The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-19
PENNSYLVANIA STRIKE NEAR?
TRiINHENl IOTE nor 10 rTEID
SITUATION CRITICiL.
All Left to the Board or Adjustment. which
Wll Meet To-day was Al One
sided Pennsylvania Railroad OGicials

sided Pennsylvania Railroad Odcials
DO Not Fear Any serious Outcome
PHILADELPHIA. Jan. is.-The count OF
the votes Of the Brotherhood OF Railway
Trainmen in the matter of the order OF the
Pennsylvania Railroad making firing com
pulsory on the part OF brakemen was com
pleted to-day. II showed that 05 per cent
Of the II 900 ballots cast were against the
ruilroad company and for full support OF
any action the trainmens organization
might think proper 10 take.
Immediately following the count, First
Vice-Grand Master W. G Lee Of the brother
hood requested an audience with W. W.
Atterbury. general manager Of the railroad
II was granted. and with a COMMITTEES OF
members Of the brotherhood adjustment
board Mr.. Lee laid the result OF the voting
before Mr.. Atterbury. The conference
following was long Mr. Atterbury refused
TO acoede 10 the demands OF the trainmen
further than be has already promised and
the committee left with the situation dead
locked
II is believed that strike affecting
10000 OF the Pennsylvania Railroads men
on all its lines east OF Pittsburg and Erie
is imminent. IL Is dependent upon the
action of seventeen men at conference to
be held at o'clock tomorrow morning
in this city
Woe Grand Master Lee announced to-
night that in Inc absence of further conces
slons from General Manager .Atterbury the
board of adjustment, to whom with him
self has been delegated control of the si,ua-
ton would In all probability declare
strike
After leaving Atterburys Office the board
put itself in immediate communication
with the various branch organizations and
officials, and laying the situation before
them. received assurances Of support
The posting Of notice over the sigma
lures OF Leo and the sixteen members Of the
adjustment board will he the sole authori-
cation needed for ordering IA strike.
is expected that il will be obeyed not only
by the yardmen. brakemen, baggage
masters and conductors over whom the
brotherhood Of Railway Trainmen exercises
jurisdiction. but by employees of the com
psny not in the order.
1t Is stated that both classes participated
In the voting, which, though ostenslbly
on the firing order. carried with II also a
vote on strike.
As given out tonight by Lee. Of 500
votes polled in one district 1896 were for
and 6ll against a strike, while in another
only IL were recorded against strike
and 5lS IN favor.
Manager Atterbury is known not TO take
the situation seriously. He contends that
the whole ballotlng on the strike question
Nvas simply for effect TINT there won't BE-
any strike and that If by any chance there
should be onel II would not be worth both
ering about. Committees representing tho
Order Of Railway Conductors and the Broth
erhood OF Locomotive Firemen are in the
city.
The trouble originated in the LAYING of
Of forward brakemen bv the railroad sew
eral months ago in consequence Of the intro
duction Of air brakes on 50 per cent. Of
the freight trains. These men had previ-
ously assisted the dremen, After these
extra brakemen were withdrawn the com
pany posted orders requiring one Of the
remaining brakemen 10 render assistance
to the fireman The men objected 10 1t
on the ground Of pay and also because il
WAS liable 20 interfere with their records
for promotion The railroad offered a few
concessions but the men refused to accept
them
Mr. Atterhury late tonight issued a
statement setting before the trainmen the
fact that the railroads request that the men
should be- informed Of certain facts before
voting was ignored by the brotherhood
officers He points ont that the effort
70 have all the facts put before the men
before they voted failed He said
THE replacement of brakeman who
we're relieved during the past summer il
not at issue, that Is not the subject of con-
troversv The COMMITTEES, without dis
sent, repeatedly asserted that the company
had undiSputed right to determine the
number OF men who should constitute n
crew This leaves the question Of assistance
10 the fremen by the brakemen the only
one now unsettled
Il am convinced that many Of our en-
ployees are not informed as 10 the real
question at issue. and that the case was not
fully presented to them. The circular
to the trainmcn calling for a vote intro
dices the question Of reducing the num-
Of brakemen. which was not in controversy.
and ignored the proposition which re-
erIested the committee 20 submit
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