The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1916-02-13
SERIOUS T|E-UP
: IS THREATENED
REPORTED PRACTICALLY ALL
CONDUCTORS VOTE IN FA-
VoR OF STRIKE.
A DEFINITE DECISION
TO BE KNOWN SHORTLY
Vote Has Already Been Taken
and Result Will Be Given Out
Within a Few Days-Many
Men Are to Be Affected.

According to reports from Whining
ton, N. c., the decision of the conduct
ors of the Atlantic Coast Line Oh
action to be taken in the controversy
over what is known as the white
audit system" for checking passenger
conductors will be known shortly. A
meeting is scheduled to be held by the
general committee acting for the con
ductors today. The vote taken over
the entire system will be canvassed
Telegraphic advices from Wilmington
last night stated that information re
ceived indicated that 95 per cent OF
the conductors to date had voted to
sustain the position taken by the com
mittee.
Unless a settlement is reached with
in the next two days the greatest
strike il the history of southern rail
roading since the celebrated telegraph
operators walk-out of twenty years
ago, will be on.
If the conductors strike it will di
rectly affect approximately 1000 men
belonging to the Order of Railway
Conductors on the Atlantic Coast
Line, and may bring into the fight
many thousands of men belonging to
the other railway organizations who
are understood to be in hearty sym.
pathy with the conductors in their
grievance.
/. The first probable effect will be tc
tie up the freight and passenger traf
fic of six thousand miles of railway
Just how complete this tie-up will be
and how far-reaching it may &C
through sympathetic strikes, the next
few davs will show. ,. -.s, >,
&The>rouble began with circular No
SO, = Il at Wilmington January 4
but \ Llch the conductors say they did
not receive until few days before il
was to. go into effect, on the 18th
This circular notified the conductors
that system of auditing trains would
be inaugurated on Jan. Is.
The general committee of the con
ductors was notified and meeting
held at Wilmington on January IA
This committee appointed subcom
mittee to hold conference with the
general manager of the Atlantic Coast
Line and ask for suspension of the
order until the question had been fully
discussed with the officials of the
company.
Seven conferences were held be
tween representatives of the conduct
ors and officials of the railroad, in
cluding the general manager, the thirC
vice president and the president. Al
Of these conferences were barren Of
result; the railroad company refused
to recede from its original order, ant
as last resort the conductors were
asked to vote as to whether or not &
strike would be called.
The principal grounds of conten
tions on the part of the conductors
are: That the employees of the White
Audit company, which was secured by
the railroad to conduct the audit, are
not employees Of the Atlantic Coas
Line. and they decline to accept in
structions from the employees OF an!
company other than the Atlantic Coas
Line railroad.
That under their contract with th'
railroad company, there shall be nj
change in the working conditions with
out first consulting the conductors
committee. This committee was no
consulted before the audit was or
dered.
That no due notice was given of th
Inauguration of this audit. The con
ductors emphatically state that the!
do not object to an audit Of their worl
in a legitimate way by bonafide EN-
ploye of the company, in the SAM
manner that the agents are checked
They made the company three prop
ositions for compromise: That audi
tors, be bonfide employees of the Al
lantic Coast Line and not employees 0
a foreign agency. Or that ticket col
lectors be put on from terminal t
termiH 1 relieving conductors, iron
.t
-. t