Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-25

| MaddockS, A. w ,... SIS 80 *3S 81
/ -On duty part time.
| w. A. DANFORTH. Treasurer
The apparent variation in the earn
| ings OF different individuals is due to
the fact that some of the younger men
| are known as spare men and do not
have regular runs, and also because
| the men, of their own volition, fire.
| quently absent themselves from duty.
| AS q concrete Illustration of the de-
| mand, the enginemen and firemen run
ming on the Patten Branch, seven
/ miles long, of the Bangor & Aroostook
| Railroad. actually run only AZ miles
| each day. but under the old agreement
/ every engineman who runs at all re-
| ceiyes payment based on a minimum
/ of 100 miles, and the fifemen likewise
| consequently the enginemen on that
| branch receive for an actual run of AZ
| miles pay for 100 miles or 1915. and
| the firemen $225, or for 26 working
| days the enginemen receives $3.50 and
| the fremen $3.50, the total hours in
| service IN this branch from the COM
mencing to the ending of the days
work being about nine hours out of
which they have three hours layoff
in the middle of the day. And yet the
same wages are demanded as would be
paid for 100 miles on one of the large
and wealthy railroad systems
The President of the company claims
that the above figures are convincing
proof that these men have not only
been earning a living wage" but that
they have earned far more than they
could have earned in any other occu-
patton.
In addition to this, il has been made
plain by the sworn monthly state
ments of the company to the United
States government that the railroad is
not in a position to increase wages to
these men at this time, these state
ments having been submitted by the
management to the committees of the
enginemen and firemen and having
been exhaustively examined by them,
though the management does not
know whether the committees have re-
ported to the men they represent, the
contents of those statements
President Todd added that, las he
had plainly said in his original state
ment to the press, the committees.
prior to the arrival of labor leaders
from other states, had strongly ap-
proved of the action of the Bangor &
Aroostook management in not joining
the general arbitration as to the wages
of enginemen and firemen, to which
| such roads as the Pennsylvania and
New York Central had agreed, and
furthermore, that the committees had
stated it was not fair for the men to
expect the so-called standard wages
from the Bangor q Aroostook though
they, the committees, would like some
increase. But the union labor leaders
have insisted upon the same scale of
wages as paid by the New York, New
Haven ~ Hartford, Baltimore & Ohio.
PENNSYLVANIA, New York Central and
other large and prosperous systems
Reverting to the present scale of
wages and the amounts earned as
quoted above. contrasted with the de-
mands made by the men, the railroad
company feels that there is nothing to
| arbitrate, and in addition to this takes
the position that. as proved by the
| number of competent men already
| hired in few days, there is no neces-
sity for arbitration. The newly hired
men are perfectly satisfied with the
scale of wages rejected by the strikers
/ NiiobSNot iSASilduSe, bangor, ME-,
January 90, 1913.
| w. f. Lawry, Sec, of the Senate;
| William r. Roix. Clerk of the House.
| State House, Augusta, Maine.
| Gentlemen:
We beg to acknowledge receipt of
yours of January %, 1918, and en-
closure of copy of resolution passed
in the House of Representatives, Jan
uary %. 1913.
The engineers and firemen formerly
employed upon the Bangor & Aroos-
took Railroad, and now out on strike;
and their representatives, had re-
quested President Todd to join with
them in submitting the controversy
to arbitration under the Erdman Act
before the strike was called They
now stand ready to have this con-
troversy settled in the same manner.
You will see by the foregoing thai
the firemen and engineers and Their
representatives had done everything to
avert the present strike.
Yours respectfully,
p. J. MCNAMARA,
V. Z. Brotherhood Locomotive Fire