Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-01
WANT SHORTER HOURS
RAILROAD MEN ALSO WANT NEW
WAGE SCALE.
Companies Are Not Anxious, but the
Union Officers Say the Situation
is Serious.

A dispatch from New York says: Fol-
lowing on conferences between the repre-
sentatives Of the different branches OF rail-
way employees and the companies on the
western railroads. in which a reimbursement
OF the wage system, shorter workday
and higher wages are demanded. the men
on the eastern roads are asking for
readjustment Of the wage involving more
pay or shorter hours. According to repre-
sentatives of the railroad companies. con-
ferences are annually held to readjust
wages and settle any grievances which may
have arisen. but say there is no likelihood
of any trouble. The eastern lines involved
up to the present are the New York Cen
trail; Delaware, Lackawanna and Western.
and the Central railroad Of New Jersey.
Members Of the railway brotherhoods do
not take the matter coolly as the rep
reSetatives Of the companies. They tax
as If the matter was serious, and say that
the enormous increase of traffic on nearly
all the systems of late years necessi tates
q readjustment Of the wage system. Con-
ferences are being held or are to be held
between representatives Of the men and
the companies on the three roads named.
and 1t was said tonight that the Reading,
Pennsylvania and the Erie railroads will
come next. In the Pennsylvania system
negotiations as to a readjustment of the
wage system have been opened by the
trainmen over the wage scale Of 1907. The
company does not expect any trouble east
of Pittsburg, 1t is said. but the joint griev-
ance committees Of all the branches of
employees will soon begin meetings in Phil
adelphia.
Dissatisfaction Widespread.
The principal organizations Of railroad
men are the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers, the Brotherhood Of Locomotive
ha Protherh0od Of Railroad
Trainmen and the Order Of Railway Con-
ductors. The trainmens organization takes
in the switchmen, yardmen. brakemen and
in some cases the baggagemen. grew
ance committee representing the trainmen
has been engaged In conference with the
representatives of the Central Railroad
Company of New Jersey, both in the Office
Of the company in the Central building
here and in Communipaw. The company
has received requests for read1ustment or
wages, and conditions have been made by
the switchmen, telegraphers, brakemen and
freight conductors.
Vice President and General Manager Will
liam s. Besler of the Central Railway Of
New Jersey. when asked If the conferences
meant trouble, said he thought not.
Relations Are Cordial.
"Our relations with the men," he said,
ARE very cordial. 1 do not for minute
believe there will be strike. These con-
IeTeuCeS occur regularly u ldlh OSeT Wages.
OF course, the men want to get as much
as they can. and will make grievances
whether they exist or not. There Is a
great deal Of unrest at present all over
the country and the men are more or less
affected by 1t. This years conferences.
however, expect will end as satisfactorily
as those Of other years."
President William H. Truesdale Of the
D., l.. & w. road. has agreed to meet
committee representing the engineers and
other employees of the company tomorrow
morning. When seen today he said:
There is no reason to believe that there
will be trouble of any iknd.. The questions
to come up include readjustment OF
wages shorter hours for the engineers
and possibly the hremen. The question OF
raise in wages is talked of. I will see
the committee in my Office tomorrow at II
o'clock. The committee has put the Ques-
tons to come up before other officials
of the company, and there have been con-
ferences with them. 1t appears, however,
that the result of the conference was not
satisfactory to the men, and they decided
to put the matter up to me. What the re-
suit will be 1 do not know until meet
the committee"
May Involve Thousands.
1t was said today that the demands of
the New York Central are more sweeping
than on the other roads. The men, it Is
said. want an increase in wages or the
IL
in force.
General Superintendent Smith said that
two or three branches Of the men were to
send representatives to meet him, but he
could not specify the branches. He would
meet them not as representatives OF their
unions but as representatives of the en-
ployes. He expressed the opinion that no
trouble of any kind was pending. From
members of the trainmen's organization
it was learned that the trainmen wanted
an advance from 20 and % to 35 cents an
hour.
Rule Every Year.
President F. D. Underwood Of the Erie
railroad. said that demands had been
made. but this was the rule every year.
Every one appears to have a grievance
at such times. when there is no real griev-
ance." he said. LAS to the eight-hour
worday on railroad system. it would be
more impracticable than the two-platoon
system on the police force. The trains run
through twenty-four hours and three shifts
would be impossible. I see no reason for
any trouble"
The number of men on the western roads
affected by the demands are 1900. The
New York Central has about $4,000 en-
ployes. the Pennsylvania $4,000 and the
other roads about "a 600 The strike talk
began several months ago. when sensa-
tional reports came from the west that the
Switchmen's Union Of North America had
made demands on the western roads and
was going to order a general strike which
would tie up all the roads. These reports
were secuted at the time by representa-
tives of the Brotherhood Of Railroad Train
men, who said that the Switchmens Union
of North America was small organization
containing one-fifth of the men controlled
by the brotherhood. Later the Brother
hood of Railway Trainmen made demands
on the western roads which are still pend