The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-10-04
Gov. F0SS HIT
HARD BY MEN
Declare His Law Would CuItaiI
Liberties That Corporate
Greco May Fatten.
MISTAKEN ABOUT ISSUE
Better to Lend Hand to Avert
Trouble on New Haven Road
Than Hasten 1t by This ~Ac-e
ton.

ton.
Denying in the most forcible manner
his charge that they are blocking the
New York, New Haven & Hartford
railroad from taking proper steps for
| the protection of the travelling pub
lie, grand officers of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers and the
Brotherhood of Locomotive F'iremen
and Enginemen have sent a reply to
of Massachusetts, in which he threat
ened to call a special session of the
Legislature Of that state to prevent
kany strike by the men.
The letter of reply to Governor Foss
is signed by L. G. Grifhng, assistant
grand chief of the Brotherhood of
Railroad Engineers, and by P. J.. Nc
Namara,, vice president of the Broth
erhood of Locomotive F'iremen and
Enginemen. The letter was drafted
at a conference between the two union
leaders in New Haven last night and
was Immediately despatched by regis
tered mail.
The union men deny Governor Fsoss'
statement that a strike is imminent,
although they admit that strike vote
is being taken. A strike say the
men, will only be attempted as a last
resort, as it will mean just as much
and more hardship to- the strikers
themselves and their families.
Governor F'oss' stand, say the men
in their letter, will tend more to bring
on a, strike than to prevent one. They
characterize the governors proposed
measures as legislation THAT wilI cur
tail the liberties rights and privileges
of the citizens of the commonwealth in
order that corporate greed may fat
ten upon products of involuntary ser'v-
ftude.''
REPLY IN FULL.
The letter follows in full;
New Haven, Conn, Oct. g. 1918.
Hon. Eugene N. Foss, Governor, - :
Commonwealth of Massachusetts,,
State House, Boston, Mass.
Sir: Your letter of the second in
slant addressed to the undersigned
representatives of the: Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers and Brother
hood of Locomotive Firemen and En-
ginemen received this evening, and af-
ter a. very careful -Ioerusal of same.
we believe that in justice to yourself,
the public and all other parties con-
cerned, we should endeavor to correct
the false impression, as indicated by
your letter, that you have formed of
New York, New Haven & Hartford
Railroad company and it's locomotive
engineers and f1remen.
MISTAKEN IN IDEA.
We do acknowIedge that strike vote
is now being taken of engin GERS and
hremen upon this railroad, but not
for the purpose that you state, namely
'tthe proposal to inaugurate strike
The strike is one of the forces of or
ganized labor that is exercised only as
a. last resort and after all other legal
and legitimate effort has been ex-'
-hausted.- The constitution and bylaws
of our respective organizations pre-
scribe the methods to be followed in
conducting negotiations; and not to
our knowledge do the laws contained
therein conflict with the Jaws of eth
er state or natfon,s and it is within our
strict observance of these laws that
the present strike vote IS being taken
IF q strike is SO authorized it can be
legally entered into at such time as
may be determined upon by ourselves
and committees; but this does not
necessarily mean that because 1t is au-
thorized it must be ordered. Future
developments must of necessity in
1uence our action in this, respect
You speak of a strike as being of
grave concern to the people of MasSa-
-chusetts. Permit US to suggest that
such a strike is of equally grave con-
Germ to those directly involved. Many
of them are citizens of your common
wealth and together with their famiI-
ieisiftf,i friends and co-workers On the
railroad all of whom are deeply con-
cerned, and while not being IN major
ity are of numbers sufficient to have
at least attracted your attention to
that extent that before indicating your
hostility to their interests as shown by
your published letter you would have
given their representatives the OPP
portunfty to present their side of this
controversy to your excel1ency. If a
public calamity is threatened, and
your expressions would indicate that
such is your belief, then we deeply
regret that as governor of the COM
n1onwea1th in which SO many of our
citizens have taken
a stand with the corporation and
against the employees with threat to
invoke the power of your Office to pre-
vent such public calamity Permit
us to suggest that such action on your
part would invite a greater calamity
to the workers of the commonwealth
than that which you now say is threat
ened by strike.
INFORMATION NOT COMPLETE
The principal issues of this present
controversy are of too serious a ma
ture to be treated lightly. Your in
formation that the principal issue sis
whether the promotion of employees
and the Segment of duties shall be
governed solely by the rule of senior
ity or whether fitn ess as well as
length of service shall be taken into
consideration is not complete. The
position that we are reported to have
taken, and the position that we have
taken, are quite different. We do not
believe that you have been correctly
informed as to the meaning of the
word Fitness and. suggest that in or
der to correct the rnisappreh ension
that your letter will excite that you
ascertain from your source of infor-
nation what is meant by this man
agement in the use of that word.
Under the rules of schedules that
have been attacked, and which attack
has provoked the present controversy,
we wish to inform you that nothing
contained in them has contributed in
any way to lowering the efficiency or
the labor forces nor to an interference
with the discipline. We respectfully
invite your study of these rules. No
one appreciates more deeply than do
those whom we represent that the
safety of the travelling public is para
mount to all other requirements and
it is not a question of s'advantage''