The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-03-11
ROAD AND EMPL0YES.
BLANKS DISTRIBU UTED FOR TOTE
 ON STRIKE QUESTION.

NOn-Union Men to be Allowed to Vote
 With Union Men on she Proposition-
 Photographers and the sound Boat Men
 Into the Movement-PreEident Hall
 Conferring With Ftremen's Represen-
 tatives Yesterday- Origin of the Pres
 ent Difficulties on she RaiIrond.
 The blanks were being distributed yesterday morning to poll the trainmen and passenger conductors of the New Haven Railroad company on the ques- ton of a strike. The blanks go to.the district committees along the line for distribution to the men, and will be re- turned to this city next Monday and, as heretofore mentioned, the result an- nounced next Tuesday. The blanks have statement of the trouble from the point of view of the men, and the vote will be affirmative or negative on the question of sustaining the griev- ance committee in ordering strike. It is also said that the blank provides for direct Yes" or "No" vote on strike, but this cannot be confirmed.
 Vice. and Officer Fitzpatrick, of the Brotherhood of Trainmen, said yester- day that the blanks will be sent to 800 members of the brotherhood on the road and also to 1,400 non-union members, both union and non-union men being thus allowed to vote on the proposition. He refuses to say whether two-thirds or majority vote is needed for strike.
 It is authoritatively stated that eff forts are in progress to draw into the movement the railroad telegraphers and men in the marine department. Officers of the company say that the movement is much stronger in this state than in Rhode Island and Massa- chusetts.
 President Hall yesterday morning held conference with representatives of the firemen.
 President Hall said last evening that he would render his decision in the fire mems complaint this forenoon. Presi- dent Hall also said last evening that he knew of no new development in the sit uation, and that he understood poll of the road was being made. He said that all the road resired was that the men should take up the same schedule as that under which they are now work ing, and that if they then had any grievances the road was willing at all times to treat with them.
 ORIGIN OF THE DIFFERENCES.
 In the case of the passenger conduc- tors the trouble on the road goes back for several years, when, with the ab- sorption of several lines by the New Haven company, considerable inequal- ities of pay resulted on different parts of the system. The pay was capitalized about three years ago, the changes va- rying from 25 cents day increase to about 10 cents day reduction. This produced some discontent among the conductors whose pay had been lower ed, and subsequently,. in a few cases, the pay of the latter class of conductors was raised 25 cents day.
 A few weeks ago the conductors made new request for an increase, but ap- peared to be satisfied when asked that the matter be deferred until the com pany was partly relieved from the heavy increase of operating expenses due to the higher price of coal and the new per diem charge for car detention. They, however, have since united with the trainmen in the joint committee" action.
 In the case of the trainmen-the term including the freight conductors, track men, yardmen and switchers-there was trouble about a year ago, beginning with the strike of the men in the Har- lem yards. This, too, was adjusted at last by system of capitalized schedules. Officers of the company say that the schedules provide for payments for overtime, and profess themselves ignor- 1 ant of any grievances that can be pre- scented by the men.
 The firemen's complaint is some what curious one, and is based on the discharge, for disregarding a warning flag, of an engineer who, 1t now ap- pears, did not join the Brotherhood of ] Locomotive Engineers, but remained member of the firemen's order. The l engineers, however, have looked into 1 the case and approved the decision of 1 the company
 THE TALK OF A COMING CARPEN-
 TIERS, STRIKE,