The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-11-08
A MONSTER STRIKE
IN CONTEMPT
ENGINEERS ON SlxTY-ONE RAIL
ROADS WILL TAKE STRIKE
VOTE TODAY-GRlEVANCES.

~
sixty-one railroads west, south and
north of Chicago, including the illi-
nois Central, following termination
today of the negotiations between the
roads and grand officers OF the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engin-
GERS. which had been in session since
Sept. 2G. Differences I'm wage IN
creases of approximately per cert,
and alteration of working conditions
stood between the negotiators.
Grand Chief Warren S. Stone Of the
brotherhood. who has been leading
the railroad men in their demands,
said today he believed the strike vote
would be unanimously In favor or
suspension of work and that the en-
CINE men would have expressed their
desire by Dec. ~. Immediately
thereafter, he said, an opportunity
would be given the railroads to meet
the orders and If they favored 'ha'
opportunity, within five hours every
engine west OF Chicago, In Al
branches of the service would oe
stilled. the fires drawn and put Of me
thousands of cabs woul step every
driver on duty.
The representatives Of 'he engine
men in the twenty-five conferences
which e.lo. t, day with 'ut results,
were:
Warren S. Stone, grand chief, Ash
Kennedy, F. A. Burgess Z Gor:'gnn,
NJ. W. Cqdlc and i. f wills, aFTist-
ant grand 2r cfs BcDtfc"ho11 Of 10
comot;So tn,'leers.
All Councils Represented.
Their negotiations received the ad-
vice of fifty division managers o. 'he
brotherhood who directly represented
the smaller councils of the order.
Railroad officials, as follows, heard
the engine drivers demands:
w. b. Scott, of the UGioH Pacific;
Il. f. Ward, of the Burlington lines;
f. c. Batchelder of the Chioago Ter
minal, Baltimore & Ohio; w. \. Dur
ham, of the Missouri, Kansas
Texas; G.. II. Emerson, of the Great
Northern: T. ]. Foley, of the Illinois
Central; F. c. Fox, of the Atchison'
Topeka & Santa Fe.; Grant Hall, OF
the Canadian Pacific II. ]. Simmons,
Of the FL Paso & Southwestern, and
A. w. Trenholm, of the Chicago, St.
Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha.
The question arose over the differ
ence the engine men had in confer
ence in Detroit, Mich, last spring. a
three weeks session, it was decided
that the existing scale, in effect since
and that working conditions had been
imposed by railroads which should be
eliminated. The grand officers were
named to meet the railroads and pre-
sent the demands.
Their Grievances.
The general working conditions of
which the engine men complain IN
clude, among other things, the follow
ing:
Drivers of the mallet compound en-
gines, which practically do the
work of two engines, and entail a cor
respondingly greater responsibility
and capabiity, receive the same
wages as other drivers of highpower
engines of much lesser capacity.
Engineers wish to be relieved of
the toll OF preparing their engines for
travel and of caring for them after
runs.
Switching time should be paid for
on different basis.
The magnitude of the wage ques-
ton Is evidenced by statement by
the employees that the per cent wage
difference now standing between the
drivers and the railroads means ap-
proximately s2,SOO,OOO a year. The
cost Of alterations of the working
conditions, minor considerations in
the conference, would be less than
100000, It was asserted.
Status Of Row.
when the conference began" said
Chairman w. B. Scott OF the confer
ence committee, "the engineers de-
mands approximated q per cent
increase. This finally was brought
down to II per cent. We finally
agreed TO a 10 per cent increase, to-
falling s3,S4O,OOO for the sixty-one
roads We represent, and here We both
stuck. The s6,52s,OOO increase they
stuck out for, was more than we
could concede.'
This wage increase demand OF the
enrineers was referred to by repre-
sentatives of the railroads before the
interstate commerce commission in