The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-08-31
PRESIDENT STEVENS
ISSUES STATEMENT
Explains Attitude of Railway Com
panics Relative to Proposed
Strike.
ASKS pUBHCs COOPERATION
Says Term Eight Hour Day" Is Mis-
homer When IL Is Applied To Raif-
road Work-Mcn on Road Paid on
Mileage Basis.

President George w. stevens. of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, on
yesterday issued the following state
ment from the principal office of the
company here. setting forth the strike
situation as viewed by his company
and It's attitude relative thereto:
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Company; The Chesapeake and
Ohio Railway Company of In
diana.
Richmond, Va, August. 80, 1916.
To the Employees and to the Public
A crisis having arisen in the rela
tons between the employees engaged
in tr~>n and yard service and the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Com
pany. and 1t having been decided by
the men representing the employees to
order a strike, effective Monday, Sep
TENDER 4. to enforce their demands.
it is due those employees who are af-
fected. and vitality interested in this
movement, and whose positions are
placed in jeopardy If a strike is un
dertakcn, to other employees whose
work and compensation will be tenn
porarily suspended by reason of the
stoppage of trains, and to the public
whose comfort, welfare and business
activities will be seriously disarranged,
that a fun and correct statement of
the whole issue involved in this con-
troversy should be presented
The representatives Of the train and
yard men have demanded that over
time shall begin after eight hours
service either on the trains or in the
yards. in lieu of the existing agree
ments, which at the time they were
negotiated and agreed to were con-
sdered extremely liberal. The term.
AN eiEht-hour day" is a misnomer
when considered in connection with
railway train service Employees in
/ this service are paid on either the
basis Of miles run or hours consumed,
whichever Will produce the greatest
wage. In other words. the computa-
ton is made on the basis Of eleven
miles per hour. and If that average
is not maintained overtime on a pro
rata or on a more liberal basis is paid
for all additional time consumed.
Employees in yard service are literally
compensated on the basis Of ten hours
of service and when overtime is made
the remuneration is on a pr rata or
/ higher basis.
/ The railway companies have pro-
/ posed to continue paying the men
1 who are involved In this movement on
the same basis as heretofore and set
based on twelve and one-hatf miles
per hour in freight service. and eight
/ hours per day in yard service and pro
rata overtime. effective Sep cmhcr l.
+ 1915. the supervision OF the account
/ ing to be under the direction of the
! Interstate Commerce Commission and
| the money to be paid In the treasures
/ Of the railway companies pending n
! decision by a commission TO be APP
M. te.I l. i
States to determine whether the en-
ploye Is entitled TO the full amount
or to percentage OF the same, or
TO decide II the present compensation
is adequate. This commission to be
composed of men not In any way In
volved In the controversy.
The Chesapeake and Ohio manage
ment. whose relations with it's en-
ployes have heretofore been So entire
4 ~ satisfactory and whose aim is now.
as before. TO accord fair treatment to
every one in the employ OF the Com
pany, considers this proposition to be
an eminently fair one, and one that
should be accepted
During the period OF nearly twenty
seven years In which / have been con-
neCted with the company in various
capacities all differences between the
employees and management have been
successfully overcome without strike
conditions being imposed, and | sin
cerely hope that considera BILE mum
her Of the employees affected will con
tinue to have the same confidence and
reliance in the management that they
have had in the past and remain al
work pending satisfactory adjust
) ment Of the present critical condi-
tons
To those whose action will in a
y large measure be inSuenCed by the in
surance carried by them in the order