Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-07-22
FOUR THOUSAND RAILROAD MEN IDLE
Conductors and anmen on Grand Trunk System Struck for More
Pay Complete Teup Of Freight Until Yesterday Strike Break
er Arrested in Bratteboro,. Police on Duty

Failing to obtain full compliance with
demands for an increase in wages up to
what they term the standardized rates
of the eastern district" the conductors,
trainmen and yardmen on the Grand
Trunk railroad system went on strike at
$50 o'clock Monday night, and since then
nearly 1000 conductors and train hands
have been idle, besides a large number of
yardmen and about 5000 other men have
been affected through the closing of rail-
road shops. Freight traffic on the main
line from Portland, Me, to Chicago ana
on the subsidiary lines comprising the Cen
trail Vermont, New London Northern and
West River railroads has been completely
tied up and passenger service has been
interferred with.
The strike presents the most serious
railroad labor trouble that Vermont has
known in a long time, as the strikers
include $50 Central Vermont men and
there were 800 or more men in the Cen
trail Vermont railroad shops at St Adams.
Many of the shophands however have
been placed in other positions temporarily
in an effort to operate the lines.
A large amount of money is available
on both sides with which to carry on the
warfare but unless the engineers leave
their posts the chances of victory ar
much greater on the part of the
railroad company than on the part
are not affiliated with the labor union
to which the strikers belong and if
they remain loyal the strikers are likely
to realize soon that they are fighting
against heavy odds. An arrangement was
made with the telegraph operators which
removes that branch of the service from
participation in the trouble. The Grand
Trunk officials offered the strikers sub
stantial increases, ranging from 20 to 100
per cent, to go into effect at once, and
promised to adopt standardized rate
as soon as conditions warranted, or not
later than Jan l, 1913, and those facts
have left little to be criticized in the
attitude of the Grand Trunk road The
personal conduct of the men has been
praiseworthy, as they have made no dem
onstration, and the leaders have advised
them to remain at home and not to
commit any act of violence
After several days of negotiations the
break came Monday afternoon, when
delegates met President c. M. Hays of
the Grand Trunk at Montreal and were
told by him that the company had gone
as far as it possibly could in justice to
the shareholders and that further CON
cessions were out of the question. He
offered to submit the matter to arbtra-
ton, to be binding upon both sides, but
this the men refused At the close oil
the conference the Grand Trunk officials
place. Among other things President
Hays said: 1--WE have offered substan-
tial increases in wages. For instance we
give conductors between Montreal and
Portland an increase from $l1O to $685.
between Montreal and Brockville from
800 to $40 a month between Montreal
and Toronto from $40 to $14O and ia
baggagemen from $40 to $S5 and to brake
men from $50 and $50 to $50. On mileage
rates conductors of through trips are to
be raised from 2,90 to 1856 cents a mile
and brakemen from 100 to 2,25 cents. On
the runs between Montreal and Ottawa
conductors are raised from $40 to $40 q
month; baggagemen from SIS to $S5 and
so on"
A statement issued by G. G.
Jones of st. Adams, president OF
the Central Vermont road said in
part: 1.-The rates which these EN-.
ployes demand are what they call the
standardized rates of the eastern dis
trict, comprising from 35 to 40 railroads
including such lines as the Boston &
Maine, New York, New Haven & Hart
ford, New York Central, Pennsylvania
Baltimore & Ohio, Delaware, Lackawan'
ma & Western, Central of New Jersey
and the Delaware & Hudson, and they
refuse to give any consideration to the
differences in conditions existing on ouI
line as compared with other lines II