The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-08-19
Mr.. WELLS MAKES
STATEMENT ON
STRIKE ISSUE
General Manager Of the Santa
Re Coast Lines Comments on
Statement by Brotherhood
Chairman.
August 18th. 1914
! To the Editor Of the Herald,
Atnt,utt.Vntt. - N

To the Editor of the Herald,
Albuquerque, y. NJ
Dear sir;
NV attention has Just been called
10 an article appearing In our paper,
issue of August 3rd, which purports
to quote certain statements made by
/ Mr.. G y. Hill. general chairman OF
the grievance committee OF the
| brotherhood OF Locomotive Engi-
neers on the lines under my iurisdic-
\ ton, and having relation 10 the then
impending strike Of h engineers.
According to my adyices. when the
managers committee and the com
mlttee Of the engineers sot 60 the
breaking point, the pro-
posed calling In the United states
board Of mediation and Cancellation.
The engineers committee refused 10
Join In such call. The managers
committee, realizing that a strike
would cause great Inconvenience 60
the public and suffering TO the en-
ployes and their families, invoked the
aid Of the board of mediation. which
finally proposed that the railroads
should restore their schedules with
the men covering wages and condi-
lions ~ service. existing as OF Oc-
tober. 1918. aud submit Co arbitra-
ton only the orlginNl demands Of the
engineers and fircmen. which called
for an Increase In their wages of 81
per cent and ignoring the p%ropcsi-
ton Of the managers as 20 certain
objectionable features In the existing
schedules where double pay prevails.
1 uFt.A. a.. u.nRauaFnf aAuurnNf4A re-
fused. because arbitration which only
permits the consideration Of the
claims Of one party II In no sense
arbitration.
Mr.. Hnl Is made 10 say in the in
terview that the managers made a
promise to the mediators which they
later repudiated This h not In ac-
%cordance with the facts, The man
ayers az no time undertook any obli-
. cation with the board of mediation
and Cancellation which they later re-
pudiated. and no one could properly
attribute such a course to them be-
cause in the proceedings OF the board
Of mediation and cancellation IL n
not divuiged to either party what
Eranspires in conference with the
other.
The between the west
ern railroads aud their enginemeu
l finally narrowed To a siISie issue.
viz. Can these railroads pe heard ~
arbitration on the claims mad by
them during their negotiations with
, their men? To avoid all possibility
that under an arbitration award q
reduction In pay might be forced
, upon the men, the railroads pro
f.. posed that the arbitration agreement
should give 70 the men on each q
. the right To elect. after a complies
) schedule thus awarded by the arbi-
TRAITORS. either 60 adopt the schedul'
thus awarded or 10 continue theii
. prior schedules. The railroads felt
. that their plain duty required then
4 to insist upon a plan u arbitration
which would recognize their right Il
1 be heard upon the claims on theil
behalf which were regularly pre-
, scented and discussed with the mel
uuring their negotiations. but in re-
Spouse 10 the request Of the president
: on July 2sth. that both sides confeI
with him before final adverse deci'
sion by either side. the committee ol
a. fHAMuNfNN went 10 NNnAilhioN WIN
open minds prepared To cooperate
/, with the president me To make
whatever contribution to a peaceful
. settlement OF the controversy wal
demanded by their duty To the public
and was consistent with the prservn'
, tion OF their rights. Al their confer
! ence with the president on saturday
August lat, n again In his letter Il
o the managers committee On Sunday
e the president urged strongly that ~
view Of world-wide conditions th'
situation had reached a crisis u
which patriotism aud n regard FOL
public welfare were paramount To al
other considerations-even to IN
sacrifice of what In ordinary circum
stances might properly be insisted
y upon as a right, The railroads re-
sponded 10 this appeal by accepting
the plan OF arbitration proposed bi
the mediators. which provided tina
9 no claims other than those OF th'
q employees as originally presented
2 should he submitted To- arbitration
and which plan, In the judgment q
the president. offered the only mean
2 under the then existing circumatan.
: ces OF averting what might prove q
he a disastrous strike.
: Notwithstunding the fact that th'
differences between the engineer
7 ana the railroads west Of Chicago
: have finally gone 20 arbitration fol
settlement, in order that the readers
OF your paper may FULLY understand
the situation. ! would appreciate .
" YOU viii give this a place Ia YOU
columns.
I A. q. WELLS.