The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-07-21

tives of the men: Suppose strike
, Is brought on with all its disturb
ance of conditions and business what
shall we do eventually but settle it
as l have proposed? You will have
displaced great many men, created
great losses all over, and got no
/ further ahead. But they refused to
listen to this
| Vice President James Murdoch of
the Brotherhood of Trainmen said In
explaining their side of the case: "We
met Mr.. Hays today, when he elabor-
ated somewhat upon his original Of
fer to the extent of saying he meant
by it the award of the board of con-
ciliation and that the standard wage
for the territory should be adopted
by January, 1918.
"Mr. Hays was told that the sub
committee and other officers could not
believe that they had the right to set
aside the strongly expressed position
of the men even if they were inclined
| to do so.
with this the conference adjourn
ed until the afternoon when the sub
committee and officers presented to
Mr.. Hays the lowest possible basis
of settlement that could be consider
ed That proposed to put into effect
temporary modification of the stan
dard until January, 1911, on the ter
ritory east of Detroit and Saint Clair
rivers.
"Mr. Hays took that under advise
ment and called the subcommittee at
$50, when he presented the company's
proposition which he said was their
estimate of the award of the board
of conciliation.
THE committee at a glance found
that it was very far from being any
thing like the boards award and that
in the great majority of cases where
rates had been specified these rates
were very much below those suggest
ed by the board
For instance on the Portland Mon
treal runs we find Mr.. Hays Offering
S2.25 per 100 miles to a passenger
conductor instead of $245 $40 as
| filed in the boards award; we find
on the Montreal-Toronto passenger
runs he offers conductors $231 per
100 miles instead of the boards award
of $2.45 $40. The minimum stand
ard monthly salary for passenger
conductor in the territory is $l25 a
month, the board recommended $101
a month. Mr. Hays suggests very
many runs at $100 month and some
as low as $50 month. The mini
mum monthly pay for a passenger
brakeman recommended by the board
was $56, Mr.. Hays offers in many
cases $55, monthly increase of S. on
$50 salary
Further in his proposition Mr..
Hays ignored entirely the boards rec
ommendation to standardize cond-
tions on the Grand Trunk and it's
recommendation to put into effect the
mileage basis of pay in either pas
senger or local freight service. In
stead he proposes to perpetuate ex-
isting conditions and in some ways
to make them much more objection
able, since there would be greater
inequalities than in the past.
Therefore we positively refused to
accept his propositions on behalf of
the men, who had left us our instruc-
tions with power to act AS result
the men left the service at $50 this
evening""
Asked as to what backing the In
ternational Unions would have for an
extensive strike Mr.. Murdock salt: :
There is protective fund of ST.
100000 back of lis now, and there will
be no difficulty in getting $35O,OO0,-
a month to keep the strike going.
The full protective features of the
conductors and trainmens' unions
will be given with payment of strike
pay of $50 a month to members of the
order of railway conductors and S35
a month to members of the Brother
hood of Railroad Trainmen.
The Central Vermont which is con-
trolled by the Grand Trunk made an
attempt to prevent its men from go
ing out by appealing to Washington
under the terms of the Erdman act
Vice President Murdocl1 of the train.
men this afternoon received a tele.
gram signed by Martin A. Knapp
Chairman of the Interstate Commerce
Commission, and Charles P. Neill
Commissioner of Labor, stating thai
the railway had made this applica,
tion and expressing their willingness:
to use their offices in the direction
desired. To this Mr. Murdock re-
piled;
"Our organization is always willing
to accept your friendly offices, bu
situation is such considering attitud,
of company as to leave small hop,
for settlement as a result of media
ton. Men leave this service this ev