The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-05-07

Chairman Knoph and Commits
Sioner Neil Listen to Rio
Grande Controversy.
RIDGEWAY GIVES FIGURES
MEN PRESENT THEIR SIDE OF
THE CASE.

Denver May 6.-AIarvin F. Knapp. chair
man of the interstate commerce commits
sion and Charles p. Neil, United States
labor commissioner, who arrived in Den
yer last evening". held a conference today
with Representatives OF the Denver and
Rio Grande railroad and of the Brother
hood of Railway Trainmen and Order OF
Railway Conductors. with a view to ad-
justing ths differences between the COM
psny and the two organizations of en-
ployes on the question of wages. They
will attempt to adjust the difference
amicabiy andSif they fail in this they win
secure the agreement of both sides to
submit the case TO arbitration under the
Erdman law.
Ridgeway Heard First.
a. c. Ridgeway. general manager of the
Denver and Rio GTande railroad. was first
heard in private by the commission, He
had prepared a mass of comparative
statistics tending TO show that the wages
of the men in the employ of the Rio
mountain roads of the west. the Colorado
Midland excepted, and they were much
higher than most of the railroads that
took part in the Chicago settlement.
He argued that he had settled with the
members of the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Engineers on the basis of a S.6S per
cent increase. and substantially with the
Brotherhood Of Locomotive Firemen His
conclusion was that If the trainmen and
conductors accepted his proposition it
would be an equitable settlement, and
proportiOnate for all classes of the seTv-
ice, with equal responsibilities.
Claims of the Men.
tt was nearly noon when Mr.. Ridgeway
retired from the commissioner room and
| the fun committee of the two brother
/ hoods consisting of twenty-five men. was
| then received in audience ". T. New
man of Denver. third vice gTand-master
of the trainmen and L. S. Sheppard of
Cedar Rapids assistant chief conductor
| Of the Order of Railway Conductors. acted
| Spokesman for the men.
| They contended that this was the first
time in upwards OF a decade that the Rio
! Grande and its men had been polied for
| a strike. Under. previous arrangements,
/ they said, the organizations had little
trouble in arriving at a satisfactory set
tlement. and the road always granted the
same increase to its men when their was
| a general advance of the western roads.
| regardless of the then existing schedules.
Conditions Are Different.
They declared that the fact that the
| present schedule of the Rio Grande is
higher than most roads in the Chicago set
tlement did not enter into the controversy,
/ as the conditions of the service are vastly
/ different in the west. the trains gradually
/ becoming longer, the hours OF service on
/ the road always increasing. and the perils
/ of mountain rsilroading at all times de-
| handing a greatly increased compensa-
/ ton over the valley roads.
The schedule of the Colorado Midland.
which the men claimed has no more ard
| uous conditions than the Rio Grande is
| nearly per cent higher than the Denver
and Rio Grande. and with the Chicago
/ increase of 10 per cent. the Midland will
be over 16 per cent higher rnan the Rio
! Grande.
/ The representatives of the men insisted
! that there is no reason why they should
/ be asked to arbitrate in this controversy.
| Adjournment until tomorrow was taken
after both sides were heard by the com
/ mission.