The age-herald., 1900-01-27
It is Said Serious Trouble is
 Now Brewing.
THE AGENTS WITH THEM
Other Employees of the Southern Rail- way May Become Involved in the Trouble-Want Same Rights
 Accorded Trainmen

the Southern Railway company the Att ianta Journal of yesterday says:
 There is a prospect of serious trouble l between the telegraph operators and sta ton agents and the Southern Railway. And the other train service employees may become involved in the trouble unless the matters at issue between the agents and operators and the railroad company are adjusted. It is said that the matter has
 reached an acute stage and that 1t is now before the high officials of the road. ~
 ''rhe men say the publication of the fact that they have grievances is some what premature, but they admit that there is a strained situation of affairs and that be- cause of certain opposition on the part of
 the minor officials of the road there may be further complications. The men say they are being discriminated against by officials and that with unfair tactics the
 officials are attempting to frfg'nten and 1ntimidate them into withdrawal Of their demands for the adjustment of grievances The agents and operators on the entire system have asked the company for a hear piig, setting forth that they desire certain increases of pay at some stations, rules eeVernng the employment of men, shorter hours and pay for overtime work and rec oenttfon as a collective body, such as is gwen the conductors, fremen, trainmen ana engineers and other employees Tue men say these requests not unreason-
 able and that they only asking for simi- lar conditions Of employment as pertain to this branch Of the service of other rail- roads. They say the operators and agents are the only class of train service em- picyes of the system that nave not been granted definite rules and better conditions Of employment, and that there is no req son why they snouid be dtscrim;taa ted against.
 The Mems Side
 The sisuatton on the Southern, as stated by the men, Is as Follows:
 Tn April last the agents and operators formed local committees on the fifteen dVqsions of the road the local committex, consisting of three employees. The en- ployes put tn the summer months orsan- izihg and arranging the aCIevances n D ooer shape 10 be presented to the management od the company. In December the local committees of the men assembled in At-
 ianta and organized the general committee. consisting of the char of the local committees on each division. At the De- cember meeting the men communicated
 with General Manager Frank S. Cannon, at Washington informing him of the move
 menh Of the men and asking for a hearing on the part of the company. MT. Cannon instructed the men to take up their grev-
 ances with the local superfntendents and falling to secure satisfactory settlement the matter could be taken to the general superintendent, J. H. Barrett, at Washing ton and failing there to reach an agree
 ment the men could come to him for final hearing.
 This rule of the company was observed by the men, and the general committee referred the matter back to the several local committees, and these latter commit tees then asked the local division superfn- tendersss for hearing and adjustment of the grievances. These requests were made two weeks ago but there has been hitch in the proceeding because of the unexpected opposition on the part of the superinten- dents and trainmasters, some of whom have opposed the committees and refused to hear their eide or to even meet with them as committees. The men say several committeeman have been discharged for no other reason than because they were active fin the movement and that efforts have been made to induce others to desert the | cause of the men under promise of promo ltion and favor at the hands of the com pany.
 | Appeal to Geperal Superintendent .The local committees have reported back | to the general committee that they have | been unable to accomplish anything Wa.n the superintendents, and asking that the general committee appeal the matter 10 the higher authorities, at the same tune sup- hitting the several letters of refusal to meet with them sent by the superinten- dents and submitting evidence of discrmi- nation and attempts to frighten the men on the part of some of the officials "The general committee has now taken l the matter up with General Superintendent l J. H. Barrett and have asked for a hear l ing with him at Washington. No reply mas l been received from MT. Barrett, but one Is 1 expected today or tomorrow. Upon has re- | ply will depend the future action of the | men, It Is said that unless MT. Barrett grants the men hearing they Will appeal | to the general manager. MT. Cannon, who, | it is expected, will hear their grievances | in the spirit of fairdess which has charac- 1 terized his treatment of employees of the | road The men have the same feeling for l MT. Barrett and believe that when he un- | derstands the situation he will consider the l requests of the men and that they will be | given proper hearings.
 | Superintendent Vaughan Talks
 l "Mr w. A. Vaughan, the superintendent | of the Atlanta division of the Southern, l with headquarters in this city,, was seen | today. He says that he has not refused | to see any of the men on his line, either l individually or collectively. He states | that when the meeting of the committee | was held here in December two men from
 l his division called on him and presented l their grievances along with some rules l and regulations they wanted adopted. | "The men claimed, he says, to be au- | thorized by the men on his division to see | him and to make the request for the | changes asked. He told them he would
 | look into the matter, but upon investiga-
 tion, MT. Vaughan says, he found that
 l the two men who composed the commit
 l tee did not represent all the men on his
 | line. Several station agents, he says, | were seen and they declared they had
 | authorized no one to lay any grievances
 | before him.
 | 'Mr. Vaubhan says he returned the pa-
 | per to the two men and told them what
 l he had found out. He says he has heard
 | nothing further from the men or the griev-
 ] ances, and if any of them have any com
 | plaint to make he Is always ready to hear
 | from them.
 | .sMr. Vaughan also sta ted that he told
 | the committee of two who called upon him
 l that the question of adopting the rules
 ] a.,d lat as thev nrQnosed in