The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-04-28


turned home, while instructions
have been sent to the various orders
to vote whether or not they should
60 out on a strike The vote is now
Being taken, and from the sentiment
existing among the men, the result
will favor striking by large ma
jority.
The demands of the men included
from II to Is per cent increase in
wages and double pay for the double
header train service. The company
acceded to the demands regarding
increase Of wages, but objected to
the double header proposition, claim
ing that trains were not double
headed over the Great Northern sys-
tenn except on mountain grades,
where helpers were used. This OBJ
stacle proved to be insurmountable
and negotiations fell through
Conductors Caldwell, representing
the o. r. c., and Brintnall of the o.
r T., We're members of the confer
ence committee from the Kalispell
division, and returned to this city
last night. Before leaving St. Paul,
the conference committee and the
railroad officials gave out a state
ment setting forth their contentious,
and published in Sundays ST. Paul
Globe: The statements follow:
The Managers Statement.
At a conference held today between
the grand officers of the Railway
| Brotherhood, the general committee
OF conductors and trainmen and my
self. an agreement was reached upon
all points at issue except the So
called double header question. The
! demand of the men is that double
ray be granted for double header
trains of more than thirty cars, or
as an alternative that the company
agree not to run any double header
trains. The Great Northern runs
practically no double headers except
in mountain districts, where helper
engines are used to help trains over
heavy grades The men do not OBJ
ject to such use of helpers, and there
is therefore no question at issue be
tween us and our men except theil
demand that a clause be inserted in
our schedule agreeing to pay double
pay or abolish double heading.
The reason the company objects to
inserting such a clause in trainmen's
schedule is that it permits the EN-
ployes to dictate in matter not af
fecting any interest of theirs and il
a way that may very seriously affec
the company's ability to economical.
: operate its property. 1t is not a mat
ter of any consequence to any train
man how many engines pull givel
tonnage. To pay man in Montan;
twice as much for a given days worl
4 as man in Minnesota because tn
} Montana man rides on train haule,
: by two engines and the Minnesot
I man on a train hauled by one engin
r would be a rank injustice to the Mir
: nesota man, and would arbitraril
0 Increase the company's already hig
= expense because of the topograph
0 of the country.
y The men make no claim that tn
work on a double header is wort
s twice as much as the work on trai
hauled by one engine. They frank
admit that it is their desire to pre-
u scribe rules that will make it nece:
u sary for the railways to employ tn
largest possible number of trai
u crews. The fact that this concessio
IL has been granted on other line
where double heading is commo
u practice, is not good reason VIII
i, should be granted on the Gres
Northern where practically no do1
BILE heading is done.
The Great Northern has sper
many millions of dollars in purcha
- ing heavy power and in reducing il
grades so that double headers wOul
,s not be required and large trai1
could be hauled by one engine, an
. it is still spending large sums fl
N the same purpose. The demand
% the men is for the right to dicta
* the makeup Of trains. This is ma
NJ ter the company reserves the rigl
* to handle. The matter has now gol
,c to a vote of the men on the line.
"a am satisfied tnat they will vO