Norwich bulletin., 1916-08-15
CRISIS IN RAILROAD
Representatives of 235 Railroads and
 Their Employees at Odds.

New York, Aug. 14.-The crisis in the railroad situation reached in this city on June 15, last, when the conference, between the representatives of 235 rairoad systems in the United States aud ,0OO employees failed to arrive at an adjustment of their differences The conference began June 1 fol- lowing the presentation on March 30 of demands by the men for an eight hour day and time and 8 half overtime. It had been hoped that the con- ference might make unnecessary the taking of a strike vote by referring 1 the qusetions at issue to arbitration. | After hearing the demands of the clined to make a counter proposal and dismissed the subject by offering to 1 further discuss a tentative prOpOSt- tion'' which granted the mems eight 1 hour demand but refused all others. { The unions declined to consider the l tentative" offer aud the railroads them suggested placing their differences be- fore the Interstate Commerce Com mission 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 unons the rail- roads suggested arbitration under the Eewlands Act. .Tes Fa, s5D sA iai
 The men rejected the two propo-
 sitions. Their spokesman, A. B. Gar retsOn. president of the Order of Rail-, way Conductors, in an impassioned 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 Bremen and Enginemen, the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, and the Order of Railway Conductors, upon withdraw, ing from the conference lost no time in drafting the strike ballot and in order to expedite the vote caused their dis! tribution throughout the country by the 600 union delegates that had also attended the conference.
 It was pointed out at that time by the Brotherhoods' leaders that a vote ordering a general strike did ntO nec- essarily mean immediate institution of, the strike. It was explained that the! strike order would not be issued until every effort looking toward an amic- able settlement had been exhausted.
 In statements issued by the railroad heads, following the breakup of the conference it was held that the eight hour day demanded by the men did not actually mean a shorter workday' but rather an increase of 25 per cent over existing wages for the same amount of work, and an increase in. many cases of ST 1-2 per cent for over. The demands pertain only to freight and not to passenger service.
 The railroads maintained that to allow the increased would add$100, 000,-
 900 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 30 to 42i per cent from 1903 to 1914, while wages of the western engineers werei further increased in 1915.
 The mems proposition submitted ct the conference provided that 100 miles or less, or eight hours or less should constitute a day, with overtime be- ginning at the expiration of eight hours on runs of less than 100 miles, and as soon as 100 miles had beenl run on longer trips, overtime be com pJted at one and one-half times the pro-rata rate, no one to receive less than they previously received for a 1 minimum day. The men were to be guaranteed the right to retain any rates of pay or schedules in effect January l, 1916, which would be pre- fera ble to the new schedule
 The reads contended that the men ! made no allowance for the differencc between railroad and industrial ser vice. They pointed out that railroad i engfhemen or trainrnen are guaranteed payment for a 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 employees do noSi receive a days pay for less than a days work and ordinarily he cannot earn more than days pay for less than a days work without working
 more than the regular number Of hours.