New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-01
Four BrOtherhOOds Ask
Eight-HOur Day at the
Present Wages.
BOTH SIDES FIRM, BUT
NEITHER SEEKS STRIKE
Managers Explain Why They
Consider Demands of
Men Excessive.

The biggest conference ever held be
tween railroad officials and railroad
employees will begin this morning at
the headquarters OF the Engineering
Societies, at 30 West Thirty
Street, when some eight hundred dele
gates representing unions of engineers,
conductors, firemen and trainmen from
all parts of the United States will as
semble to meet members of the Ma
tional Conference Committee Of the
Railways.
1t is the first time in the history OF
American railways that the four unions
have come together in national con-
ference to discuss their demands for
higher wages. Leaders of both sides
professed determination TO uphold
their contentious, but all agreed that
conservation and diligent parley would
prevail to avert strike.
The men demand ten hours pay for
eight hours work or less In all but
passenger service. In other words, they
want the identical pay they are now
receiving for eight hours service, thus
increasing the hourly pay by % per
cent, and for overtime one and one-half
times the new ANrly rate, or an ad-
vance of S71a per cent.
is Per Cent of Railway Employees.
According to the railroad owners the
unions making this demand represent
only IS per cent of all railroad en-
ployes. Moreover, it is the contention
of the owners that these four branches
Of service now get IS per cent OF all
the wages paid by railroads 10 their
employes. The average wage Of an en-
eineer is s1,75O; conductor, $l,5Oo; hre-
man. $1,000; and brakeman, $1,000.
In a statement issued for the Eastern
railroads the conference committee OF
managers says:
"Out of every dollar paid by the pup
lie for transportation 40 cents imme-
diately goes 10 pay the labor for oper-
atinc the roads. The railroad payroll
for 1914 was 1881 100000, or nearly
two-thirds the entire cost of operating
the roads. The railroad trainmen on
every road of the country demand an
increas, of wages that will add not far
fronts 90 900 900 10 the annual payroll.
These employees. the highest paid IN the
service. are less than one-hfth OF the
army of railroad workers. Ihey nave
taken the lions share OF the big wage
advance in the last few years ana YET
nation wide strike IS threatened II
the carriers do not grant the wage de-
mands now made by these engineers
firemen, conductors and brakemen.
Warren s. Stone, grand chltf OF the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,
said Yesterday that the. unions were
practically one in the eight-hour move
ment. He said the brotherhood would
maintain its customary conservative
policv and seek arbitration before re
sorting to strike He is vested with
large powers, and even though gen
erai demand for a strike be made ne
has the right to defer action In the
hope of adjustment.
a
Several hundred delegates TO the con
ference arrived yesterday at the Broad
way Central Hotel, which will probaDly
be the headquarters OF the VlsiIins
railroad union representatives. Some
Of them expressed the bellet that the
eipht-hour demand would mean no
financial loss to the railroads, but
would be the means Of bringing about
81 mo q m
would increase dividends.
Railroad schedules" said one or the
chiefs. could be so arranged that more
work could be done in eight hours than
is done now under the ten-hour sys-
tenn. IL would increase the efficiency
Of the roads and save money through
the prevention Of accidents and loss OF
! life caused by negligence brought on
by overworking the employees. q,
The railway officials who Will attend
tho conference to-day are /. W. Bald
win. Central of Georgia; c. l.. Bardo,
New Haven; +. X. Coapman, Southern
Railway; s. f. Cotter, Wabash; Lyman
Delano, Atlantic Coast Line; I, T.
Crowley. New York Central; G. H. En-
ereon. Great Northern; c. h. Ewlng'
Philadelphia g. Reading; +. W. Gree
Chesapeake & Ohio; A. ). Grelg,
Frisco: {. ". Kouns, Santa re- II. W
McMaster. Wheeling & Lake Erie; n
d. Maher. Norfolk & Western; I. H.
Morrissey, Burlington; James Russell
Denver & Rio Grande; A. VI. Scnoyer,
Pennsylvania; W. l.. Seldom, SeaDoard
Air Line. and A. ]. Stone, Erie. Elisha
Lee. Of the Pennsylvania Railroad IS
chairman Of the committee.
The four railroad organizations rep
L 4 Of
motive Engineers, Brotherhood OF Lo-
comotive Firemen and Engine Men,
Brotherhood Of Railroad Trainmen and
~ ODD ~ Railway Conductors.