Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-06-11
THE CAR : BUILDERS.
THIRD DAYS SESSION OF
MASTERS ASSOCIATION.
AN EXCEEDINGLY LIVELY TINE.
The West Against the Enst-it LOOK
ed Like DIsuniOn-An CprOar over
u.nnirs-The Annual hall Last
Night.
cd Like DisuDi
Night.

L III i, ''fNT-"(
4 third days session OF the Master Gar
Builders Association. which opened at
tho Hotel ChamberliD at a little after
| o'clock to-day. was most Lively, and at
one time II looked as though sectohdi
| strife might result In "A disunion OF the
| organization. 1t was a question OF the
East and the West, and while the former
won the day. it is by no means se''eu
that there is no more trouble In store
President =. A. Crone called the meet
| ing TO order. The first business was the
report of the special committee appoint
| ed yesterday TO revise the price-hst LOT
repairs and time employed Ia making
them. 1t was this report which served
| TO stir up the excitement. II was not
long before Hon. \. l.. Humphrey WHO
WAS last year Speaker OF the Colorduo
House Of Representatives., was on MS
feet. and the remarks made ~ him caused
| considerable commotion. Mr. Humphrey
! contended that he had been before the
| committee the evening previous, III lhe
| hope of obtaining some recognition TOT
| the western roads. He and his colleagues
he said. had been ignored, and now he
proposed to present their claims on the
floor Of the house. Mr. Humphrey talked
long. loud. eoquently. and well. lie
said that the roads of the western coun-
try had been Disseminated against In
| the matter of prices for repair work
The fact that raw material costs more
i'm the western machine-shops than II
does here i'm the East and South had
never been taken into consideration. The
western members of the association, Mr..
! Humphrey empha tically declared, con-
| tinually lose money on the repair work
! they perform for foreign roads while the
| eastern companies make a good-siZed
profit when they fix up the cars of the
western companies. which happen TO be-
come disabled OH their tracks. This
is all wrong" said Mr.. Humphrey. "and
we western members OF this association
are being continually called down by
orr general managers. These gentlemen
are beginning to look with discredlt upon
this organization. They formerly thought
il a good thing now they wonder why 1t
| only legislates in the interest of eastern
| roads"
In closing. Mr.. Humphrey moved that
| the rates for all repair work done on
| cars west of the 1O5th meridian be in
| creased 10 per cent. over those regularly
| charged according to the schedule re-
ported by the committee.
AN UPROAR.
In an instant there was an uproar.
| Several members were on their feet, all
| trying to speak at once. Mr. j. n. Barr
was the first to be recognized, however,
and he only got the floor by bit of
strategy. He insisted that he proposed
TO second the motion. and then. after
he had done that, said that there was
really nothing i'm it, or, at least, not
much. as he tersely put 1t. The west
! ern roads he insisted. We're much bet
ter off under the present rules man
they were a few years ago. He did not
believe in different rates for different
| sections The western roads enjoyed
many privileges which the eastern roads
did not. and he thought that all things
considered, the two sections averaged up
| about even.
with Mr.. Barr.
II. j. Small, of the Southern Pacific.
thought the West had rights which
| should be at least considered. He felt
that the western roads were losing
money on the repair end of their bust
ness. while those east Of meridian lO5
were enjoying fair profit. =.
w. II. Lewis opposed any change, and
was quite emphatic i'm his statements.
| s. p. Bush. of the Pennsylvania lne'
thought the West might have griev-
ances but to grant 10 per cent. In
crease in the price-list would be all
wrong.
WAS CORNERED.
Mr.. Chamberlin was nicely cornered
by Mr.. Humphrey during the debate. In
| the course of the formers remarks he
stated that his company lost 70 cents
every time it changed wheel on a
car which did not belong to 1t.
That's lust what we western men are
| kicking about, laughed Mr.. Humphrey.
| Were losing money too; now Will you
assist us to advance the price for re-
| pair work? Mr.. Humphreys motion was
| lost. 1t was then voted to accept the
report Of the committee.
The report of the Auditing Committee
was presented. and showed the records
of Treasurer Demerest and Secretary
Cloud TO be correct. II was decided TO
adopt n standard gauge of feet GA
inches from the inside of one hange 10
the outside of the other.
The report of the committee appointed
at the last annual session on loading
logs. poles. bark. and long structural
materials on cars, was presented III
printed form. profusely illustrated. 1t was
discussed by Masters 5. l.. BUSH
w. II. Lewis. w. II. Day, f. II. STARK
II. Haskill. Charles Collier, j. II. Peck
and j. II. Petterie. and accepted ana
sent on to letter ballot.
An invitation from Mayor w. ~ Post
and eneral-Superintendent Summer n.
smith 10 visit Newport News and the
ship-building plant there was received
The matter of trains parting was re-
ferred to last years committee for a
more detailed report at next convention
The noon hour was taken up by as
cussing several technical questions. in
Guiding Copper Sheathng for Passen-
per-Cars; How Applied and What
Are its Advantages?'; Is the Re-
tention of Dummy Couplers on
Freight Equipment Desrable?"; "The
Value of Thermal Tests of Chilled
| Car-Wheels," etc. At o'clock the
convention adjourned to admit OF
the members attending the closing eX-
ercises of the Normal School at Hamp-
ton.
EVENT OF THE DAY.
The event of the day, or, more pro-
perly speaking, night. was the annual
bal of the association, which came off
al the Hotel Chamberlin. the grand
march starting at o'clock. This was
led by President s. A. Crone and lady,
next in line being the presidents
Nessrs T.. ID. Branner, G. A. Schroyer
and ]. T. Chamberlin. Then came Trea-
surer G.. w. Demarest and Secretary
John Cloud. all OF them with handsome
and charmingly dressed ladies on their
arms.
The uniforms of the officers from Fort
Monroe who were present added TO the
splendor of the occasion. Several OF the
officers from the battleship Texas also
graced the occasion by their presence
Edward G Bates was floor manager
His aids were Messrs. Charles w. Mar