The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-14
ERIE DIDN'T REFUSE DEMANDS
t>kID TORE .TTHE-HOPE FOR
RACE ~ GROWING.
Rratcmcni from the Railroad which con-
tradictS ~HRnnahan-The ~. PauI
Grants increases central Fir emcn
Reach al Agreement an Motors.

Grants increases central Fir emcn
Reach al Agreement an Motors.
I1dications yesterday pointed to the
re,ceful -ettlement of the questions at issue
bcfUcru the officials of the railroads run
mig into this city and the employees.
While the poll of the fremen on she Erie
Railroad system may result in a strike
vote the officials of the Erie Railroad say
that there is nothing in the situation to
warrant strike talk. The engineers. who
have begun their conferences with the
company, say there is no chance Of any but
peaceful settlement Of their propositions.
The promised statement of Chief Hanna
han Of the firemen did not materialize
Yesterday and he refused to discuss the
strike vote or anything else.
Hannahan said IN Saturday that the
letter he had received from President
Underwood of the Erie had confirmed a
refusal of the demands OF the firemen and
that Mr. Underwood had advised the fire.
mems committee to 60 home and think
over the matter. He said then that he did
rot care TO make the letter itself public.
A representative of the Erie Railroad
Company said yesterday regarding this
letter:
The letter of Mr.. Underwood was not a
refusal Of any propositions. 1t asked the
engineers to hold of until other matters
we're adjusted. as there we're other branches
Of the service in which the wages were
lower in proportion than the wages OF the
hremen and the cases OF the men in these
branches ought to be considered first.
He said that all the roads were having
conferences with their men and he wanted
the fremen TO wait until the situation cleared
Il little, promising them that they would
receive the average wages of all the COM
ppting lines. The announcement that a
Toll was ordered on the question Of a strike
If the Erie fremen after the receipt Of this
letter was therefore a surprise to the com
rany
The sane authority said that when a
vote was taken in favor of a strike it by no
means followed that a strike would take
place. Az a rule the grand chief or his
representative reported the strike vote to
the company and another attempt was made
10 settle the differences, falling which arbi-
tration might he agreed on. Within the
lat six years, he said, he knew Of fifteen
cases where strike votes on railways had
been taken and the trouble was afterward
settled without a strike.
Tho adjustment committees Of the fire.
Hen on the New York Central and the New
York, New Haven and Hartford iremen
reached an agreement with the companies
Yesterday afternoon as 10 the status Of the
men who are to be employed on the electric
rotor to be operated by these roads. The
new motors are to be operated for the two
companies by the engineers as if they were
still engineers. the firemen to be employed
Rs helpers. At the end Of six months, an
other conference is to be held and a final adj
justment made, based on the six months
experiment.. II is expected hat in the inal
adjustment the mileage for a days work
VIII be increased.
1t was said last night that the provisional
arrangement by which the engineers. on
the electric motors of the New York Gen.
nal and New York, New Haven and Hart
foId roaGs were to work for six months
'Srerimentally with the firemen ranking
IL helpers would be final as far as the fire.
men we're concerned.
III n lew lays conferences WIN the HTe-
men and engineers will begin as to the
regular fall adjustment of wages. This will
have nothing to do with the matters dis
CrIssed yesterday. General Superintendent
Smith of the Central said he would reach an
agreement with the engineers and fremen
a, usual. The agreement reached with the
iromen as to the electric motors was the
result of three weeks consideration as to
E.uv 10 G...,u ooMll ha ,.t;I;1aA ,unIar kha
electric system. He said that an arrange
ment satisfactory to both sides had been
made with the adjustment committee of the
Central telegraphers.
The adjustment committee Of the Erie
engineers began a series of conferences
rs to wages and conditions with Assistant
General Manager A. j. Stone of the Erie
1T the Bowling Green Building yesterday
afternoon. The conferences may last sew
"ral weeks. At yesterdays conference it
was agreed to make the mileage system
of payment general. Hitherto the mileage
system had been in vogue in some divisions
and payment by the day in others. On
behalf Of the company the following state
ment was made:
There will be two hundred or three
hundred different rates Of payments to be
adjusted covering as many different kinds
Of work. This will take considerable time,
hut the relations between the engineers
and the company are very cordial, and
the same satisfactory arrangement as in
other years will be reached"
When yesterdays conference was over
John Wunderiy, chairman of the Erie
engineers committee, aid that no trouble
whatever was looked for.
The Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul
has granted substantial increases in wages
10 Two classes of it's employees. Under
n new agreement with the switchmen and
fremen the former are to get In increase
Of It per cent. and the latter an increase
OF "a per cent. The original demand Of
the switchmen was for a III per cent. in
crease. The increases were agreed upon
after short discussions between representa-
tyes Of the com ANY and representatives
Of the employees. Increases 10 various
other classes Of employees are under con-
Eideration.
~PIrTsBURG, Nov. l3.-Representatives OF