The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-11
TO VOTE ON STRIKE ON ERIE.
BROTHERHOOD AUTHORITATIVE
FIREMEN TO BALLOT.
They want an Advance Of 10 Cents . Hun
dred Miles N . Ten Hour workday
ID, L. a. W. E~ngineers' Demands stu
In Dispute--Not Likely TO Go Out.

bred Miles and . Ten Hour werkday
d l.. a W. Engineers' Demands stIl
In Dispatched Likely 20 Go Out.
Within the next two days the Erie Rail-
road system from New York to Chicago
NAV be tied up by a strike Of the fremen.
Grand Chief Hannahan OF the Brother
hood Of Locomotive Firemen yesterday
ordered a poll TO be taken at once OF the
fremen along the system on the question
Of a general strike TO enforce their de-
mands, which rave been refused. A two
thirds vote OF the firemen is necessary for
a strike. In case the strike IL declared
chief Mammalian will give it his indorse-
ment, which is all that is necessary to put
it in operation.
This action was the result Of a meeting at
the Broadway Central Hotel yesterday Of
Hannahan and the grievance committee of
the hremen. 1t may be Tuesday morning
before the vote is in.
Mr.. Hannahsn said that the situation
was very serious. There are 1000 firemen
employed on the Erie Railroad and It's sub
sidiary branches. besides IT'S members OF
the Brotherhood OF Locomotive Fremen
who have been promoted to be engineers
but still hold iremen's cards and who will
strike II the vote is to quit work.
Our demands are very moderate said
Chief Hannahan. "We asked an advance
Of 10 cents a hundred miles and that the
ten hour workday be made the rule OF all
classes OF service. Some Of the men had
been working twelve hours a day. Dur
I-a.-la mara all vof,tc0A NV Ganaral Man.
aRer Stuart and we received a letter from
President Underwood confirming this de-
cision and advising us to go home and think
the matter over. Well. we thought the
matter over before we went home and II
a strike vote IL declared the strike will G.
into effect at once, and l can pledge the
men the full financial support Of the
Brotherhood of Railway Firemen
''Other roads are granting advances in
wages voluntarily and the time has come
when the men who help to run the trains
must be considered in the general prosper
ity. The railroads and all kinds Of corpora
lions have been enjoying increasing pros
perity while the 6remen have been waiting
for wears for an advance. Meantime the
cost Of living has been increasing year after
year"
II was said at the Office of the Erie Rail-
road that President Underwood had gone
to Chicago. Chief Clerk Eckels said that
the conference Of Friday might be regarded
as final. There was n report that politics
might nave something to do with stimulat-
ing the demand for higher wages, but the
members of the grievance committee and
Chief Hannahan denied it.
Grand Chief Warren s. Stone Of the
Brotherhood OF Locomotive Engineers
arrived in this city yesterday to get in touch
with the members Of the brotherhood
who represented the dissatisfied engineers
on the various roads. Like Chief Hannahan
he takes the stand that the employees Of
the railroad should share in the prosperity.
He met the grievance committee Of
the engineers of the Delaware, Lacka-
wanna and Western Railroad and accom-
panied the committee to 20 Exchange place
20 old a final conference with the officials
Of the railroad. The session lasted three
hours. When it was over Mr.. Stone said
that he did not come direct from Cleveland,
his headquarters, but from Washington,
where he had been for a day or two.
-Our conference with the officials Of the
Delaware, ~Lackawanna and Western com
pany was friendly" he said, and do not
Zee why We cannot get together. l onoe
WOTkeO LOT FTcblucu1 lTutSudAc WHth Nc
was connected with the Rock Island Rail-
road and thought l would come with the
committee. There is only one point on
which we did not agree and believe we
will get together on that point. We want
a shorter work day for the engineers on
the switching engines and engines that do
pushing on steep grades
The country has had an unexamped
--z.-.~sk. v aid NJ GtOna sand
the cost of living has been increasing. The
STANDARD Of living, owing to the growth
Of education, has also been increasing, but
the wage OF the men on the railroads have
remained the same, as a rule. Some Of the
roads and many business corporations have
raised the wages and the others ought to
fall in line. 1 believe they will"
He said that it would taxi a two-thirds
vote Of the men on the system to order a
strike. He could either approve the strike
OF veto IL, but he could not declare a strike.
He insisted that under the circumstances
he considered a strike unlikely.
Vice-President E. E. LOOMS OF the D.. L.
A W., who attended the meeting, said that
the company made considerable conces-
sions and the men also made some. II the
men accepted the final proposition Of the
company there would be no need for further
conferences.
Supt. A. Fl. Smith OF the New York Central
said that the demands OF the photographers
were still unsettled and that the adjustment
committees OF the engineers, firemen and
others will be here thisw week. 1t was learned
that the committees OF SOM OF the branches
had been waiting for some time to have
meetines, but we're delayed because As
sistant superintendent Bradfield, with whom
the committees deal directly, was out OF
town.
Some OF the railroads are waiting to see
what other railroads do toward raising
wages before they take final action,