Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-06-13
Counter Proposal Suggests Double Compensation Rule
 Be Abolished,
CONFERENCE BREAK
 NARROWLY INVERTED
Rupture Avoided by Railroad Repre- SentatiyeS Announcing the Counter Proposal Ee Considered as Mere
 iy Tentative.

New York. June 12.-Representa- tives of the chief railroads of the United States and of the union ol railroad employees were far from an agreement on questions of wages and hours of work when an adjournment of thei" conference was taken late to- day. Upon the detailed explanation tomorrow of the railroads counter o1 contingent" proposition, it was pre- dicted by A. B. Garrettson, president of the Order of Railway Conductors, would depend the future attitude of the railroad men, even to the point of ordering srtike vote among the 350.000 members of the brotherhoods. MT. Garrettson's prediction was bas- ed on the fact that during the day the conference came suddenly to a halt when the railroads contingent proposition, tentatively granting the eight-honr day but refusing double compensation for double service, was rejected.
 We have already rejected the rail roads proposition, name it what you will" said President Garrettson. "We are now engaged in getting it into the record in detail. There does not seem to be anything else to discuss when the railroads finish tomorrow If the railroads do not back down from their position that their propo- stiion must be based on their yard stick method, then there is no fur ther necessity for continuing the con ference"
 MT. Garrettson and the other broth erhood leaders stated that if the con- ference breaks up tomorrow they will report back to the men and a vote on general strike will be taken. Then they will return to the railroads and renew their demands. If they are refused a general strike will be call- ed.
 Tlisha Lee, chairman of the rail- road managers committee, said that their proposed so-called yardstick method compensation had not been intended as final answer to the de- mands of the men. The employees rep resentatives then said that they were willing to let the railroad men ex- plain how their proposition would apply.
 MT. Lee announced that he had re- ceived request from J. J. Wheeler of Chicago, chairman of the railroad situation committee of the chamber of commerce of the United States, asking permission to appear at the conference, with the privilege of ask ing questions with view. to taking a possible hand in the controversy" The railroad chairman said he had no objection to the request, and A. B. Garrettson, for the employees, said neither had he, provided we are still in session tomorrow" MT. Lee ex- plained that the chamber of commerce had expressed a desire to avert any disagreement until some action had been taken by the interstate com merce commission to investigate the mems demands.
 Would Grant Eight.HOur Day.
 The workers have asked for an eight-hour day, time and half for overtime and the continuation of the existing rules calling for double com pensation for different classes of ser vices during the same working day.
 The railroads tentative offer of compromise, granting the eight-hour day and overtime, providing the double compensation rule is wiped out. In other words, the railroads maintain that if the men desire a shortened workday they must put in the full time in whatever class of service they are assigned. Under ex- isting rules an engineer on 100-mile run-usually a. days work-is granted overtime, if, within his working day. he performs another class of service.
 A. B. Garrettson, president of the Order of Railway Conductors, voiced the sentiments of the men when he said:
 Our proposition is not modifiab ble. Its chief demand is the eight-hour day. The overtime is simply a penal ty to enforce it."
 Elisha Lee, chairman of the railroad declared the overtime, in stead of enforcing the eight-hour day, would act as an incentive to the men to lengthen their day'S work.