Middletown transcript., 1910-07-09


the arbitration award Of the New York
Central; that it would adopt all that
embodies the principles for which they
contend and the rates that have been
put into effect on the New York Cen
trail, leaving the company's high rate
stand, but not increasing them by max
ing a ten hour day apply to the rates
which were made to fit an eleven and
twelve hour day, or that the company
would try to meet these conditions By
adjustment, fitting its rates of pay and
conditions of work to the New York
Central award as near as possible, as
has been done in the rates that have
been posted recently"
With reference to this declaration
made by General Manager Myers the
company has called to the attention of
the trainmen the following quotation
from the strike ballot which is to be
circulated among the employees:
'gThe specific offer made by the COM
pany was that it was willing to apply
the New York Central award, putting
In the mileage system in its entirety
with the minimum day, provided the
men would accept Herewith the New
York Central rates. AS the rates that
now obtain on this property are and
have been for large portion Of the
service materially higher than the New
York Central rates, this offer was nat
urally rejected.
Generally speaking, yard rates put
into effect by your company compare
fayorably with rates paid by other
companies in the territory, but WI
contend that both road and yard rates
should be higher on our line than paid
by other companies for similar service,
because the policy of the Pennsylya-
mia has always seemingly been to edu-
cate their employees in the belief that
certain of such employees were enti-
tied to from to 90 per cent more
than paid by other companies for simi-
lar service We feel we are entitled to
a continuation of the practice accemDa-
MED by standard condition of pay
ment"
Ninety-five per cent of the gross earn
ings Of the Pennsylvania railroad are
based on transportation rates, which
are made as a result of competition in
the north with the New York Central
and in the south with the Baltimore
and Ohio. The company has to COM
pete with these railroads, and although
its rates of pay have been higher and
working conditions better than those
Of the former roads, as the rates Of pay
Of these railroads approach those Of
the company the latter cannot maiu:
tain the same difference between the
rates of pay which must of necessity
In the natural course Of events reach
a common basis. It is true that the
other railroads In this territory have
made increases, but they have not
reached the rates generally paid by
the Pennsylvania railroad.
That the company's employees may
appreciate the seriousness of this stu
alton and that they may realize the
effect of voting 'yes'' to this ballot,
they should bear in mind that the rates
which were adopted on the Baltimore
and Ohio and on the New York Cen
tral-rates which they do not want to
accept from the Pennsylvania-were
arrived at after arbitration, Judge
Knapp Of the Interstate commerce
commission and Mr.. Neill, commits
sioner Of labor, being the arbitratorS
in one case and Mr.. E. E. Clark, mem.
Der Of the interstate commerce COM
mission and formerly president OF the
Order of Railway Conductors, and Mr..
P. H. Morrissey, formerly president Of
the Brotherhood Of Railroad Trainmen
and now president OF the Railway
Employees Investors association, In
the other.
In statement posted on bulletin
boards all over the lines east of Pitts
burg and Erie the company says that
''the committee Of trainmen particular
ly called attention to the fact that each
member should vote WIKI full knowl.
edge that If the necessary majority Of
the membership employed upon the
fines vote in favor of strike extreme
action will be taken unless the com.
pany recedes from It's positiln. Each
employee should take the copy Of the
ballot, read 1t carefully. as well as the
foregoing statement, and then vote as
each feels that he should vote In fair
ness to the company and to himself"
Briefly recited, the following, with
the above, constitute the history Of the
entire case:
In October, 1909, a convention Of
the Brotherhood of Railway Condue-
tors and Traiamen was held In Bos-
Ton, at which the railroads in the east
ern territory were represented and q
set of regulations and rates Of pay
was adopted. This came to be known
as the eastern federation scale Of
wages. This scale was submitted to
the employees Of the various railroads
and was generally adopted. 1t was
rejected by the trainmen on the Penn
sylvania railroad, and therefore they
were not a party to the general move
ment advocating this scale Of wages.
A-ateE EeAuSyA Yuma tdhrOda SLnpiOyS S<s
adopted set Of regulations and
scale OF wages, dated Feb. /, 1910,
which was presented in turn to the
general superintendent and general
manager. The conditions are practt
cally the same as those Of the Eastern
Federation association, but the rates
are very much higher.
The first railroad in the east to -ae