The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-14
F|REMEN INSISTING
upon ARBITRATION
Head of Brotherhood Notifies
Railroads That Strike Is
Inevitable Otherwise.
TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND
FIREMEN ARE INVOLVED
Companies Are standing Pat"
and the Situation Is Held
TO Be Grave.

CHICAGO, March 13.-W. S. Carter,
president of the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Firemen and Enginemen, notified
the railroads today that if the contro-
versy with the iremen is not submit
ted to arbitration, strike is inevitable.
Twenty-Five thousand fremen on rail
roads west OF Chicago are involved
Mr. Carter's letter of notification was
indorsed by the Brotherhood commit
tee. which represents the fremen on
about forty-seyep railroads west, north
west and southwest OF Chicago, The
letter was sent TO w. c.. Nixon. general
manager OF the ST. Louis & San Fran
cisco railroad, and chairman OF the
railroad general mana gers committee,
and reads:
Letter Is Explicit.
Your letter of this date March l3),
wherein YOU state that the managers
committee declines further 10 consider
matters in controversy and in reply our
committee iustructs me to say: If
there is 10 be great railway strike,
responsibility must and will rest on the
managers committee. That there may
be no misunderstanding concerning this
responsibility, our committee hereby
proposes tho submission OF all matters
In dispute To an adjustment by arbltra
tiou
'*The public has been informed,
through the press, that matters in con
trovcrsy cannot be arbitraJed. because
they Involve the authority of railway
officials and The discipline OF employees.
This statement our committee emphat-
ically denies
The officials OF MANY railways rep
resented by the managers committee
do not hesitate 10 confess the gross in
justice perpetrated under present prac
tees.
'EOur committee directs me to re.
quest the managers committee through
you II tins proposition TO arbitrate is
not accepted by the managers commit
tee tAa. YOU notify us at your earliest
convenience.
Points Of Difference.
The railroads previously announced
their willingness TO arbitrate the in
creased wage demand. which the fire.
men say would amount to about 121%
per cent. Two other demands involved
the managers say. concern discipline and
are not open to arbitration. These points
have to do with the promotion of fire.
men, whether. when they become engine
men. they are still under the jurisdic
ton of the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Firemcn and Enainemen.
Docs your letter mean that if q sat.
istactory reply is not received a strike
Will be ca led?' Mr. Carter was asked
81 looks pretty grave. he said
We are nearer II disagreement than
we have ever been during the whole six
weeks OF conference. We do not want
strike. We want the public 10 under
stand that. a IS 10 our authority TO
strike, we have the vote OF moro than
81 per ceut Of The men In favor Of it.
Nj the answers VIC have received from
the managers hcrctoIorc have been eva
sivc; ! hope their reply will not be
Roads Standing Pat
II was learned that he managers had
agreed 10 stand pat and while re
fuslng any concessions probably would
invite the brotherhood S committee 10
another conference tomorrow
After confcrr;u@ with Mr.. Nixon. O.
l.. Dickson, assistant 10 The president
OF the Chicago Burlington & Quincy
road. gave ont The following statement:
We have received Mr.. Carter S lei.
ter. which. 10 the lavmau who is not
thoroughly familiar with the methods
Of labor organizations, would appear TO
be somewhat serious and point 10 q
stDke. ! wish TO say that this is mere.
j. ono "f the methods unfortunately in.
Nokcd IN conducting such nceolistio
and il is not likely that inc men would
sanction The action of their leaders IN
calling n strike over ono or two tech.
meal points. We do not feel the slight
est apprehension over the difficulty.
The managers in time. probably tomot.
row, viii make definite answer To The
fr"mcn committee and VIC hope for >
peaceful adjustments