Omaha daily bee., 1914-08-01
PLACE BLAME ON MANAGERS
Union Officials Says Employers
Asked Mediation and Refused
to Accept Plan Offered.
WILSON WILL TRY HIS HAND
President Asks Leaders to White
House for Conference.
CAUSES OF THE DIFFICULTY
Employees Say Railroads Are Trying
to Force New BASIS of Pay,
which They Gail the
Service Period.

CHICAGO, July 31.-A strike of SO, 900
firemen and engineers on ninety eight
railroads operating west OF Chicago has
been set for Friday. August 7, it was Of
ficially announced today william 5.
Stone, grand chief engineer of the Broth
erhood OF Locomotive Engineers and w. s.
Carter, president of the Brotherhood OF
Locomotive Firemen and Engineers, de-
clared the order would be put into effect
unless the general managers committee
of the railroads accepted the plan of set
tlement proposed by the federal board of
mediation.
In a signed statement, President Stone
and Carter asserted that after the man
ayers committee had invoked the serv-
ices of the federal board of mediation
and conclliation, the managers commit
tee had refused to accept the plan of set
Element proposed by the federal mediators
and thus the burden of responsibility
OF the strike must rest on the railroads d"
Causes of Strike.
The three principal causes OF the strike.
according to the statement of Messrs,
Stone and Carter, are:
The manner in which the railroads have
repudiated arbitration agreements.
The manner in which the managers
committee has excited the anger of the
enginemen in the service by their arbl-
trary attitude
Because the railroads seem determined
to force the employees to abandon the
mileage basis of pay without being will
ingito adopt the hourly basis Of pay; the
managers attempting TO force on the EN-
ployes an entirely new basis Of pay which
they are pleased TO term the Service
period"
Manaeess Reject Mediation Plan.
The plan of settlement as proposed by
the federal mediators, and which was re-
jected by the general managers commit
tee. according to Messrs. Stone and Car
ter, follow:
'The schedule in effect prior to October
10, 1913, with the amendments thereto and
accepted rulings thereon to be restored
and continued until changed by arbitra-
tion.
THE demands Of the two organizations
as set forth in their communication of
that date to the conference committee
OF managers, and no other question or
questions, to be submitted to arbitra-
tion under and i'm accordance with the
act of congress of July 10, 1913, commonly
known as the Newlands law.
t"All subsequent demands of the organ
izatious and all the counter demands of
the managers TO be withdrawn without
prejudice"
Now I'D 10 Railroads.
After the federal mediators had de-
clared their mission a failure President
Wilson appealed to the general managers
and the union officials to come to Wasn-
ington and discuss the situation Regard
ing this proposal. the statement of the
engineers continucs
The enginemen's committee feels that
having adopted the plan proposed by the
official Representatives of the federal
government they have done all that could
be expected OF them. While the commit
tee has left Chicago for their respective
homes and positions of duty, and while
the strike will commence on August Z. the
snginemen's committee has instructed
Messrs. Stone and Carter to so TO Wash
Continued on Page Five)