Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-14
TRATNNEN, OBDURATE
In WAGE DEMAND, MAY
CALL MAMMOTH STRIKE
Conference in New York Indi-
Gates Deadlock and Finally
Referendum on Threatened
Walkout
$4,000 AREAFFECTED

NEW YORK, June 1.-THE conference
between the railroads of the United States
and the big Four" brotherhoods probably
VIII adjourn today or Thursday without
reaching an agreement on the demands Of
S5O,OO0 workers for the eight-hour day and
other concessions The conference has been
In session in the Engineering Societies
Building since June l. It has cost 100000
to keep the 500 labor delegates in New York
for the two weeks.
IL was apparent at the adjournment of the
Tuesday session that the railroads and the
workers were no nearer an agreement than
on June /. The leaders of the unions have
no power TO declare a strike. The failure
OF the conference will In all probability be
followed In n few weeks by referendum
vote among the workers on empowering the
union heads to use their own Judgment ns
to strike The sequel of this vote would
be another conference. at which the union
leaders, with power to call strike, would
nave a weapon to hold over the heads of the
railroad managers
ALMOST AN ULTIMATUM
The union heads have taken the fat
stand that their demands are not modifable
In that they mean the eight-hour work dav
and when the railroads yesterday sub
mitted what was termed a yard stick" by
which they prescribed that no man could
be paid twice for the same time, the union
leaders said that II the railroads stood
pat on that principle 1t was Of no use for
the conference to continue further.
w. @. Lee, president of the Brotherhood
or Railway Trainmen, attended Tuesdays
session. arriving from Denver in the morn
ing, After learning how little had been
accomplished by the conference he turnd
to Elisha Lee OF the Pennsylvania Lines
chairman of the railroad representatives,
and said:
There is SO little In this to talk about
that l am surprised to find you fellows
still here talking. If your side thinks our
proposition means the abrogation of any
OF the rules of our present schedule, you
are mistaken. You and 1 have always
spoken plainly to each other and we had
better talk plainly now"
Turning to A. B. Garretson, head of the
engineers he asked
do you think the other side thinks we
will recede from any of the demands we
have made?'
We'll, IL they haven't awakened II is
time they did" was the reply.
The meeting was taken up for the most
part in answers given by the railroad men
to questions put by the workers last week.
The replies in many instances brought sar-
castle remarks from the union leaders, who
insisted they would consider no counter-pro-
posals which affected their demands for
overtime.
COST OF DEMANDS
While the railroads have asserted that to
grant the demands of the workers would
cost them 800, 900 900 yeaI and the work.
ers say the figures should be s25, ,000, 900,
there has been almost no discussion of
the question of cost during the conference,
the disputes hInging on what were regarded
by both sides as principles, The managers
will probably finish tomorrow answering
the questions of the workers and there will
he no further business before the conference,
Before the adjournmnt II. A. Wheeler,
vice president of the Union Trust Company,
Of Chicago chairman of the railroad stua-
ton committee of the Chamber OF Commerce
of the United States, presented to the con-
ference the referendum vote taken in the
chamber asking Congress to direct the Inter
state Commerce Commission to investigate
the railroad controversy. Mr.. Wheeler ex-
planned that the chambers idea was TO
guard against suspension OF railroad traffic
in case of break between the roads and
the workers. The resolution did not go
into the merits of the controversy.