The San Francisco call., 1913-07-18
Withdraw Your Counter
Demands if You Would
Prevent Walkout," Is the
Tenor of Communication
Drawn Up by Employees
Committee of Hundred
GROSS VIOLATION
OF FAITH CHARGED
Officials of Roads Involved
Consent to Meet Seth Low,
President of National Civic
Federation, in Conference
Today-Men Say That a
Strike Is Now Imminent

NEW YORK July 1.-THE $4,000
trainmen and conductors who threaten
strike against the eastern railroads
VIII not agree under any circumstances
10 have the roads grievances arbi-
frated at the same time as the mems
demands for better wages under the
Newlands amendment TO the Erdman
act. according to a statement issued
sonlCht by ". O. Lee and A B. Gar
retson. presidents. respectively. OF the
trafnmen's and conductors brother
hoods.
Mr.. Lee. in a verbal statement sup
plementing the formal one. declared
that if the railroads persist in their
present stand to have their own griev-
anees arbitrated. Il is absolutely GER
tain that strike will follow
The formal statement of the train
men was sent letter to Elisha
Lee. chairman Of the conference COM
mittee of managers. Il was prepared
as a result of a meeting Of the train
mems committee of 100 held today to
consider the announcement of the roads
sast night that they intended to have
sl questions" Incorporated in the
agreement TO arbitrate
The employees position as announced
tonight brings about q deadlock
The roads. however. while insisting
that their demand is an equitable one
have agreed TO meet Seth Low. presi-
dent Of the national civic federation.
who has interested himself in the mems
behalf. tomorrow, and hear his
presentation Of reasons why the rail-
road representatives. should yield the
point
The trainmen declare in their letter
that the railroads, In insisting upon
arbitration of their own grievances at
this time could have selected no
: surer way OF driving the men from the
service
SINCERITY QUESTIONED
The sincerity Of the roads is ques-
toned by the employees, who point out
that prior to the mediation conference
with the president last Monday no In
timation was given by the roads that
they purposed to air their demands
before the federal arbitration body.
The present attitude of the roads is
characterized in the letter as "fagrant
violation Of faith"
Copies of the letter that the train
men submitted to the roads tonight
were mailed to President Wilson. every
member of the senate and house and to
AL the conferees at the meeting at
tended by the president.
After giving a resume of the con-
when the railroads consented to Join
The White House conference the only
matter OF dispute pending was the
trainmens wage demand.
NOTICE REQUIRED
In this connection the letter points
out that In practically all existing
agreements between roads and men
there is a provision that If either side
desires an amendment of a regulation
80 days notice to the other side is
required.
In asLfp1 arbftra+ion affaeti,,or Gov
eral agreements now in force the rail
roads did not give such notice. the
trainmen set forth.
The employees said tonight that they
would wait only for the senate's con-
.frmation of the presidents appoint
, ments today before insisting upon
conference forthwith. at which they
would present their wage demand II
the roads then submit their grievances
to the federal board. the men, so they
declared would decline to sign the
arbitration stipulation and would
strike.
SATISFIED WITH PERSONNEL
Mr.. Lee and Mr.. Garretson expressed
satisfaction al the personnel of the me-
diation and conciliation board the
president selected. No better appoint
ments could have been made. they said
The committee representing the
trafnmen and conductors on the Erie
road, which road withdrew from par-
tfcipation in the arbitration negotIa-
tions after announcing it could not af-
ford to grant better wages, will meet
here tomorrow. The question Of call
ing a strike on that system probably
will be deferred until the outcome OF
the present deadlock is known.
Previous to the statement by Messrs.
Lee and GarretsoR tonight the atti-
tude of the men on the railroads posi-
tion in demanding arbitration of their
own grievances was expressed in
rnilder form in a letter by Seth Low
TO Elisha Lee.
Mr. Low sought and obtained the
privilege of appearing personally be-
. fore the railroad managers to make
mediative suggestions regarding what
questions are to be agreed upon for
arbitration He commented upon the
fact that the present attitude OF the
roads was adopted subsequent to the
conference with the president.
Members of Board Named
WASHINGTON. July 17.-President
Wilson late today selected William L.
Chambers Of the district Of Columbia
10 be commissioner of mediation and
conciliation under the Newlands act
and G.. W. w Hanger as his assistant
The other two members of the new
board will be Judge Martin Knapp Of
the United States commerce court and
Louis r. Post, assistant secretary of
labor
TO YOSEMITE IN A NIGHT