Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-05-02
100000 R. R. MEN
ASKING MORE PAY
Eastern Managers Reject De-
nnand Which Would Cause
Outlay of $4,000, 900 Year.

ourlay OF SII,OoO,OOO feat'
Conductors and trainmen on nearly
half hundred railways of the East
have combined in a new movement
fc demand an increase of wages and
changes in working conditions. The
combined strength of the men is
about 100000. The increase for which
they ask would amount to slROo0,o00
or 20 per cent a year. In 1910, the
railroads officials say, the men were
granted an Increase which amounted
10 $40, 600 600 per .annum.
The reply of the railways to the
latest demand is addressed to a, B.
fiarrettson, president of the Order Of
Railway Conductors. and to w Q.
Lee. president of the brotherhood of
Railway Trainmen. The reply says in
part
THE wages and working conditions
which you request would increase the
pay OF the 100000 conductors and
1rafnmen OF. the railroads in the East
ern distriet-the forty-three roads
E represented by the conference COM
1nfttee of nanagers-for the service
now rendered by approximately ST.
{ o00. 900 or 20 per cent, per annum The
Increase would be equivalent to piac-
ing on these properties a lien of S425,=
D00.0 900 of per cent. securities, which
would have preference over first
mortgage bonds.
eff the railroads are forced to pay
extravagant wages to men in train
3 service the burden must fall on the
public, for it is only from the 5O,oOO,-
900 people directly dependent on these
railroads for transportation faculties
+ that the roads can secure revenue
You will readily see, therefore, why,
5 IN considering your demands, we hold
I the public interest paramount.
Facilities oyertaxed.
ssAlready the traffic of growing
4 country has overtaxed the existing
facilities. and the heavy burdens IN
4 enrred through ill-advised legislation,
auch as extra crew bills-for which
the brotherhood of Railroad Train
men is alone responsible-forcing on
B fhe railroads and consequently on the
public needless expenditure of mil
I lions Of dollars annually, OF the large
financial outlay the roads are COM
nefed bv law to make for improve
mems which produce no revenue,
su~h as the grade crossing bill OF
& New Jersey and the additional bur-
den of previous wage increases All
of these factors are making It impos-
aible for many of the roads r. al
those facilities which prudent fore
sight demands and which the interest
bof the public require,
an making demands for extraVa-
( CANT wages-wages entirely out OF ac-
4 cord with She railroads obligations
AZ whole--railway employees ap-
parentlv act on the assumption that
strike that would tie up trafflc
would never be permitted by the pup
lie They seem to think that II
F strike is TO be avoided the railroads
must give way-that the public Will
force them to give way believing
that arbitration must take place, ana
that in the end the splitting OF an
ferenees between what they demand
4 and the wages they receive Will re-
sun in their favor. In other words,
the employees have everything to
Z aain and nothing TO lose.
'sThe ability of the railroads to meet
the recurring demands for increased
wages is measured by the net results
Af their operations and the sum
she obligations which they must meet
20 maintain their solvency. The re-
duction of the net revenue by the
Z constantly increasing expenses OF
operation have so narrowed the mar
gin which is essential to the solvent
< existence of many of the roads that
further increases in operating costs
are viewed with grave concern.
~The railroads reiterate their state
ment made to the engineers that this
headiong movement towards financial
. disaster cannot proceed unchecked.
Wages Liberal. They Say.
1.-THE conductors and trainmen IN
+ fhe Eastern district have practically
Uniform wages and working eendi-
/. fions, and the wages now paid are
liberal. AS positive proof of this we
need only call to your attention the
fact that they were fixed by d, p.
Clark, former president of the Order
Railway Conductors, and P. H. Nor
8 rissey, former president of the
< brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen,
who acted as arbitrators in the New
s York Central controversy in 1910.
THE method of settlement under
which those wages and conditions