Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-03-31
BIG FOUR DROTHERHOODS
PRESENT THEIR DEMANDS
General Managers OF Railroads All
over Country Are Served
With Proposals,
OPEN WAY TO NEGOTIATION
Elisha Lee, Chairman Of Committee
OF Managers, Issues Statement,
Brothcrhoods Oppose Arbitration
in Any Form.
Especial to The Times-pispatch.

NEW YORK. March 30.--Cieneral
manaGcrs Of all the important rail
roads throughout the United States
were greeted to-day By local commit
tees OF the Zig Four" Brotherhoods of
Railroad Employees. representing 400
600 men. who presented to them the
united union demands for an eight
hour day. and time and half for all
over time
Despite the seriousness OF the sit
uaton, there has been no bitterness
shown by either side
Elisha Lee. chairman Of the confer
| cncc committee OF managers. Eastern
conference, issued the following state
incnt which cmbodies the chief fea-
lures of letter presented To the heads
of the four brothcrhoods of engineers
trainmen. conductors and hremen and
! cnSlhetnen, by the managers OF rail-
roads in the Eastern territory:
THE railroads In response to the
demands OF the train service employees
for "a radical change In their wage
schedule. have made this answer
Tine present standards or rates and
working conditions have been largely
fixed by mediation and arbitration, and
! this company feels that they are ade-
quate and even liberal 10 their en-
ployees. This company has not desired
To change either the existing rates Of
pay or the working rules.
WOULD TAKE THE
CREAM OFF ROTH CROOKS
"ln the last article OF their proposal
the men reserved the right to accept any
part OF any settlement that appears
to them advantageous reject any
portion that does not so appear
to them. and also to combine
new rates with old conditions or old
rates with new condltlons-that Is tho
cream off both crooks,
Tho railroads make no counter pro-
posais to their employees. What the
| railroads ask for is an open door. In
such n fundamental reconstruction OF
the wage basis as Is proposed by the
employees, the railroads insist that
they have the right to demand frank
discussion as 10 the rules and reGula-
tons interviewer in the present wage
structure.
Many rules and regulations that are
fair and equitable on any other basis
of nav \ full and fair discussion of
these interviewer rules and regulations
as affected by the radical change In
rates demanded by the employees. Is
| what tho railroads ask in the letter
they have to-day addressed 10 inc
| brotherhood officials"
! NEW YORK ROADS ARE
SERVED WITH DEMANDS
There were only three roads served
| in New York City----thc New York Cen
! trail, the Erie and the Long Island. The
| New York. New Haven and Hartford
| was served at New Haven. The Penn
| sylvania. Philadelphia and Reading
and all the roads traversing the hard
conl fields. were served In Phiiadei-
| phia.
w j. Fripp. general manager OF tho
New York Central. received the COM
mittees in his offices In the Grand Gem
trail Station without formality. e. IS.
Johnson, secretary Of the New York
Central division OF the Brotherhood OF
Locomotive Engineers, was in the dele
CATION that called on Mr.. FripD. j. A.
McCrea general manager Of the Long
. Island was presented with the dema nd
in his offices I'm the Pennsylvania
Terminal. c. s. Long. general man
ager of the Pennsylvania, received the
demands for that company. and Charles
II. Ewing for the Philadelphia and
Reading.
Just what effect the statement issued
to-day by the railroads will have on
the union no one connected with the
brotherhood would say. To-day's state
ment of the railroads does not require
an Immediate reply, and II Is now UP
tn Warren s. Stone, grand chief OF the
brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers,
to make the next move.
All four Of the brotherhoods oppose
arbitration I'm any form. The conten-
ton Of tho brothcrhoods all along in
regard to the cight-hour day has been
that IL penalty was 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 a
formal protest to avoid strike. This
protest viii eventually reach Presi-
dent Wilson. In whatever action the
big four unions take they have been
promised the cooperation OF the Amer
lean Federation OF Labor By Samuel
Gonipers president Of that orSaniHa-
ton
Engagement Announced.