Evening journal., 1904-07-20
STORY
IS EXAGGERATED
Local P, B. & w. Officials
Know Moth ng OF Proposed
Strike of Brakemen
BLAME INTERSTATE COMMISSION
Say the Enforcement of the Uss Of
Arbreakes Has Been the Cause Of
Laying OFF Many Men on the Penn
sylvania Railroad.

Laying OFF Many Men on the Penn
sylvania Railroad.
The Philadelphia Press Of today says:
In carrying out its policy of retrench-
ment the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
is brought face to face with threatened
strike that may tie up every freight tram
on the entire system from New York to
Pittsburg.
Following closely upon the cutting down
OF its clerical force orders were issued
on Monday laying off one brakeman from
every freight crew of the divisions COM
prising the main line. Altogether upward
of one thousand men are directly affected
by the order.
On the New FORK and Middle Divisions
this order went into effect on Monday at
midnight On the Philadelphia and Pitts
burg Divisions 1t became operative at
midnight last night.
The working divisions OF the main line
from New York to Pittsburg are as fol-
lows, each division operating under a
! separate superintendent New York Dl-
vision, New York 10 Phllade phia; Phila-
delpnia Division Philadelphia 10 Harris
bur.; Middle Division. Harrisburg to Al
toona; Pittsburg Division, Altoona To
Pittsburg.
Altoona Men Strike.
The trainmen located at Altoona. the
western end OF the Middle Division. struck
on receipt of the order and. refused TO
take out their trains from Altoona TO
Harrisburg yesterday morning. Twenty
crews from Harrisburg were teiegraphed
for 20 take the places of the strikers and
were "deadheaded" on fast train to A.
toona, causing considerable delay in
the moving OF all traffic east.
On the New York Division the receipt
Of the order was met with notice from
the Brotherhood of Trainmen tnat un-
less the men laid off were all put back
in one weeks time the entire division
would go out on strike.
The effect of the lay-off on the Phi a.
deipnia and Pittsburg Divisions Will be-
come known today when the order goe
into effect. On the Philadelphia Division
the immediate effect Will be felt by 70
men. and on other divisions by a create
. number. IL is feared by the Brotherhool
of Trainmen that the order Will eventual.
! include cutting down in the passenge
: crews.
r Say Order is Unfair.
j 1t is contended by the men laid of tina
e the order of the raj road company is un
s fair, and that 1t works a hardship upol
e the men retained in the service OF tn
e company. On ali divisions except the Mid
- die division, the order was given by thl
y railroad company to lay of the from
brakeman. On the Middle Division the or
a der was given to lay on the middle brake
p men. The order applied to each crew. Oi
b. the Middle Division monster mountain
S climbing engines are used that burn from
, forty to fifty tons Of coal In a single run
e The men cain that 1t has been physica
p impossibility for the fireman to handl
= that amount of coal unaided. and tina
d assistance from the brakemen Is neces
{ sary to keep the engines going. The con
e tention of the men on the Middle Division
g is that through laying OFF brakemen
I will be an impossibllity Tor the firemen {
J. render anything like good service.
% 1t is claimed by the men on the sew
. eral crews that the Pennsylvania Raj.
e road Company has been preparing 70
r this new order for some time. In pre-
pairing for the cut IN the crews the me
T say the company has been nurryng tn
e work of equipping its freight cars wit
e air braces. Recently an order was issue
S by the several division superintendent
3 10 utilize cars with air brake attachmen
wherever possible
e Pennsylvania Railroad Company at CO
lumbia posted notices yesterday placin
= slxty-one regular brakemen on the extr
list and making the number Of eac
: freight crew five. Thirty-eight round
house employees were furioughed unit
August /, and the working hours reduced
Twenty extra brakemen were dismissed.
t, A Strong Organization.
o The Brotherhood OF Trainmen Is one
d the strongest labor organizations In IN
II country. Considerable secrecy was mair
u talnei when the order was issued by tl
Il railroad company. The trainmen, how
ever, Immediately te.egraphed the execI
q tive officers of the Brotherhood. at Clev,
land, and those officials are expected
come 10 Philadelphia TO personally loo
- after the interests of the men affected an
Il possible induce the company to rescir
the order.
Tho attitude assumed by .he Brothe
= hood of Trainmen is that il il is TO a,
is complsh anything ii must take a fri
= stand at the outset. The Brothernoc
takes in all freight crews, ysrdme
/, swiiehmcn. yardmasters. passenger brak
= men, baggage masters and great numbl
. OF passenger conductors who before the
promotions. belonged to the organization
The engineers ana passenger conductor
belong to different organizations tn,
work IN sympathy with the BrotnerhoC
Of Jrainmcn. Upon that fact the Brothe
8 hood OF Trainmen is relying for assistant
Z IN IT'S announced policy OF resistance al
4 Its threat to order general strike unle
the men laid or are returned to the
several crews.
q At the local Offices OF the p. B.
= W. Company this morning officials sa
z they know nothing OF such a move o
q the part of the trainmen and believ
= the whole thing to be greatly exaggeI
= ated.
= They say that on account of the rule
z enforced by the Interstate Commerc
z Commission il has been necessary [
q equip many cars with air brakes whic
Z necessitated the laying off of a numbe
q Of men.