The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-09-15

VIII Occur - Men Present $40
Grievances.
Baltimore. Nd. Sept. IL. - Confer.
ences over grievances were resumed
here between the representatives, OK
the four labor organizations and the
officials OF the Baltimore and ONO
railroad. 4 feature of the meeting
was a statement by Mr. w. II. Budd.
chairman of the committee represent
ing the Order OF Railway Conductors
In this statement Mr.. Budd declared
as false an interview in which he Is
reported as saying that the men had
issued their ultimatum and 1t looked
As if strike would be declared within
SS hours.
After the session was held General
Manager Sims, Of the Baltimore AMI
Ohio. specifically denied the report
that the compsny has received an ulti-
matum from its employees. He said:
"The employees and officials will con.
slider the grievances as presented last
week. Not one of them is considered
important in the general sense of the
word. They refer almost exclusively
to minor division matters and there
will be no difficulty in arriving at an
amicable settlement
During the entire negotiations the
best of feeling has prevailed. and the
committees themselves are exceeding
lv ANNOYED that these strike rumors
should be given crcience. We do not
expect strike ana l am positive that
none will occur"
The committee on grievances. at the
head of which is D. f. COttnmn. chair
man of the general committee Of the
brotherhood of Railway Trainmen. is
IN closed session. The members OF the
committee declise 20 make a state
ment. but will probably do so later.
William II. Burke. of Pittsburg.
vice chairman OF the general commit
tee of the employees. said:
For once l am going TO break my
rule not to talk for publication. | want
to say that there Is no prospect of
trouble. Our relations with the COM
pany are most friendly For many
years they have not been otherwise.
Neither today. tomorrow, next week
nor next month will they be any diff
ferent"
William H. Budd. chairman of the
Trainmen's committee, said; There
is no foundation whatever for all OF
this talk about a strike. We are con-
ferring Just as we have done for years.
| want TO add that this committee
could not call a strike"
The demands of the employees. as
submitted by the committee on griey-
ances. are 40 in number, 1877 OF which
are of minor importance and will
either be granted by the company or
not insisted on by the men. The three
chief demands are:
First-That when switching during
overtime the men shall be paid both
the amount specified in the agreement
lot hWltNuiuH diiN NNCA Ni4iAt 90 "NtAs
This Is a very important question and
means much in a money way to the
men.
Second-The men demand that an
extra wage scale be applied TO all
double heading; that is. when one
crew is compelled to handle the freight
cars OF a train pulled by two engines.
Even the firemen on the engines have
to work under harder conditions, and
owing to the fact that injuries to the
men are much more frequent the
trainmen have demanded that higher
rate be made for all double-header
work.
Third-The men demand that it be
no longer compulsory on them to join
the relief department A large propor-'
ton of the men object to the way it
Is managed, and will not longer be
compelled TO insure on the terms Of
fered by the relief department. This
demand is a final one.