Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1910-07-21
RAILROADS SYSTEM FROM MAINE
TO CHICAGO MAY BE
TIED UP.
DISPUTE OVER WAGE SCHEDULE
Company Shuts Down Shops, Throw
ing Out 5000 Empioyes.-Line A.
ready Crippled, and Men Pre-
pare for Long Struggle.

trunk railway has begun, which, 1t is
claimed, will tie up the entire system
from Portland, Me-, to Chicago.
Three thousand and five trainmen
and conductors on the Grand Trunk,
and $50 on the Central Vermont, a
subsidiary line, are affected directly
by the strike. In addition 5000 men
engaged in shop work will be tempo
rarily laid off,
The Grand Trunk railway telegraph.
ers will not strike with the trainmen
and conductors as had been promised.
The word from the conference is that
the wage dispute will be referred to
arbitration with the understanding
that both sides will accept the award.
The strike was declared automatic
ally, following the decision of Pres1-
dent Hays of the Grand Trunk not to
accede to the demands of the men.
Trains which began their runs before
$3.50 were run through to their division
terminals.
No Freights Sent Out.
Dispatches from London, Stratford
and Sarnia say that the shops there
have been closed down and that no at
tempt is being made to send out the
freight trains, though the passenger
trains are running an hour or two late.
From Toronto the word was that
following the order from this city,
every trainman, conductor and yard
man there quit on the tick of $3.50 p.
m. The Belleville-Toronto train ar
rived an hour and twenty minutes late.
The Chicago train due to leave Toron-
to at II o'clock left half an hour late,
Assistant Superintendent Bowker in
charge.
The Grand Trunk system has total
mileage of 4,705. The mileage of the
Central Vermont, a controlled road, is
636. The Grand Trunk chiefly is
owned by English shareholders and
most of the directors live in London.
The company is now engaged in the
construction of great transcontinent-
al line, Known as the Grand Trunk Pa
cific, extending from Moncton, N. B.,
to the Pacific coast.
Arrangements Side.
The developments of the day previ-
Gus to the calling of the strike were
explained as follows in statement is
sued by the company at o'clock:
"Messrs. Berry and Murdoch with a
committee representing the Grand
Trunk trainmen and yardmen met the
officers Of the company and advised
that they had received the authority
of large majority of our trainmen to
~,.I> 81. o5xr Ia
ment was not reached with the COM
pany.
"a general discussion of the situa
ton took place during which we ad-
vised them that we we're not in posi-
ton to do more than had been offered
in our former proposition, giving the
men an increase of approximately 10
per cent, with the further promise that
they should be given the same stand
ard rate of pay as the Canadian Pacific
as soon as the Grand Trunk, through
its relation with the Grand Trunk Pa
cific, is in position to participate in
the higher rates obtaining on traffic in
the Northwest. It was explained that
If there was any question of Indefinite
ness as to the date when the standard
ization was to take effect we would
agree that it should be not later than
Jan. 1, 1913, or earlier if the board of
railway commissioners upon hearing
of the facts in the case should so de-
termine.
"This was not considered satisfac-
tory and the conference was adjourned
until the afternoon, when we were
handed the schedule of rate Of pay and
rules which are practically the East
ern standard.
"The reply was made that we could
do no better than what had already
been offered and we would have no
further propositions to make. Ia
"In the meantime we shall make
effective the rules and rates of pay
offered the employees. Pending settle
ment Of matters all shops on the sys-
tenn will be closed"
To this statement President Hays
added:
eve have done the best we can,
having regard to the interests OF the
.hareholders and Of the men them
selves. we nave oAoASu euOSse'AAeAeAA
Increases in wages. For instance, we
give conductors between Montreal and
portland an Increase from .$110 to
s13s, between Montreal and Brock
vile from $50 to $40 month, be.
tween Montreal and Toronto from $llo
to $40. and baggagemen from s7o to
!. ss5, and brakemen from SOB to sou &c
$50. ).
con mileage rates conductors O
3 through trips are to be raised IRON IRON
4 $50 to 1856 cents mile and brakeme1
4 from 100 to 2.25 cents.
.sWhen / put this to the men ] sale
that if they did not think It salts
! factory, I was willing to go TO th 2.
arbitration Of a board Of expert rail-
way men as to whether Or not tn 2,
nrnnosition was fair and would be Will