The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-20
c. { D. SITUATION
CROWS SERIOUS
Ninety-Six Per Cent of Men
Vote to Sustain Their
Demands
QUESTION is NOW UP
TO THE GRAND LODGE
Full Committee Will Be in
City Today and Confer
ence With Officials
Arranged

OF the 2,4s2 men directly involved
IN the negotiations between the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Com
pany and their employees. ii is stated
that less than one hundred have
voted against strike, In other
words. according to a statement given
out by an official OF one OF the in
ternational organizations. 9s per cent.
OF the men cast their ballots To sus-
tain the demand of their committee
for an advance of 8 cents an hour
in wages. The last OF the votes,
coming from the western extremity
of the system, reached Richmond
yesterday and were tahulated.
A number OF grand lodge officers
arrived yesterday and others viii
reach the city to-day for the pur-
/. see OF taking final action and. from
the highest labor authorities, Ii IL
gathered that the situation has reach
I'D crisis and developments OF tho
first Importance may be expected
within forty eight hours.
Grand Ledge Officers
Among the grand lodge officers
now In Richmond are Thomas No
Ian, representing the Brotherhood Of
tsuItti HiakGIS dl}u lftIi
with headquarters at Kansas City,
Mr.. Lewis. representing the Broth
erhood of Railway Carmen OF Amer
lea, of Kansas City: William Lynn.
Of the United Association OF Steam
and Hot Water Pipefltters. and T. j.
Con1on. of Washington. u. c.. Of
the International Association of Ma
chinists. President o'Connell. OF the
,machinists association. and Prcsi-
dent Kline. OF the boflerrnaker
union. are expected To arrive o-dsy.
These grand lodge officers fern
an executive committee in whose
hands the interests Of the various
branches OF the railway employees are
entrusted. The referendum on the
wage question having been completed,
this committee viii take the demands
of the men under advisement and
submit them to the railway officials
To Hold Conference,
President George w. stevens. who
~ now tn New York. will return to
Richmond on Friday. at which time
date for conference will be set.
or. more probably the conference be-
tween Mr. Stevens and the labor OH
ciais will he held at once.
The referendum Just completed is
advisory only in scope. tho fact that
the men have voted to stand by their
committees demands not binding the
grand lodge representatives to order
a strike
Not Ready for Increase
Mr.. Stevens. in reply to the re-
quest for Increased wages. early In
July pointed cat that the earnings
OF the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Company were not such as would jus
tify the increase demanded. He was
willing to consider the question OF
an increase. -. he, said. as quickly AZ
the earnings OF the company for any
one month equaled the average earn
ings OF the last six months OF 1910.
Later this was modified by the
statement that the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railway Company would grant
the increase the day the Norfolk and
Western Railway Company. which
handles a similar class OF tonnage.
granted the increase. Tho latter
company's employees have for some
weeks been taking a similar vote. and
reports from Roanoke as to the
earnings Of the company indicate
possibility OF their reaching a point
by September or October LIST that
will permit OF the increase under
the offer of that company to raise
wages as quickly as business reached
the 1910 average.
situation Is Grave.
Old and tried men In the employ
Of the company. who have the warm
est kind OF feeling for the men at
the head OF the. road and for the
company itself. and who have hest
tated to take the word strike, on
their tongues, last night expressed
grave uneasiness over the situation.
None Of them could remember such
a thing as a general strike on the
road. and they said that Mr.. Stevens
had always shown n disposition to
stand by the men. They were in the
position OF hoping for the best. while
fearing the worst.
However. 1t is believed that arbi-
tration may be resorted TO and
strike yet averted.