The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-09-10
THE READING TROUBLE
A Final Conference to be Held
Monday.
WHAT THE MEN ARE FIGHTING FOR.

they Say It is over Objectionable Clauses
in the Blanks Which New Employees Are
Compelled 60 sign--s atemeut Of Presi-
don't 0IcLood.
PHILADELPHIA, Sep. 10-After the con-
ference with President Mcleod the COM
mittee representing the employees Of the
Reading Railroad system held "A meeting
at the st. Charles Hotel Engineer Clapp
of the Jersey Central Road, who is chair
man OF the committee, presided After
the session ended Chairman Clapp an
nounced that the conference with Presi-
dent Mcleod was not altogether satsfac-
tory and that there would be another and
probably final one on Monday
A member of the committee says it
was a mistake to believe that the present
trouble with the Reading Road was over
the discharge of any engineers. He de-
clared that it is over clauses in the blanks
issued to applicants for employment in
the company which read thus:
Are you member of a labor organiza-
tion and if so what onel
If member will you withdraw and re-
fuse to support or belong to any labor or
ganizaton if you take service with this
companyl
Are you willing 20 become a member of
the Philadelphia & Reading Relief Asso-
| citation!
The men say they are fighting for their
| rights as American citizens, their right to
belong to fraternal beneficial organiza-
tions having for their purposes the pay
ment of death and accident benefits, the
| establishment and support Of a home
for the care of disabled members of their
| craft and to save the brotherhoods of To-
| comoUive engineers and fremen.
The men say they do not underate the
| power Of the Reading Company to cope
with a strike. They say there are thou
| sands of men in the employ of the COM
| pany wiping engines and running donkey
! pumps who are capable of running To-
connective, either freight or passenger, and
it is these men that the company can call
| upon in the case of a strike by the Broth
erhood of Engineers.
President Mcleod makes the following
statement for publication in regard to
the conference:
Gin the first place, these men had alb
solutely no grievance to submit Their
visit was prompted solely by desire to
inform themselves as to the attitude which
the Reading Company intended to assume
| toward labor organizations, and they
complained Of no wrongs for which to
seek redress To two of our rules they
object One OF these requires that every
employe of the Reading Company shall
become member of the Reading Railroad
| Relief Association.
The other rule is that relating to the
employment of new men. We require
that every applicant for position, before
becoming an employe Of the company
must pledge that he not only does
not belong to any labor association what
ever, but that he will not do so while in
the employ of the company. l may state
that this rule only applies to new men.
"None of the men employed on any o.
our lines who became members of labor
organizations previous to the adoption o
of this rule are in any way interfered
with. And the same may be said of tn,
employees on lines which we have recent,
leased. Many Of these were members o
various federations at the tim
of the roads passing into our hand
and we have permitted them to remain
3d."
"Well, what was your reply to tn,
men, Mr. McLeodi" was asked.
"My reply" he answered. sis indicated
by the rules l have quoted. They EN-
body the position of the Reading Com
pany toward organized labor. Let m
repeat that these men had no complain
to make, and only sought to know ou
position in the matter l told it to then
as l have told it to you"