The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-07-08
Hence Officials of the Penn
syIvania Railroad Object to
Dealing With Employees as a
Labor Union.
.SUPT. NEFF'S VIEWS
ON THE SITUATION
Railroad Company Is Always
Ready to Help Employees,
But Would Follow System
Used for Many Years.

Used for Many Years.
BY position of the Richmond divis-
ion of the Pennsylvania railroad In re-
gard to the ballots being circulated
among the members of the Order of
Railway Conductors. and Brotherhood
of Railroad Trainmen and others en-
ployed in the train and yard service.
is made clear in . statement issued
yesterday by Nettleton Nen. superin-
tendent. The labor organizations are
asking for a readjustment of the wage
and other conditions under which they
are now working.
That the company Is opposed to en-
tering into any agreement with the
employees is plainly shown. The COM
pany feels that the men are being
treated very fairly, their wages and
working conditions being improved
whenever the company finds it possi-
Bile. Superintendent NeR declares the
principal objection to an agreement
between the employees and the COM
pany is that the affairs of both parties
cannot be administered so well under
the terms Of an agreement.
Superintendent Neft says that the
position of the company on the ques-
tion Of the employees dealing with the
general manager rather than with
their Immediate superior officers is as
follows:
The management feels that disci-
pline and adherence to the official or
ganization Of the company are vital.
not only to the company but to the
employees as well.
In the matter of discipline. 1t is be-
lieved that, whether Intentionally or
not the employees, through their organ
lied efforts to assist their fellows. are
liable to impair the discipline upon
which the safety Of railroad operation
depends. The practice Of appealing
through committees in cases Of disci-
pline. which is resorted to generally
from proper motives and for the pur-
pose of protecting their fellows from
assumed injustice, will, IL persisted In
Unfortunately, not only fail of it's
real purpose but will weaken the disci-
pline on the best managed railroad.
The danger is accentuated when rival
organizations vie with each other in
efforts to protect their members.
The management undertakes to see
that discipline will be imposed with
justice and impartiality, and without
undue harshness. That mistakes Of
judgment will sometimes occur is nat
ural, but the management also under
takes to provide ample means for the
prevention of real injustice and In
sures that frequent or continuous bad
Judgment in such matters will never
be permitted. It is imperative, howev-
or, that orders should be obeyed
whether they seem reasonable or not,
and it is better that an occasional err
ror Of judgment should be submitted
to than that the entire system Of disci-
pline be undermined.
''The question Of adherence to the
requirements Of the official organiza-
tion is Of equal importance with that
Of discipline itself. and In fact these
two principles are intimately and Wit
ally related.
Under the divisional organization
in effect on these lines. It IL imper-
alive that the division officers should
have full knowledge OF all matters IL
fecting the portion OF the road under
their charge, and 1t is for this reason
that matters OF either . local or 4
general nature should first be taken
up with them.
"On the question OF agreements, It
is felt that II the management can Be
depended upon to treat the men q
fairly without m agreement ~ with
one. It IL very much better, both for
the company and the employees, that
the officers should have Z Tree hand
to administer the details Of operates.
This for the reason that conditions
are constantly nuctuating on Z rail-
road. and neither the affairs of the
company nor the welfare o1 tho men
can Be q we'll looked after II both
parties arc tied mp BY . hard and fast
agreement ~ TO the administr11ion a
details. This company has been op.
Grated for some flfty years without
agreements, and the results woald In
dicate that the policy was not m mn
wise or IN unfair one. either for the
employees or the company"
y
THE WEATHER.
lN0lAllA-FaiP tonight and 1aeusGay
exeept poesibly local tsun6os
ahosNafR, Not aasneh el1A0nn n