The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-03-26
EASTERN RAILWAYS
REFUSE DEMANDS
Declare That the Present Con-
dition of Traffic Does Not
Warrant Wage Increase.
ENGINEERS TO CONFER
Probable That Another Joint
Meeting Will Occur Before
Strike IS Called.
Ry Interna tional News Service.

BY International News Service.
NEW YORK. March 25.-The commit
tee of twelve, consisting of vice presi-
dents and general managers. represent
Ing about fifty railroads. appointed to
draw UP an, answer 10 the demands Of
the brotherhood of Locomotive Engi-
neers for an Increase In wages, today
declined TO grant any increases.
To this the conference committee OF
the brotherhood headed by w. s, Stone.
grand chief engineer. replied that the
engineers reaffirmed their demands and,
il the managers had nothing further to
offer. the entire matter would be sub
mitted to the engineers represented Tor
their final action.
The. curt reply to this note by J. G.
Stuart vice president of the Erie and
chairman of the committee OF twelve.
was that the conference committee OF
managers could add nothing to It's reply
and trusted the matter would be given
full consideration when the entire ques-
tion is submitted 10 the engineers for
thcir final consideration,
The Last Resort.
According to those versed in labor
. alters, there appears nothing more for
the engineers TO do but to take a strike
vote The roads affected are those
known as the eastern district railroads,
They arc those roads north OF the Nor
folk Western and east OF Chicago
The great systems involved are the
New York Central, the Pennsylvania,
Erie Delaware & Lackawanna, Jersey
Central, Baltimore & Ohio, Ontario
Hartford; Boston & Maine, Long Island,
the Wabash east and many smaller lines.
These roads do more than one-half the
traffic, of the United states. Twenty
hood engineers are employed and about
TWO thousand non-union engineers.
Our committee cannot call strike,
said Chief Engineer Stone, but it can
question Of calling one. The engineers
are in good condition for strike. am
not believe in strikes if they can be
avoided, but we believe our demands are
just and right
II am neither disappointed nor sur
that. 1t will take a two-thirds vote to
declare a strike. and have the power
TO veto IL IL declared"
Managers Figures.
In their answer TO the demands OF the
engineers. the managers showed that the
proposed increase In pay would amount
To total annual increase OF 1883, 792.74.
or 1863 pei cent, the equivalent OF a len
over first mortgages Of slSS.Sa3,S1S Of
per cent securities. The growing traffic.
they assert. has overtaxed the existing
facilities and 10 grant the increase would
be to make ii Impossible for many roads
10 raise money needed for betterments.
With some the managers say the in
crease would spell bankruptcy
The fact of forced reductions in rates
by the interstate commerce commission is
cited as showing how the earning ca
pacitles or the roads are hampered. The
fact that the engineers received an in
crease in 1910 is referred to- This in
crease was in the face of d proposed ad-
vance In rates. which the interstate COM
MERGE commission would not allow. The
increase to the engineers IL is pointed
out: amounted TO s3,923, $50 per annum
or 1913 per cent
II is also pointed out that in 1911 there
was decrease in net earnings OF S27,~
95o,200 and that while there were Si97
less men employed on the roads In uues-
$40 I-6 Sn2