The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-07-31

7 WINH NN ~ wv
Tho meme original demands had
hrtn presented October 10, 1918. ana
NEGOTIATIONS had beer COINS on about
three months Two days later. how
ever. both sides rgrccd pom federal
arbitration. although tho cneinciuen
previously had refused 20 consider
Il on the ground that the roads had
refused To- De governed boy former ar
J hitrotion court decisions Matters
| with the men had proceeded 10 the
taking Of n strike vote tho result 81
which, announced July -, showed
that the men were almost unani-
mousiy in favor of hncking their de-
mands by q general waik-out
Hnsins their demand on tho In
creased cost Of living the men
called Tor increases in pny and over
time allowances which, they said
would jus, about cover the advance
Loo the price nf necessities IN the past
four years. In answer tho roads dee
/ clarcd the increases asked for would
amount o. t33. 600. 900 "a year or O 60
per con- advance iu wages and could
not bo granted
Ninety eight railroads were affect-
"a by tho demands. They Included
virtually every linz In tho United
tsatcs west OF Chicago aud also the
Illinois Central road. IN Canada
every line west Of Fort William. on
tnrio. was affected except Tho Grand
Trunk Pacific. one hundred and
forty thousand miles Of roadway and
1900 engineers. nrcmen and host
icrs drawing S67,i50.000 annual
wages were affected.
The mons committee was headed
boy Warren = stone. grand chief of
the brotherhood 81 Locomotive En-
gincers. and w. S. Carter. president
81 The brotherhood of Locomotive
Fircmen and Enginemon. A. W
Trenholm, general manager Of the
Chicago. 81. Paul. Minneapolis a
Omaha railway. was chairman of the
managcrs' committee.
The last general movement by the
cngincmen Tor an increase in wages
was In 1910. at which time they OBJ
tanned ar Increase OF about 10 per
! cent. Since then. they declare, the
roads nave greatly increased their
revenues n facilities. Preparation
81 the mems case indicated their
close observation Of tho proceedings
% the interstate commerce commits
! sion. Every report OF the rouds 70
the federal body apparently had
been rcru;inlzed ana compared with
former reports and deductions ia
vorabie 10 the mems demands drawn
whore possible.
Objection by the onginemcn TO
federal arbitration was asserted 20
rest on alleged refusal by the roads
to govern themselves hy the recon-
m%endations Of the board. They were
recommendation and not court mr.
dates. the men declared, and the
roads either ~disrcgarded them or
placed their own Interpretations on
them In such q n as To nullity
them. The managers committee
challenged Stone and Garter TO name
an instance In which such a thing
had been done. When coufereuceH
between stone and Carter and the
managers apparently had come 10 the
point OF u strike, the managers were
urgent that the fedearl board of me-
dlation and Cancellation should be ap-
pcaled TO. The mems committee sud
denly acceded 10 this, stating that Il
would have "A bad appearance II they
refused and asking only that the ses-
siona begin Immediately,
Accordingly. william l.. Chambers,
chairman OF the federal mediation
board. Assistant Commissioned q. w.
". Hanger ana Fedora Judge Mar
tin A.. Knapp left Washington at
once prepared 60 begin sessions ia
Chicago. The conference began July
81.
The mems statement OF their case
as presented 90 the board Is, In part,
as follows:
added responsibilities and the In
creased cost Of living induced the
cnginomcn In the western territory
to- make certain requests OF the man
ayers of their railroads. These re-
quests carried moderate increases in
pay and seine improvements In
working rules. having for their OBJ
ject the Standardization OF wages and
working conditions which were 10 be
rcvisions ana additions To- the pres
IN schedule
In their printed statement OF thor
position the onginemen land cmphar
sis on the increased trafic OF tho
railroads declaring that more pow
crful locomotives. larger freight ears
and longer trains had vastly incrcaa-
ed the earning power OF the roads
and had added corrcspondingiy 10
the responsibilities OF the ensinomeu
with no corresponding Increase IN
their pay.
The managers committee replied
that railroad conditions al the pres
ent time do not Justify any increase
Ia wages. The demands ~ the men.
according 10 the manager. center
upon the substitution of AN eight
hour day for a tCn-hour day In the
computation Of overtime.
The employees know" the man
ayers statement asserts. "that Il
would be impractical "a reduce the
actual working day in train service
20 eight hours. To % - u would be-
necessary to shorten practically an
railway divisions. to ~roiocate yards
and shops, Ia fact 70 reconstruct the
railways al prohibltiFe cOst. The
employees snow the only effect of
changing tho basis uf "a days wage
from ten TO eight hours would be
enormously 20 increase the overtime
paid.
tsfn Nfasu - an. .ra... .aa...