The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-14
Government Holds Troops Ready to Act in
 Eventuality
STRIKE LEADERS HOLD
 SECRET MEETINGS
Increased Pay and Better Hours De- handed by Union-Strike May Be Called Suddenly -- Results
 May Be Far Reaching

Rome, April 1s.-The question of strike of the railway men throughout Italy stilI hangs in the balance, but the government. in order to be ready for any eventuaiity. already has occupied certain stations with detaehments of troops. Arrangements have been made to replace with hluejack- cts the sailors on the postal steamers ply ing between the continent and the islands. while the engineers and stokers of the warships will, if necessary. assist the military engineers to carry on the train service.
 In several cases damage has been done to the engines, and those responsible have been dismissed The leaders of the ,all- way men have been holding secret meet ings. but what they have decided upon Is not known. It Is thought by some that the strike may be suddenly proclaimed.
 The operating forces of the Italian state railways number about 115,0O0 individuals. They are joined in league which has been pressing for increase of wages and dimunition of hours of work.
 The meus chief demand is for a mini- mum wage of GO cents a day. Some get only A cents @ day. Twenty cents extra per night for night work Is demanded. Engine drivers and firemen want to work not more than 10 hours by day and eight hours by night out of the 2i when work Ing slow trains, and ask that their hours be diminished the speed augments until they are reduced to a minimum of five hours daily and all men to have 3i hours rest weekly in the town where they reside.
 Ask Better Hours
 Travelling officials. according to tho de- fnands are not to work more than F hours, with 0 A-hour rest weekly, while station agents are not to work more than 10 hours or less than eight, with one hour for luncheon, the maximum of night work to be 20 nights a month and men to have a 3d-hour rest q week.
 The guardians ut the flag stations and the Grade crossing women are to work 10 hours a day with one day of rest a week. the latter having no night work and nos work when maternal duties interfere.
 Pensions are demanded for all employees who are obliged to leave the service through inhrmity caused by their service. X minimum pension of Sf00 is asked. There are som eemployes who, after 90 years service. only received $50 pension a year
 ~rhe government asserts that these claims cannot possibly be accepted. as they would involve yearly expenditure of over S20.000000, which tho budget of the country cannot stand.
 In 1885. when the economic and financial condition of the kigdom was very pre- curious. the government ceded tho con- trol of the railways to three private com- panies for a period of % years. This freed the government from the large ex- pease connected with the working of the lines and insured a participation in tho profits, which, in 1905. when tho railways were taken over again by the state, had reached S17,0oO,OOo yearly.
 Expenditure Heavy
 The private companies. however. had managed the railways almost exclusively as as speculation, so that their system was q failure from permanent point of view. When the government took back the 10000 miles of railways heavy ex- parditure was necessary for the purchase of rolling stock, for the laying of double tracks, for the enlargement and rebuild ing of stations and for the increases in wages, salaries and passions. All this brought about an improvement in the 
 that the railways now bring in net profit of about $l 100000 year--an in- significant sum considering that they represent a capital of S5.000 OO0,00o. Since the government took over the railways $i3. 600.000 has been spent in raising the economic condition of the employees, who are also entitled to participation ranging from one tenth to one-fifth of 1 per cent in the net profits. By the law of 1911 tho employees are allowed to choose represen- tatives who meet and discuss with the director general of railways all questions connected with their material profess sonal and collective interests. These meetings are popularly given the name of the railway parliament
 The grave faults of the present situ- alton are said to come from the bureau- cratic organization of the railways and the too numerous personnel.