The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-03-31
d BITTERNESS SHOWN
By EITHER SIDE

81 New York, March 30.-General
managers Of all the important rail-
roads throughout the United States
were greeted today by local commit
49, Of the "Big Four" Brotherhoods
* NaiIroad Employees, representing
.fAa.oeQ men, who presented to them
fhe united union demands for an
efght-hour day. and time and half
Tor al over time.
Despite the seriousness of the situa-
tioM. there has been no bitterness
shown by either side.
01t1ha Lee, chairman of the confer
6ncs committee OF managers. Eastern
6onference. issued the following state
1nent which embodies the chief tea
kures OF letter presented to the heads
or the four brotherhoods Of engineers,
tfainmen conductors ana firemen and
enginsmen. by the managers of rail-
Eoads In the Eastern territory:
The railroads In response TO the
demands Of the train service employees
sx0r 3 radical change In their wage
schedule. have made this answer:
Ask Frank Discussion
ssIAs present standards OF rates and
working conditions have been largely
0xed by mediation and arbitration,
ma this company feels that they are
adequate and even liberal to their EN-"
paoyes This company has no desire
~ change either the existing rates OF
ray or the working ruleA
ssTh the last article of their proposal
the men reserved the right to accept
any part of any settlement that APP
noaxs to them advantageous or reject
any portion that does not SO appear to
them, and also to combine new rates
with old conditions or old rates with
new condittona--that is the cream off
both crocl<s
The railroads make no counter
proposals to their employees. What the
railroads ask for is an open door. In
such . fundamental reconstruction OF
she wage basis as is proposed by the
employees the railroads insist that
they have the right to demand frank
discussion an to the rules and regula-
lions interviewer In the present wage
structure.
Many rules and regulations that
are fair and equitable on the present
basis Of pay. manifestiy would be ur,-
mir ana negotiable on any other
hanls OF pay. A. full and fair discus
Glon OF these interviewer rules and
regulations az affected by the radical
change in rates demanded by the en-
ployes, IL what the railroads ask in
this letter they have today addressed
10 the brotherhood officials"
There were only three roads served
In New York City---the New York Gen.
trail, tho Erie and the Long Island. The
New York, New Haven and Hartford
wAs served at New Haven. The Penn
syivAnia, Philadelphia and Reading
and all the roads traversing the hard
coal fields. were served in Phila-
delphia.
wv. j, Fripp. general manager of the
New York Central received 1he COM
mittees in his offices in the brand
Central station without formality. G.
b. johnson, secretary of the New
York Central division OF the Brother.
hood Of Locomotive Engineers was In
the delegation that called on Mr..
Fripp. J. A. McCrea. general manager
or the Long Island. was presented with
the demands in his offices In the Penn
nylvania Terminal c. 8. Long, general
manager of the. Pennsylvania. received
the demands for that company, and
Charles III. Ewing for thu Philadelphia
and Reading
lust what effect the statement issued
today by the railroads will have On
the Union no one connected with the
Brotherhood would say. Today's state
ment of the railroads does not require
IN Immediate reply. and It Is now up
4, Warren s. Stone. grand chief OF the
brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.
10 make the next move.
Oppose Arbitration.
4 All four of the brotherhcods OPP
pose arbitration in any form. The
contention OF the Brotherhoods ali
along in regard 10 the eight-hoGr day
has been that II n penalty YVES fixed On
the use of overtime. the railroads
would see to It that there will be little
or no overtime.
In the meantime business men all
over the country are organizing
formal protest to avoid strike, This
nrosest will eventual reach President
Wilson. In whatever action the big
four unions take they have been
promised the CO. operation OF the
American Federation Of Labor by
samuel Gompers president of that
e1rrAuixntion,