The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-15
Pennsylvania Employees Are
Ready to Go on Strike
CONFERENCE IS A FAILURE
officials of the Railroad and Repre-
sentatfves of Employees Confer for
Some Time But no Agree
ment Is Reached

Philadelphia, July 14-Whether a strike
of the 1900 conductors, trainmen, bag
gagemasters and yardmen employed on
the Pennsylvania railroad lines east of
Pittsburg, Erie and Buffalo shall be
| called is now in the hands of a commit
\ tee of six headed by President A. b.
Garretson of the Order of Railway Con-
ductors, and w. G. Lee, president of
the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen.
The conferences today between the COM
mittee of railroad men and General Man
ager w. Hayward Meyers of the Penn
sylvania railroad resulted in no agree
ment, and SO far as can be learned
neither side conceded anything to the
| other.
| When the final conference was over the
committee representing the railroad men
| filed out of the Pennsylvania offices,
each member with a serious face. None
had anything to say and the Pennsylvania
railroad officials declined to talk.
| The railroad men later held a brief
meeting and at its conclusion President
Garretson announced that the 120 men,
been given power through the strike bal
| lot to order walkout, had unanimously
voted to leave the matter in the hands
| of a committee of six. 1t was further
given out that this committee has the
power of fixing the time when the men
| shall quit work.
Just when strike order may be ex-
pected Mr.. Garretson refused to state.
Thus the situation appears to be at a
| critical stage, but there Is still hope
| among the railroaders that way Will
be found that will prevent the men from
going on strike.
| Two conferences were held today, one
at IL a m. and the other at p. m.
! Nothing New to OHer
| So far as can be learned neither side
| had anything new to offer. The railroad
men insisted that they be given the To-
hour day with the present f1-hour rate
Of wages presented by the Pennsylvania
railroad. The company, on the other
hand, again declined to concede any
| thing further than had already been Of
| fered Mr.. Meyers, 1t is said, declared
that the company would give the men
| the same conditions as those under which
the New York Central men work. pro-
vided that 1t meant no increase In the
operating expenses of the company.
| So far as could be learned tonight there
has been no further meeting fixed be-
tween the railroad mems committee and
General Manager Meyers. Messrs. Gar
retson and Lee tonight declared that
they did not propose to invoke arbitra-
ton, as provided in the Erdman act
Whether or not the railroad Will attempt
to take advantage of that legislation is
not known.
President Lee, in the course of an in
terview, stated that 1t was alone ques-
ton Of money. He said the railroad mad
made the recent 6 per cent increase Ill
wages with the expectation of shutting
off the work of the employees committees.
Statement BY Railroad
AT II o'clock tonight the Pennsylvania
railroad gave out its version of what oc-
cured at today's conferences. ACCORDING
to the company Mr.. Myers at the morning
conference said that the company would
grant a 1o-hour day on a mileage basis,
a thing which they declared they had been
considering prior to this discussion, and
would endeavor, with some exceptions,
to apply the conditions to the New York
Central award
This statement. the company says, was
received with applause by the labor dele
gates present Mr. Garretoon SAID
Now, we're getting together. DO
not understand the applause" Mr.. Mey-
ers is reported to have said. Il want tn
make it clear that mean conditions and
not rates"
1t was then agreed that smaller COM
mittee should be appointed and an ad-
iournmert was taken until o'clock.
During the rgcass 1t was shown that
the company stood ready to make some
concessions to their demands and they
entered the afternoon session with that
expectation the company declares.
Myers II Misunderstood
At the opening of the later session Mr.
Movers said that If such was their ex-
pectation they had evidently misunder-
stood him in the morning, and he referred
them to the minutes for his exact words.
Mr.. Meyers then reiterated the COM
pany's original statement that under no
circumstances would it conclude an agree
ment involving an increase In its ex-
penses He asked Mr.. Garretson II he
was still committed to his original inten-
ton that no settlement could be reached
except under condition that the company
grant the present 11-hour wage for 10
hour day. Mr.. Garretson replied that he
was absolutely SO committed.
At this point the company says the con-
ference was concluded with each side
standing precisely in its original posi-
ton.