Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-02-18
RAILROAD COMMITTEES
 REPLY IS CONSIDERED
Grievance Committee of the Workers Held a Long Session To.Day-company Has Been Preparing for Strike-Bureau Employment Agency Has Been Busy for a Week
Been Busy for a Week.

Been Busy for a Week. New Haven, Feb 1s-The reply Of the committee of directors of the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad sustaining the action ot President c. s. Mellen in rejecting tho demand of the railroad firemen's brotherhood was formally considered to-day at q meet ing of the grievance committee of the flremen. At this meeting Timothy Shea, the second vice grand master of the Brotherhood of Railroad firemen, read to the committee the text of the reply which was delivered to him late yesterday afternoon by John G. Parker secretary of the railroad corporation. Members of the committee said the session was of little significance and was merely for the formal receipt of the reply, the text of which had al- ready been published and to arrange for meeting Sunday of the general executive committee, composed of members of the brotherhood from all sections of the railroad system. MT Shea remainI1 in the meeting only few minutes. as he was obliged to meet an engagement out of the city. His destination was not given out. but he said that he would return to New Haven this afternoon, and would at tend the general executive committee meeting tomorrow.
 Pending the Sunday meeting, it was said to-day that nothing would be known regarding the result of the poll Of members of the brotherhood en- ployed on the railroad system in refer ence to a strike. MT Shea said it was probable that this count would be made tomorrow though even that was not certain.
 In the event of certain contingencies, he said, the count might not be made tomorrow. but he did not explain these continginces.
 Among some of the minor executive officials of the railroad. the opinion which has been expressed all along that there would be no strike was re- iterated again today. These officials said their opinion was based on state ments made by local members of the firemen's brotherhood.
 On the other hand preparations which are understood to have been made by the railroad company are re- garded an indicating that the "omn"nr looks upon strike as very l'kely out ] come of the situation. Representatives of the firemen say that for week past. bureau for employment of men to take the places of members of the brotherhood in the event of the strike has been in active operation in New York and elsewhere.
 A hopeful report which was current last night that there was a possibility Of arbitration as way out of the difficulty was still persistent this morning. though the basis of 1t was not defined. This report was circulat. cd immediately after Mir Shea had said good night to Secretary Parker of the railroad company. who dinad with Mir Shea at the hotel where the brother hood officials has headuuarters. When Mir Shea was asked if 1t was true that he had received suggestion of arbi- tration. he declined to answer. When asked immediately afterward if such suggestion had come from J. P. Mcr- gan. who is one of the railroad direct ors. he replied promptly that it had not come from Mir Morgan eithe- di- -ectlv or indirectly. SO far as he knew.
 Although Mfr Shea would not discuss the arbitration matter it was said on good authority that the suggestion did not Gifrer materially from one already made by the grievance committee of the fircmen to the railroad officials and rejected at once by the officials as i'm possible of consideration. Tn the early stages of the negotiations between the grievance committee and Vice PreI- de..t Todd of the companv. the latter taking the position that the firemen's grievance was not one in which the comnany vas directly concerned. sug- gested that the matter be left to committee of arbitration to consist of q member of the Brotherhood of fire men. a member of the Brotherhood of chosen by the other two. Mir Shea de clined to accent this proposal. and made counter suggestion to the effect that inc arbitration committee should consist of one representative of the railroad company. one member of the Brotherhood of Bremen. and a neutral t..ird party. Mir Todd said such an offer could not be entertained because the company did not consider itself a partv to the quarrel between the two hrotherhoOds. Later in the negotiations the same offer and counter-offer were made when the grievance committee apnealed to President Nellen from the decision of Firse vice President Todd. Mir MelIen. like Mir Todd declared that the demand of the firemen that their brotherhood he represented by a sne- cial committee in grievance affecting engineers who are members of their organization could not he granted by the railroad and that the difficu'tv was one which should be adiusted bv the brotherhood of engineers and the brotherhood of firemen. In this posi- tinn. the committee of directors to whom the firemen's brotherhood ap- peeled have now concurred.
 From a member of the brotherhood in close touch with the situation it was learned that a telegram suggesting ar bitration had come to Mir Shea from nnonevei interests outside the rad. - These interests it was said would be heavily affected bv a strike. A renort that the arbitration move came from President Roosevelt was denied
 If tise railroad would agree to a committee of arbitration comDosed of a representative of the cor1nanv. one from the frenen and a neutral third