Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-03
STRIKE IS imminent
B. & o. Trainmen and Con-
ductors Reject 0vertures.
VOTE NEARLY UNANIMOUS
Committee Authorized to Call Out
Men, if Necessary.
DECISION THIS AFTERNOON
VOTE NEARLY UNANIMOUS
DECISION THIS AFTERNOON
Railroad Calls on Commissioners
Attempt to Standardize Wages.
Knapp and Neill to Mediate.

BALTIMORE, March BY an almost
unanimous vote the conductors and
trainmen of the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad have sustained the action of
their general committee in rejecting the
counterproposition OF the company to
their demands for higher wages and con-
cessions affecting the train service.
President Willard's offer to submit the
disputed questions to arbitration also was
overwhelmingly rejected.
Federal Mediation Asked.
After the meeting today. at which the
break in relations came, the company
made the following announcement:
The company, finding itself unable to
come to an agreement with the trainmen,
has asked for mediation of Chairman
Knapp of the interstate commerce COM
mission and Labor Commissioner Neill."
The mems committee will meet this aft
ernocn to decide whether strike shall
be declared. In view of the heavy vote
favoring resort to this extremity, If nee
essary. it was regarded as reasonably GER
tain that such action will follow.
Nearly a Unit for Strike.
Ninety-eight per cent of the men of the
two organizations involved, namely. the
order of Railway Conductors and the
brotherhood of Railway Trainmen. voted
TO sustain the action of their general COM
mittee in rejecting the counter-proposition
and for strike If necessary, the figures
being $50 for strike and i37 against 1t.
The brotherhood chiefs consider this
action as an emphatic Endorsement of the
movement, inaugurated jointly by the
two unions to better the condition of the
INN Of CT forn nd s.
sociations, which, they decided, would be
accomplished by the establishment OF uni
formity in wage schedules, taking the
western standard for freight and yard
service as the basis.
Standard OF Wages.
West of the Mississippi river freight
conductors are paid $3.50 per hundred
miles, and freight brakeman $2.58 per
hundred miles. There is, as yet, no uni
form scale for the passenger service.
The increase of per cent requested of
the Baltimore and Ohio was expected to
set it,
In explanation of the refusal of the
men to assent to President Wizards pro-
posaI to submit the differences to arbitra-
ton under the Erdman act. President
Lee of the Trainmen's Brotherhood, de-
clared that railroad men generally view
the law with disfavor, because, he said.
the decisions of the arbiters on disputed
points affecting their interests have
almost invariably been made against
them. Moreover, he added, the decisions
are unnecessarily delayed.
Nothing beyond the announcement con-
cerning arbitration was. obtainable at the
Baltimore and Ohio executive Offices this
afternoon Ii is understood. however.
that President Willard stands in the
same position he took in statement is
sued last week following the breaking
off of negotiations when he gave the
company's reasons why it could not ac
cede to the mems demands in their en-
tirety, coupled with an offer to submit
the whole matter to arbitration and
pledging the company to abide by the de-
cision, whatever 1t might be.