New-York tribune., 1910-04-12
REJECT CENTRAL TERMS
Final Conference To-day to De-
eide Question of Strike.
OFFICIALS MAINTAIN STAND
Compromise Offer Unsatisfac-
tory to Grievance Commit
tees, It Is Announced.

The question whether or not the View
York Central Railroad and its subsidiary
lines will be tied up by a general strike or
the trainmen and conductors Viii depend
on the result of final conference between
the grand chiefs OF the trainmen's and con-
ductors' organiza tiOns. their grievance com
mittees and the officials OF the railroad To-
day.
A conference between the representatives
Of the men and the company was held yes
terday. which was intended as a final one.
% per cent OF the men having voted TO re-
iect the terms offered by the railroad and
in favor OF a strike. At the conference
Yesterday we're Grand Masters W. G. Lee
and A. r. GarretsOn. OF the trainnen and
conductors. respectively: the grievance COM
mittees OF the trainmen and conductors or
the road. and President W G.. Brown. Gen
eraI Manager A. q. Smith and Assistant
General Manager p. +. Crowley of the
Central. This was the first time President
Brown took part personally IN a conference
with the representatives OF the employees
The grievance committees told the Cen
trail officials that the vote rejecting the rail-
roads last proposition was strike vote
The men wanted advances ranging from
to S4 per cent. which the officials Of the
company said the road could not possibly
afford. and the offer Of the company. which
had been voted down. was 70 grant ad-
vances ranging from 8 TO q per cent
strike on the Central would involve about
fftv-fve hundred men on lines between this
citv and Buffalo.
Yesterdays conference broke up quickly.
and the railroad officials agreed TO confer
among themselves and send a compromise
offer to the trainmen and conductors. The
heads OF the latter agreed 20 wait for H.
The compromise offer was sent by a spe-
cial messenger to Grand Masters Lee and
Garretson late in TIE afternoon, and they
az once called meeting Of the grievance
committees TO take the matter up at the
Broadway Central Hotel. Neither side
would saw what the new terms offered
we're. but II was announced that the meet
ing voted the compromise offer unsatis-
factory.
Grand Master Lee Of the trainmen said
that the only terms that would be accepted
would be the same as granted by the BsIti-
more & Ohio road. He said that a strike
would affect the Vanderbilt lines. including
the Lake Shore. the Michigan Central, the
West Shore. the Big Four. the Nickel Plate.
the Lake Erie & Western. the Boston &
Albany and the Pittsburg & Lake Erie.
The Michigan Central men. he said. were
at present voting on the question Of a
strike for the demands which the Central
refused.
There is no reason why the New York
Central should not pay the same wages as
the Baltimore & Ohio. which We have made
the standard - SAID Grand Master Lee. We
must also have the same rates for the
passenger AMI freight trainmen and con-
ductors.''
The grand officers said that no minimum
less than s125 a month FOR conductors. SO
for baggagemen and so for brakenen
would be accepted on short runs. Any sd-
vances proposed by the railroad were en-
tirely inadequate.
There was not much excitement among
the committees about reports that the com
psny was preparing for strike They did
not seem TO take such reports very serious
ly. and as 20 the reports that instruction
ears were in operation. II was stated that
this was no new thing. They would be in
operation. anyway.
II is twenty years since there was a
strike on the New York Central lines That
strike was ordered by the Switchmens
Mutual Aid Association. Knights OF Labor
organization. which no longer exists. The
strike failed when the Brotherhood Of I.O-
connective Engineers decided not TO strike
I'm sympathy with the switchmen.
Cleveland. April 1.-THE wage dispute be-
tween the trainmen and conductors on the
Lake Shore and Lake Erie & Western rail-
roads and the management OF the roads
will be transferred to New York. where
President Brown of the New York Central
will be appealed to. Iris was decided on
by the mems grievance committee to-day
after General Manager Moon of the Lake
Shore had definitely refused their demands.
Negotiation are still pending with the
Nickel Plate system. General Manager
Johnston OF the Nickel Plate will meet a
committee OF the men tomorrow. About
sixty-hve hundred men are involved on the
three roads. and IN each case the commit
tees have been authorized TO call strike
If their negotiations fail.