The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-12
ERIE STRIKE SEEMS LIKELY.
SFNTINENT ALMOST UNANTMOU =,
SAYS FIREMEN'S CHIEF.
ChIct Hannahan Has Little Doubt That
The Vote Now Being Taken Will sus-
tain Commute e -EnEIneers' Brother.
mood VIII Not Strike In q, mpathy

mood VIII Not Strike In sympathy.
Grand Chief Hannahan of the Brother
hood Of Locomotive Firemen received a
NUM- or of dispatches yesterday from
different points along the Erie system
not fv ny him that the various divisions
had legun to take the vote on the question
Of % strike,
A. the Broadway Central Hotel last night
10 -, / that from the sentiment expressed
st tU lend Of the line he was quite confident
that the vote would I've almost unanimous
for q strike. Regarding the other divisions,
he SAID, he had reason to believe that the
vote would he overwhelmingly in favor
Of : staining the committee in its demands.
"it i not usual" he continued, "to make
public in advance when a poll is TO be taken
IN the question Of a strike. We think ID
only right, however. that shippers and
others whose interests would be affected
should know 30 :hat they may be prepared
in case a strike has to be ordered. We are
not looking for trouble and have done our
best to gain our demands amicably. A
strike would be the last thing we would
think of until it is forced on us"
thief Hannahan made the ounce
that committees of the trainmen and fire.
men are in Pittsburg TO make demands on
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company affect
ing its lines west of P~ittsburR. He said
that he had sent a representative Of the
grand lodge to Pittsburg TO take charge of
Affairs there. and a representative Of the
Brotherhood Of Railroad Trainmen had also
been sent there.
Il was said last night that the marine
engineers on the ~ferryboats and tugboats
of the Erie Railroad Company have de-
cided to make their demand for an advance
Of SO a month. A committee will call
on the marine department OF the company
this week with the demands.
According to members of the fremen's
committee of the Erie railroad the wages
Of the men on the Erie lines were reduced
in 1871 and they have not been raised since
to the point from which they were reduced.
Chief Hannahan had talks with the COM
mittee during the day and will remain here
until the poll is completed. He may remain
here until the end of the week..
The adjustment committees OF the diff
ferent branches of service on the railroads
met in the Broadway Central Hotel yester-
day and made preparations. Grand Chief
Stone and Assistant Chief Hurley OF the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers at
tended a meeting of the adjustment COM
mittees of the New York Central and the
New Haven railroads in the Broadway
Central Hotel in the afternoon. After the
neeting MIR. Hurley said:
I'VE rave been arranging for a new agree
ment on these roads involving a shorter
work day and ar increase of pay. We
want both, but we are not looking for any
trouble. The men, l may say, on all the
lines want and are entitled to a raise in
wages in view OF the general tendency to
raise wages all over the country"
Mr.. Hurley was asked If in case the
strike OF the firemen on the Erie railroad
vent into effect the engineers would be
willing to work with n~on-union fremen.
we nave a contract he said. with the
company or at least the engineers OF the
company have a contract. and they will
live UP to it. The brotherhood is working
with n~on-union men now and has always
done so, but they must get union wages.
We would like. OF course, TO get as many
as possible into the union, but there are
some men that we would not take in"
He said that the engineers on the Erie,
irrespective Of the firemen, would send
their adjustment committee to the Erie
officials. He admitted that il the iremen
decided on a strike the 700 and odd fire.
men who had been promoted to be en-
gineers and still held fremen's cards would
Join in the strike.
1t was learned that the time given for
the granting of the demands Of the men
on fortv-seven railroads running into Chi
cayo from the West had expired yester-
day. By the rules OF the brotherhoods the
railroads have, however, thirty days more
In which to grant the demands or come to
a settlement before a strike is ordered.
The members of the engineers SOM
mittees at the Broadway Central seemed
inclined last evening to the idea that a
settlement could be reached without a
strike. A member Of the board Of adjust
ment Of the New York Central engineers
said that the engineers were just as con-
s~ervative now as they we're when the late
P. VI. Arthur was the grand chief OF the
brotherhood.
While some of the men want more than
10 per cent. increase" he said, Il believe
that IL the companies all around granted
a fiat increase Of 10 per cent. to all branches
Of the services the men will be satisfied.
They are entitled to an increase Of wages,
and even the railroad companies would
surely be willing to admit this.