The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-05-03
CONDUCTORS HAVE
STARTED TO TAKE
A STRIKE VOTE
Railroads Have Refused to
Consider Arbitration
POLL TO LAST TWO WEEKS
Employers Reply to Committees
Letter Contrasts Increase of Divi-
dends with Wage Advance

New York, May "a strike vote
of the 100000 conductors and train
men on railroads in eastern territory
was ordered last night by the mems
representatives, who have been in
conference with the railroad manag-
ers here over demands for increased
wages recently submitted by the en-
ployes. The roads Thursday denied
the mems demands and yesterday re-
fused a proposition to submit the
dispute to arbitration This refusal
was speedily followed by a meeting
of the mems committee, at which it
was unanimously decided to order a
poll of the men to determine wheth-
err the power to call strike should
be put in the hands of the leaders.
Formal notice of this action was
served upon tn eroads last evening in
a letter signed by A. B. Garretson,
president of the order of railway con-
ductors, and w. G. Lee, president of
the brotherhood of railroad train
men. 1t is expected that the polling
of the vote will occupy two weeks or
more. after the vote is taken"
MT Lee Sdlu last night, VIC Will
again request a conference with the
representatives of the railroads, and
at that conference we will tell them
the result of the vote. I'll say now
that ! don't expect to have to tell
them that the vote was against TAX
ing a strike"
In the letter sent to the conference
committee of managers of the rail
roads last night the conductors and
trainmen take issue with a number
of statements in Thursdays reply of
the railroads refusing the employees
wage demand. while insisting
that the employees must have more
money If the public interests have TO
be taken care of, and your comma
tee constituting itself sole judge be.
tween the public interests and the
employees, why not also determine, .
says the letter. whether the owners
OF railway stock may not be subject.
ed to some inquiry in this conten-
ton"
Admitting that there have been in
creases of conductors and train
mems wages in the past years and
quoting figures of comparative rates
of pay, East and West. with the low
er rates prevailing in the east, the let
ter adds: Against this percentage
of increase for conductors and brake
men, which is set up as an excuse
why no further increases should be
granted in this territory of low-rate
pay and onerous conditions of ser
vices let us see what the stockhold-
ers' record is in the way of increase
in dividends paid during the same
period"
Figures are quoted TO show that in
1890 total of $S7,000,000 in divi-
dends was paid to holders of railroad
stock in the United States. while in
1910 the dividends amounted to $780,
100000, thus showing an increase
during that period of 429 per cent in
the amount paid as dividends 1.-The
letter asks: rs it legitimate to de-
mand that all sacrifice to the public
interest must be made by a class of
men who have only received 80 per
cent in increases during the period
since 1890, and levy no tribute for
the public interest upon the stock
holders, who has in the same period
received 429 per cent of increase in
his returns from his investment"