Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-03
ISSUES AN OLTIMATUM
PENNSYLVANIA RAILROADS
STATEMENT AS TO WAGES.

Feeling satisfied that the general and VOL
untary increase of 10 per cent in the wages
of all employees of the road throughout the
country. granted December l, 1905, and the
concessions made subsequently, is all that
can possibly be asked the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company yesterday issued a long
circular letter declaring that no further in
creases will be granted at this time. The
notice is directed to the conductors, bag
gagemasters, fiagmen and brakemen in the
road and yard services of the Northern
Central, the Maryland and the Philadelphia
Baltimore and Washington divisions, and
copies are to be posted on all yard bulle-
tin boards besides being sent to the men
individually. About two hundred men in
this city are affected by the letter. as well
as one hundred trackmen. who come under
the local jurisdiction. The Pennsylvania
| railroad employs total of about eco or 7C0
men in this city, but half of them are work
men in the shops on South Capitol street.
The letter deals in detail with the various
demands made by the men, one of the most
important of which is that of the yard
crews, who haye asked for 30 cents and 81
cents an hour, respectively, for day and
night brakemen, and for 80 cents and SO
cents an hour. respectively, for day and
night conductors. The oompany's offer was
cents for conductors
Fair and Equitable.
"These rates. General Manager After
bury states in the circular, while not en-
tirely meeting the wishes of the committee,
are fair and equitable, and as high as paid
on competing lines in the same territory-in
many cases higher" The ballots Of the
yard employees are now being counted in
Philadelphia to determine whether or not
there shall be a strike, but the officials of
the company say they think there will be
no strike.
After reviewing the number of conferences
held between the trainmen's committee and
the company's officers the occasions when
the committee failed to confer with the Off
GERS and the failure to meet the conceS-
sions of the company on an equitable basis.
the circular says:
''It has always been the policy of the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company to COM
pensate its employees literally for service
performed, and in all of the discussions the
committee were assured that this policy
! would be continued.
THE varying physical and traffic condi-
lions make 1t impossible to apply any fixed
standard of wages that would equitably
compensate the employees for the service
performed each division and territory hav
ing something peculiar to itself, either in
character of traffic or method of operating,
and, therefore. the committee were advised
that 1t was necessary to adhere to the
known policy of the management in fixing
compensation in accordance with the work
were requested to present in detail. what
ever rates, in their judgment, the COM
pany's attention should be called to.
Ready to Entertain Proposition.
"As stated by the committee in their cir
cular. your general manager was at all
times ready to entertain proposition to
equalize wages. but he advised the commit
tee (and it was clearly so understood and
acknowledged by them) that the equaliza-
ton must be of such nature to not ex-
coed In total the 10 per cent increase in
wages granted by the company on Decem-
Der 1. 1905: but the revised rates submitted
later on all occasions by the committee In
no case met this condition
The circular tells about the various efforts
to make favorable settlement, and then
says:
THAT your general manager has been fair
In the offers made to the committee Is indi-
Gated by the above recitation of the facts.
I'm order that there may be clear I'M
Outstanding of the financial obligations i'm
posed upon the company by the various
concessions already granted and offered.
the following statement is submitted:
"The voluntary increase OF 10 per cent TO
all employees. effective on December i. 1905.
resulted In an increase of 81. $4,000 per an
mum. of which $1.301 900 Is applicable to
trainmen.
sThe road rates offered as adjustments
to the committee by your general manager
per anAum or per cent and the yard
rates offered will invoice q further Increase
Of $32S 600 per annum. or 8 per cent.