Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-08-04
BURLINGTON ROAD
ISSUES A LETTER
VICE PRESIDENT RYRAM MAKES
PUBLIC STATEMENT OF MAT.
TER IN DISPUTE.
WANTS ARBITRATION
Says That 10 Only Thing Companies
Demand-Service Period Change
Is Withdrawn BY the
Railroads.

In a signed statement issued by H.
| E. Byram, vice president Of the Bur
| lington r abroad Co., to the officers and
employees of the road and made public
today, the present status of the dis
pute between the companies and the
enginemen Is given from the stand
, point of the roads involved. The letter
follows:
Chicago, ILL.,, July 81, 1914.
To all officers and employees of the
c. B. & @. R. R.
The representatives of the engin-
GERS and firemen of the western rail-
roads, having failed to agree with the
managers committee in the negotia-
tons for revision of the schedule, and
a strike of the engineers and firemen
on the western railroads. including
the Burlington. being imminent, 1t
seems appropriate that the officers and
employees Of the Burlington, should be
advised briefly Of the points OF diff
ference.
Both the railroad companies. and the
; men, are willing to accept arbitration,
but the diff1culay is on account Of the
inability Of the companies and the
men to agree on the matters that
should be arbitrated
The engineers and firemen have
agreed to restore the schedules which
were cancelled on October TO- 1913.
They have agreed to arbitrate their
proposition of October 10, 1913, for
revised schedule, but are not willing
that the schedule proposed by the rail-
roads shall be considered by the board
of arbitration.
The railroad companies are willing
to restore the schedules which were
cancelled on October 10, 1918, and to
arbitrate the proposition presented by
the engineers and firemen, dated Oc-
tober 10. 1918 They desire also to
have the proposition Of the railroads
considered by the board Of arbitration.
The railroads are willing to agree
that If their proposition is considered
by the board, and the schedule award
ed by the board Is not as satisfactory
as the old schedule, the enginemen on
any railroad can elect to continue the
old schedule instead Of the one award
ed by the board 1t is also agreed by
the railroads that If their proposed
schedule is adopted that the pay OF
the enginemen as whole will not be
less than It is at the present time, by
reason Of changing the methods OF
computing pay. The schedule propos-
ed by the railroads does not change
any of the essential features Of the
schedule now in effect and does not
contemplate changing the present unit
Of ten hours or one hundred miles for
days work. The term Service
period" to which objection has been
made, was withdrawn by the railroads
during the negotiations, and is, there
fore, not part Of the issue at the
present time. It will be seen there
fore, that the only difference, between
the companies and the men, Is the
question of allowing the railroads the
privilege Of having their claims. as
we'll as the claims Of the men. con-
sidered by the board Of arbitration.
This, in substance, is the exact
situation as 1t stands today and the
company feels that it would be most
unfortunate If a strike, with its at
tendant losses and discomforts should
follow
Remember this important fact, that
the railroad companies are simply ask
ing for the right to have their claims
as we'll as the claims of the men, con-
sidered by the board Of arbitration,
but with the guarantee that the engine
men. as whole, will not receive less
pay than they are at the present time,
! if any or all of the claims Of the rail-
roads are granted There Is no GER
tainty that the board of arbitration
will grant the claims of either the
men or the railroads, so that even il
any of the railroad companies claims
are granted it would only be after a
hearing Of all sides of the case before
a fair and impartial board of arbitra-
ton.
H. E. Byram,
Vice-Pres G. B. & @. R. r.