The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-09-02
THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD COMPANY
TO ALL OFFICERS AND employees.
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT.
BALTIMORE, MD.
August 81, 1916. 7

The Locomotive Engineers Fremen Train Conductors and
Bakemen employed practically all the railroads the United
States and acting concert through their respective Brother
hoods have sent out order fora general strike to begin
Monday September A. 1916 This action support their
mand for eghthou day and for time and half overtime
after eight hours
As you all know it quite impossible so arrange the
trains that they always complete their trip
hours, the short divisions This also well understood
by the who have voted strike and their demands grant
very large increase i'll wages.
The who operate the trains and engines ought to be we'll
paid and fact they To grant their demands would
the Baltimore and Ohio Company alone about O00O00 per am
than double the average yearly surplus
OF safety the Company has earned after dividends
during the past five years
The involved in this movement number less than one
fifth OF all the employees of the Baltimore and Ohio Company and
they now receive more than oneourth Of all the paid by
that Company If their present demands should be granted it
would increase them OF about 30 per nearly as
we can estimate and then onett OF employees would receive
more than onehd OF the entire paid all employees of the
Company.
While believe that their demands unfair and without
justification and ought not to be granted nevertheless the %
more and Ohio Company in with the other Railroad
Companies has offered to submit the whole controversy to ar
raon and has agreed to accept the award whatever may
certainly aer proposition could be made The have
sed however, to submit their demands to arbitration and threat
en- to strike at once and to do all they that
vent the Company from carrying its business unless their
mands granted regardless of the effect of upon
their fellow employees and upon the general public.
1t has been my earnest desire to make the Baltimore
Ohio Company efficient public servant and also good employ
eagood Company to worlf Many the vot-
ed to support the strike and who have been leave the
service in such the Company greatest
possible embarrassment have been its employ whole or
greater part of their lives Their relations with the Company
think have upon the whole been generally satisfactory and is
difficult to believe that they should be willing
against when the Company entirely willing that amatters
issue including the eghhour day. shall be submitted
btraton While is impossible to oresee what the final
may be, if strike should actually place. is certain tli6
such any, may conclude to leave the response
to the strike order cannot expect that their relations Com
pany in the future again be quite what they have
in the past with long record of loyal and uninterrupted service
to their credit.
This statement is simply orhc purpose making clear to
all concerned the position of this Company and its willingness to
abate the matters in dispute The action of the Company
ter the strike becomes effective if should finally place will
depend wholly upon circumstances that time shall nalr-
ally make every possible effort and every possible means to
operate the railroad and perform the which the public
has right to expect and sincerely hope that it will be nee
essary to write the record Of any word Dis
loyal
Daniel Willard
prnSdo