The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-13
MORE HOPE FOR PEACE ON ERIE
.tREITR ITION OFFER LIkELi ~
TIREWEN VOTE TO STRIkE.


There was a change yesterday in ths
attitude Of the Representatives OF the rail-
,pld employees who are at the Broadway
central Hotel. Hitherto they were wiling
To- talk freely, but yesterday. with the ex-
ception of the members of the engineers
committee Of the Delaware, Lackawanna
and Western Railroad. which gained prac-
tIcalv all it asked. no one was willing to
saw anything about the prospects for war
or peace.
j. j.. Hannahan. grand chief of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen. who
on saturday and Sunday talked war and
had much TO say as to the prospects of a
strike of the Erie firemen, would not say
a single word on the subject until to-day
and refused to answer questions Of any
kind.
Grand Chief Stone of the Brotherhood
~ Locomotive Engineers was at the Broad
way Central Hotel twice and talked with
some Of the committees. He gave IL as his
opinion that there would not be a strike
Of eithers engineers or fremen. He had
practically finished his mission here and
would soon cave for home, he added.
On behalf OF the Erie Railroad Company
the statement that the company had cut
rhe wages Of the iremen in 1877 and had
not raised them since was contradicted.
The wages were twice raised since 1908.
it was said. and were now higher than the
average OF the other lines. The following
was authorized on behalf Of the company:
There is no basis for the calling OF a
strike of the Erie iremen. The present
wages of the fremen are $2.50 a day for
ten hours and rs cents an hour for over
time. Their wage are higher than the
wages of the firemen on the New York
Central, the Nickel Plate, the Big Four, the
Delaware, Lacka wanna and Western and
the Baltimore and Ohio. In the mountain
division Of the Baltimore and Ohio the wages
are go, but the work there is very hard.
The wages on the D., l.. h W. are $40.
The committee of the Erie firemen seems to
he taking the maximum prices on the other
roads and to want to make them the mini
mum on the Erie
The general feeling at the Erie Offices
was that a strike was not likely. II a strike
vote was cast the company. it was said,
would probably offer to arbitrate the de-
mands through the National Civic Fedora
ton or in some other way.
President Underwood Of the Erie, Chief
Stoneo Of the engineers and Chief Mammalian
Of the fremen are all members Of the ma
tlonaI Cancellation committee Of the Civic
Federation. Ralph NJ. Easley, chairman
Of the national executive board OF the Civic
Federation, said that he had not heard OF
an application to the Civic Federation to
act as an intermediary.
A tieup OF the Erie system would IN
terfere with a good deal OF the suburban
passenger traffic as well as the traffic on
the main line. 1t takes in the Greenwood
Lake district, the New York, Susquehanna
and Western Railroad, the Northern Rail
road Of New Jersey and the New Jersey
and New York Railroad. Traffic on its
lines to the Oranges, Arlington. Wet Ar
lington and other suburban places would
re hindered, and on the main line to Bing-
hamton, Elmira, Buffalo, Niagara Falls,
jamestown, Cleveland. Chicago and other
cities and towns besween New York and
Chicago.
Grand Chief Stone OF the engineers ac-
companied the committee of the engineers
Of the Delaware, Laokawanna and Western
Railroad to the offices Of the railroad, 20
Exchange place, yesterday forenoon, when
he settlement was reached. The con-
ference did not last long. When 1t was
over j. f. Clarke, chairman Of the COM
mittee, said:
we got practically all we wanted. The
engineers Of the system, 900 in number,
have been granted the ten hour work day
and an increase in wages amounting to
between $4,000 and SIS 900 annually. The
new schedule goes into effect at once. 1t
TOOK a long time TO bring about the settle
Inent, but we are very we'll satisfied
President 1ruesdale Of the d.. L. 4 W. sent
word from his Office that the settlement
reached was satisfactory to both sides.
Grand Chief Stone said in reference TO the
threatened strike OF the Erie firemen that
The engineers would live up to their agree
ment with the company in case OF a strike.
He thought il unlikely that the Erie Rail
road Company would allow the firemen to
strike, "a their places would be hard to fill.
He thought the chances OF trouble on the
railroads west Of Chicago were too remote
TO necessitate his going there at present.
Late yesterday afternoon it was an
nounced at the Offices OF the Erie Railroad
that the trip OF President Underwood to
Chicago had nothing to do with any possible
labor trouble. He planned a month ago to
take the trip with General Manager Stuart,
stopping OF at various places by the way,
bur the trip was postponed twice. When
he left the city on Saturday morning he did
not suppose that there would be an an
nouncement that a strike poll was TO be
taken. II was reported last evening that
Mr. Underwood was either on his way a
or would be back soon. Nothing could be
learned at the Broadway Central Hotel as
10 the progress Of the strike vote. beyond
vague predictions that it would be almost
unanimous.
A message to The Sun from Port Jervis
saAd that the firemen on the Delaware d.
tisIon had voted to strike.
A member Of the grievance committee
n the New YORK Central engineers said
last night that both the firemen n the
engineers on the Central were well or
ganized. and would work in harmony in
case Of trouble. The engineers would have
N get a substantial increase Of wages. he
said.
there may be trouble about the pay