Perth Amboy evening news., 1907-03-01
P. R. R. STRIKE
NOT SETTLED.
General Manager Atierbury Sends
Out Circular Defining
His Position. y

PHILADELPHIA, Mar. 1:-That
the Pennsylvania railroad officials
are concerned over the action of the
yard employees who have voted
whether or not they will strike is
evidenced by the action of the gem
eral manager, w. w. Atterbury, In
sending out q circular letter last
night clearly defining his position
and at the same time trying to place
responsibility for most Of the delay
In settling the questions in dispute
on the shoulders of the employees.
In their recent demands for higher
wages the yardmen asked for thirty
cents per hour for day brakemen and
thirty-one cents for night men. For
day conductors they ask thirty-five
cents per hour and for night men
thirty-six cents. On the other hand
the general manager has offered the
men twenty-eight cents an hour for
day brakemen and twenty-nine cents
for night men. To the conductors he
has offered thirty-three cents per
hour for day work and thirty-four
cents an hour for night work.
Declares Rates are Fair.
The circular. says: These rates,
while not entirely meeting the wishes
of the committee, are fair and equit-
able, and as high as paid on compet-
ing lines in the same territory; in
many cases higher"
Still further the circular says
THAT your general manager has
been fair in the offers made to the
committee is indicated by the above
recitation of the facts.
ssTn nrdar fhnt a nlaor nndaraf q nd
ing of the financial obligations i'm
posed upon the company by the var
ious concessions already granted and
offered, the following statement is
submitted:
The voluntary increase of ten per
cent. to all employees, effective De-
cember 1, 1906, resulted in an in
crease of $S,436,000 per annum, of
which $1,S01,000 is applicable to
trainmen
The road rates offered as adjust
ments to the committee by your gen.
eral manager will result In a further
increase of $180,000 per annum, or
two ca per cent, and the yard rates
offered will involve further increase
of $328,00O per annum, or eight (S)
per cent"
hO0O COn0uCtOrS tE4aSSiVe.
The road conductors, or those who
make the long runs, have maintained
a passive attitude toward the strike
movement since its inception, and
though they are only Partially satis-
fed with existing conditions they re-
fuse to commit themselves on the
question of what action they will
take In the event of the yard men
indorsing strike today. The voting
has been going on for some days and
the ballots are to-be counted today.
Heretofore the ! railroad officials
have dealt entirely with committees
of the men, and 1t Is their belief that
the exact conditions were not COM
municated outside the committees.
Holding as they do, quite record for
very few strikes, the Pennsylvania
railroad officials are particularly anx-
ious to present the exact situation
clearly before the employees before
any action is taken. Though nothing
definite has been given out, it is the
general opinion among those in au-
thority that the men will decide to
adjust their demands amicably rath-
er than resort to a strike, such a
thing being unknown at the Penn
sylvania railroad yards for nearly
thirty years.