The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-08
ANNOUNCE VOTE

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kindly to any suggestions of govern
ment aid in arbitration.
Would Bar i. G. @. Probe.
Representatives of the employees to-
day declared the men were dissatis-
fled with the recent awards of the ar
bitration boards and not with the the
ory itself. The employees have pub
licly announced opposition to the pro-
pesal that the interstate commerce
commission investigate the contro-
versy-
It is commended that the commission
is not equipped to handle the situation
and has no power of settling wage dis
putes-
Crisis in June.
New york, Aug. s.-The cr:sis in the
railroad situation was reached in this
CITY on June Is, last. when the con-
ference between the representatives of
235 railroad systems in the United
States and 100000 employees failed to
arrive at an adjustment Of their diff
ficulties. The conference began June
1 following the presentation on March
80 of demands by the men for an
eight-hour day and time and half
overtime.
It had been hoped that the confer
ence might make unnecessary the TAX
ing of a strike vote by referring the
questions at issue to arbitration. After
hearing the demands of the unions,
however. the railroads declined to
make counter proposal and dis
missed the subject by offering to fur
ther discuss what they termed ten
tative proposition which granted the
mems eight hour demand but refused
ell others.
The unions declined to consider the
tentative offer and the railroads
then suggested placing their differ
ences before the interstate commerce
commission for decision, Or If that
body was without authority, that both
sides join IN petitioning congress to
grant the necessary power. If this
proved unsatisfactory to the unions
the railroads suggested arbitration un-
der the Newlands act.
Reject Two Propositions.
The men rejected the two PROPOSE
tlons Their spokesman, A. B. Gar
retson, president of the Order of Rail-
way Conductors, in an imDassioned
speech said that the men would never
consent to arbitration because of the
failure of the unions to obtain justice
in prior disputes through that method.
The leaders OF the four unions, the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire
men ard Engincmen, the Brother
hood of Railroad Trainmen, and the
order of Railway Conductors. upon
Withdrawing from the conference lost
no time in drafting the strike tallot
and in order to expedite the vote
caused their distribution throughout
the country by the 500 union delegates
that had also attended the conference
1t was pointed out at that lime by
the brotherhoods' leaders that vote
ordering a general strike did not nee
essarfly mean the immediate institu,
ton of the strike. 1t was explained
that the strike order would not be
sued until every effort looking to-
ward an amicable settlement had been
exhausted.
heads, following the breakup OF the
conference it was held that the eight
hour day demanded by the men did
not actually mean shorter workday
but rather an increase of rs per cent
over existing wages for the same
amount of work, and an incrense in
many cases of 81 " per cent for over
time as compared with present rates:
The demands pertain only to freight
and not to passenger service.
Add to Expense.
The railroads maintained that to al
low the increase would add 500, 600,
| 600 a year to the operating expenses OF
| all roads in the United States, "for the
| benefit of men whose average pay
| per day was increased from 80 to AZ
per cent from 1903 to 1914, while the
! wages or the western engineers were
| further increased in 1915"
The mems proposition submitted al
| the conference provided that 100 miles
| or less, or eight hours or less should
constitute a day, with overtime begin
ming at the expiration of eight hours
on runs of less than 100 miles, and
as soon as 100 miles had been run on
longer trips, overtime to be computed
| at one and one-half times the pro
rata rate, no one to receive less than
| they previously received for a mini
mum day. The men were to be guar
anteed the right to retain any rates of
pay or schedules in effect January 1,
| 1915, which would be preferable to the
new schedule.
The roads commended that the men
made no allowance for the difference
between railroad and industrial serv-
| ice. They pointed out that railroad
enginemen or trainmen are guaranteed
| payment for full day no matter how
! few hours they work and receive pay
for more than a full day If they work
more than either the established miles
or hours. In other lines of industry,
the railroads held. the employs, does
not receive a days pay for less than a
/ days work, and ordinarily he cannot
earn more than a days pay for less
than a days work without working
more than the regular number of
hours.
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