The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-08
But Both Infer Railroad Tieup
Is Not Likely.
More Than 80 Per Cent of En-
pIoyes Vote for Strike.
MANAGERS PARRY FOR DELAY
Final Reply on Counter Propo-
sitiOn Tomorrow.
East Casts Bigger Strike Vote
Than West.

New York. Aug. S.-The 100000
railway employees of the country
engineers, conductors, firemen ana
trainmen-today through their chlers
of their four brotherhoods, placed oe-
fore the managers of the railroads,
the question as to whether the rcads
were willing to grant their demands
for an eight-hour day and time and
half nav for overtime or submit to a
strike. The result of the strike vote
taken among the employees during the
last month was presented to ths na-
tionaI conference committee OF RAN
road managers and showed that an
overwhelming majority was In favor OF
authorizing their chiefs to call strike
The railroad managers gave no def!-
mite answer to the renewed demands
OF the men today and it was agreed to
adjourn until tomorrow morning TO
give the managers time for further
discussion. A. B. Garretson, president
of the order of Railway Conductors,
notified the managers that the time
for parleying was over unless the roads
were prepared to present modl1leo
proposition.
IF you are ready to prepare a
modified proposition said Mr.. Gar
retson, we are ready to discuss it"
Words Are Banded.
Elisha Lee, for the railroads said:
Il am not going to answer your
questions now in a definite fore. L
will take them up with the managers,
together with the reIult of the strike
ballot and all that appertains to it.
Whether We have a proposition will
develop by our own discussion.
Mr. Garretson interrupted to say, Il
want you to bear in mind that your
hr7f ri7f
anything resembling a definite propo
sition.''
Each union head presented his fig
ures in different FORM W. s Stone.
for the engineers, reported 9S.17 per
cent in favor of a strike in the south
eastern district. 90.35 per cent in the
western and 94.64 per cent in eastern.
w. :. Carter. for the fireman and en-
ginemen, reported that out of total
of 70,6 $50 cast including nonunion men
and employees on roads not represented
in the conference, 9S.O4 per cent were
in favor of a strike.
w. G. Lee. for the trainmen. re-
ported that of total of 129, los votes,
124,832 favored a strike. with 1,400
votes still to be heard from.
Only "a Per Cent Is Western Vote.
A. B. Garretson, of the conductors,
reported S4.03 per cent affirmative In
the western district. 84.0S in the east
eru and 9S.O4 IN the southern QlSIrlCI,
34S46 votes cast. The managers OBJ
jected to the inclusion in the figures
of the vote on roads not represented in
the conference but were informed by
the union heads that the four broth
erhoods were fighting for every rail-
road employe throughout the country
as a matter of principle. They insist
ed on including these figures.
The managers also asked If the vote
bv Individual railroads would be
shown but in reply to this the brother
hood chiefs said that If the roads were
willing to make public the returns on
the vote taken some time ago by the
roads themselves among their en-
ployes, the unions would gladly fur
nish their figures.
Only the ratification of agreements
by street car employees of three lines.
ore in Manhattan, was awaited to
complete the settlement of New York's
traction strike this afternoon. This
announcement was made by Mayor
Mitchell, who asserted that within a
few hours the agreements would be
ratified by the car men at three sep
arate meetings during the day.
Representative of both employers
and employees say there is little pos
sibility of an Immediate strike even
though the situation Is apparently
deadlocked. Although the Switchrn ems
Union of North America asked for
help from the United States board of
mediation and Cancellation, and have
agreed to submit their demands to
arbitration. officers of the four rail-
way brotherhoods have not taken
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