbs apparently relates TO the length Of
time during which employees shall be on
duty, IT is in fact proposition for in
crease in wages. The proposition is not
to limit continuous hours of work TO ten,
but is merely that any time beyond the
limit shall be paid for as extra work.
Rules Should Work Both Ways.
The system of pay in force is the trip
system; all runs are computed as a day or
more than day AS the division may war
rant. II is manifest that many OF the reg
ulsr trains occupy much less than ten
hours. The present proposition is that
for every hour in excess of ten occupied
by Il run additional wages shall be paid.
But if the runs are TO paid for strictly by
the hour it would naturally follow that
for every hour less than ten. wages would
be correspoBdingly reduced"
Ii Looks Like = strike.
A reporter saw Chairman YoungsOn OF
of the emp'oyes' union last night aud he
did rot care 10 make any statement.
Is it true that the Erie pays higher
wages than competing liness' was asked.
N o; it pays less"
You said some time ago that the men
would insist on their Demands
@lf we did not intend 70 insist on them
they would not have been formulated, =
and Mr.. Youngson withdrew The men
are reported TO be in no mood for trihing,
aud some Of them think that the company
Is playing game of bluff II there is a
strike it will involve the Federation of
Railway Employees and be a great one.