Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-11-08
FAIL IN AGREEMENT AND
NEGOTIATIONS CALLED OFF
Ensinemen VIII Ballot Whether There
Shall BE a waIk.out, and It 10 Ex-
pected To BE Ordered Unanimously.
n Railroads Then Fall TO Grant De-
msnds Big Labor War VIII BE On.
(sy Associated Press,

CHICAGO, ILL, Nov. IA strike
vote win be taken among engineers
OF sixty-one railroads west. south and
north OF Chicago. including the ILL
nois Genital, following the termina-
tion today of the negotiations between
the roads and grand officers Of the
Brotherhood OF Locomotive Engineers.
which has been In session since Sep
TENDER 2s. Difference in wage m
creeses OF approxima ely 7 per cent.
and alteration OF worl.ng conditions
stood between the nego..ators.
Grand Chief Warren s. me. of the
brotherhood. who had bee. leading
the railroad men IN their demands.
said today he believed the strl..a vote
would be unanimously in favor III SIS
pension of work and that the en-, ic-
men would have expressed their -
hire by December 10. Immediately
thereafter, he said, last opportunity
world be given the railroads to meet
The workers. and II they ignored that
opportunity, within ave hours every
engine west of Chicago On all branch
es OF service would be stilled.
starting Of Trouble.
Tbs whole question arose from the
decision Of the enEinemen themselves
in convention AZ Detroit. Mich. last
spring. In three weeks session 1t
was decided that the existing wage
scale, In effect since February, 1907.
was unsatisfactory and that working
conditions had been imposed by rail-
roads which should be eliminated. The
grand officers were namsd 10 meet
the railroads and present the de-
mands.
The general working conditions. OF
which the engine drivers complain,
include. among other things. the for
lowing:
Drivers Of the Mallett compound
engines, which do the work OF two
engines and entail correspondingly
greater responsibility and capabiiity.
receive the same wages as other driv-
ers Of high power engines OF much
lesser capacity"
Engineers wish 10 be relieved OF
the toll of preparing their engines
fer travel and of caring for them after
runs. Switching time should be paid
for on a different basis. The msgni-
tude of the wage question Is eyi-
denced by statement that the z per
cent. wage difference. now standing
between the drivers and the railroads.
means approximately $4,000. 600 a year.
The cost of alterations Of the work
ing conditions. minor considerations n
the conference. would be Jess than
$500, 900, It was asserted.
First Demands Made.
when the conferences began" said
Chairman w II. Scott, of the confer
ence committee, the engineers de-
mands Appropriated 81 per cent In
crease. This finally was brought down
to II per cent We finally agreed to
10 per cent increase, tota:ling $3.50
600 for the sixty-cne roads We repre-
sent. and here We both stuck The
81. 52s. GOO increase they stuck for was
more thar we could concede."
Later II was made clear that the
roads, which are parties TO the wage
conference, did not include all lines
west OF Chicago. but the chief roads
vest. south and norths and from Fort
williams, west into Canada. excepting
the wabash lines and several minor
systems.
Used IN Rat. Fight
This wage Increase demand OF the
engineers was referred 10 b. repre-
sentatiyes Of the railroads before the
Interstate Commerce Commission IN
Chicago recently as one OF the res
sons why higher freight rates ought
10 be charged by the railroads.
In view Of this. the sudden cessa-
ton OF conferences between the en-
gfnensa and the roads today caused
considerable surprise since before the
commerce commission the rcads used
the fu.l figure Of the enginenen's ae-
maud-27 per cent incTe3se-ss