The San Francisco call., 1910-03-14
$4,000 RAILWAY
F|REMEN READY
TO TRY STRIKE
Head of Brotherhood Notifies
Managers of AZ Roads Gem
tering in Chicago
Arbitration of Dispute Is De-
manded as Alternative to
StOppage of Work

CHICAGO, March 1S.-W. S. Carter
prsident Of the brotherhood of locomo.
tive lremen and enginemen, notified
the railroads today that if the contro
versy with the hremen was not sub.
mitted to arbitration a strike was in.
eyitable
Twenty-Five thousand fremen OF
railroads west OF Chicago are involved
Carter's letter of notification was in
dorsed by the brotherhood's commit
tee, which represents the fremen or
about Il railroads west, northwest and
southwest Of Chicago
ssRBITRATION Is PROPOSED
The letter was sent TO w. C. Nixon
general manager of the st. Louis and
san Francisco railroad, and chairma I
OF the railroad general mana gers com.
mittee, and reads:
Your letter of this (March 49,,
wherein you state that the man
ayers committee declines further
TO consider matters in controversy,
has been received and in reply our
committee instructed me to say:
If there is to be a great railway
cLIAhN. responsibility must ana VIII
rest on the managers committee.
That there may be no misunder-
standing concerning this response
bility, our committee herby pro-
poses the submission OF all mat
ters in dispute TO an adjustment by
arbitration.
The public has been informed.
through the press. that matters in
controversy can not be arbitrated,
because they involve the authority
Of railway officials and the disci-
pline of employees. This statement
our committee emphatically denies.
The officials OF many railways
represented by the managers COM
mittee do not hesitate TO confess
the gross injustice perpetrated un-
der present practices.
Our committee directs me to re-
quest the mana gers committee
through you, If this proposition to
arbiUrate is not accepted by the
managers committee, that YOU no
tifv US al your earliest convenience.
MEN READY To STRIKE
The railroads previously announced
their willingness TO arbitrate the in
creased wage demand, which the fire.
men say would amount to about Il Il
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 iremen and whether, when they be-
come enginemen, they are still under
the Jurisdiction of the brotherhood OF
locomotive firemen and enginemen.
Does your letter mean that if a sat
sssfctory reply is not received a strik'
will be called?" Carter was asked.
He said:
II looks pretty grave. We are
<resrer a disagreement than we
have ever been during the whole
SIX weeks of conference.
We DO not want a strike. We
want the public TO understand tha {.
As 10 our authority to strike. We
have the vote of more than so per
the answers we have received from
the managers heretofore have been
evssive- / hope their next reply
viii not be So
MANAGERS TO STAND PAT
It was learned that the managers
had agreed TO stand 'paty and while
refusing any concessions probably
would invite the brotherhood's COM
mittee to another conference tomor-
row.
After conferring with Nixon. o. L.
Dickson, assistant TO the president of
The Chicago. Burlington and Quincy
Eoad- gave out the following statement:
We have received Carters let
ter, which TO the layman who is
not thoroughly familiar with the
methods OF labor organizations
would appear TO be somewhat Seri-
Gus and point TO a strike.
j wish 10 say that this is merely
one OF the methods unfortunately
involved in conducting such nego-
tiations, and il is not likely that
the men would sanction the action
of their leaders in calling a strike
over one or two technical points.
We DO not feel ten slightest ap-
prehension over the difficulty. The
managers IN time, probably tomor-
row, will make definite answer to
the hremen's committee, and we
hope for q peaceful adjustment.
Eastern Roads Have Trouble