New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-07-07
NEARLY ALL TRAINMEN
VOTE YES" ON STRIKE
go Per Cent, According to the
Railroad Managers, Favor
Wage Increase Fight.

Figures will be submitted. II was said
last night. by tine ip",vu trainmcn and
conductors on the Eastern roads who by
70 vote Of Approximately 90 per cent have
decided i'm favo" of a strike IN reply to
the figures ~ the railroads in regard to
the increase in operating expenses Il the
demands Of the employees are granted
The aggregate increase Of expenses
called for in the demands from the point
of view Of the officials Of orEanizat tons
OF the trainmcn and conductors. will be
made public when A. g. Garretson. head
OF the order OF Railway Conductors, and
w q. Leo. head Of tho trainmcn's or
canization. announce tine strike vote at 4
conference between tho committees Of the
employees and the managers committee
Of the railroads tomorrow
Mr. Gargctson last night said the rail
roads will be given reasonable time To
reconsider their refusal ~ the demands
and also arbitration under the Erdman
act Ito believes, he said there is a
chance 81 the bill amending the Erdman
act. now before Congress. being enacted
before the strike conferences are ended.
"N strike will not be called" ne said,
until II IS found impossible TO avert one
honorably. we viii not wait tn see II the
bill amending tho Erdman act becomes
law. but % has passed the Senate and
viii be- introduced in the House Of Repre-
sontatiycs this week There is no doubt
II the negotiations are still on that tho
railroads will bc willing 10 arbtratc under
the amended law. but our programme viii
go ON as II no such measure was before
Congress"
Elisha Ice. Chairman Of the railroad
managers. committee, in a statement last
night said:
The conductors ard tranmcn have
asked FOR increases i'm pay OF ill"Hoo".
or % pcr cent year and tho railroads
have refused to grant any Increases. for
tho reason that tho wages now paid th"s"
employees are liberal. in many cases they
arc excessive
The conductors and traiumcn OF the
Eastern railroads received Increases Of
80 ooo.o 900 year IN 1910. according 20
President f.c" OF the rranmcns Brother
hood A. the wages NJ these employees
now approximate some fj 100000 In a
year. their total wages prior to the 1910
increase must have been Sj5,ooo.oIo or $50
10000.
III appears. therefore from President
Lees own estimate that tho trainmcn and
conductors In 1910 received an annual In
crease i'm wages Of - per cent.
"Yct I'm spite NJ this they are now ask
ing for sI7O1o0oo. or 20 per cent year adj
dit.onal
The engineers in 1912 were given an
annual increase of t,Ooooo. and in MAY.
1918. the drcmcn received an advance ~
&c. 10000 a year.
II the roads granted tho increase now
asked by the tranmon and conductors
Il would mean that In three years in
creascs In pay To- employees I'm train SER
vice would amount to 100000 "A year,
which is equivalent to placing on these
properties a lien Of tl,OiOOo0.0oo OF per
cent securities having preference over
FIRST mortgage bonds.
Wages OF railroad labor can only he
paid out OF the funds received by the
railroads Tor services performed II these
wages absorb constantly increasing pro-
portion Of the receipts from this sole
source OF revenue, II is obvious that the
public must pay the bill IL the end.
"Thc question the public has to answer
is. How long shall this process Of in
crease he allowed To continue un-
checked
President Garretson Of tho trainmen's
organization. when told % this statement
declined TO discuss the figures.
The estimate OF 90 per cent of the
men voting Tor 2 strike Is the railroads
estimate" he said II am not giving my
estimate now"