Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1916-07-06
PERSONAL APPEAL
TO ALL TRAINMEN
Letters Go Out From n, c. &
St. |. Regarding Strike
Movement.
ASK DUE CONSIDERATION,
AND PEACEFUL SOLUTION
Statistics Show Increases Made
Made in Pay to Various
Classes in Service
1910.

A direct appeal to the men employed
by the Nashville, Chattanooga 81.
Louis Railway has just been sent out
from the Office OF Assistant General
Manager Theodore Speiden, Jr., and
approyed by President and General
Manager John Howe Peyton, in which
the question of strike on the railroads
of the country and its effect is gone in
to in detail. In the letter is the follow
ing appeal to the men:
"While this company feels very
strongly that the existing basis OF pay
Yields adequate compensation ana pro-
yides favorable working conditions, 1t
recognizes that where opinions differ
neither party should reserve to itself
the exclusive right to settle them.
Therefore, the offer of the railways to
refer the pending questions to the
Interstate Commerce Commission, or
arbitration under the Federal law, Is
eminently reasonable.
81 trust that after careful considera-
ton your judgement will decide in
favor of peaceable solution based up
on the equities of your request, and
that YOU will take no action which will
involve possibility Of the Interrupt
ton of traffic on this line"
The action of the officials OF the N. d
C. in appealing directly to the men on
the system is understood to be,practical-
ly the same course as followed by other
roads in this territory, and the appeal
of the management will reach the men
about the same time ~ thee strike bal
lots being sent out by, the four Dig
brother GODS of railway trainmen.
The letter views the demands for an
dap nd
and half for all overtime, and
also includes the answer of the railways
| to this demand; also the proposition OF
the railway managers to the brother
t>hood represen n atives in the New York
| conference to submit the questions to
| the Interstate Commerce Commission or
| to arbitrary under the Federal law,
which offer was declined by the brother
| hood representatives.
The letter points out that since 1910
engineers in road service have received
increases in pay amounting to 17.95 per
| cent; engineers in yard service increases
amounting to 1911 per cent; firemen In
road service increases amounting $3.50
per cent; fireman in yard service in
cresses amounting to 1894 per cent.
| Conductors have received increases
amounting to 2S. SO per cent; brakemen
| and hagmen increases amounting to
| 49, AZ percent; yard conductors and fore
men, brakemen and helpers, increases
amounting to 30.62 per cent, and that
| hostlers have received increases amount
| ing to Is. 90 per cent.
1.-THE schedule now asked, says the
| letter, would, if granted, amount to
| increases in some classes in wages OF
more than 80 per cent"
The officials bring out the fact, sub
stantiated by figures, to apply the de-
mands asked with conditions as OF
October, 1915, on the road, that yard
engineers and firemen, yard conductors
and switchmen, would receive an in
crease of "a per cent and that through
freight, mixed freight, work train and
helper crews, would receive increases
amounting to 1913 per cent.
''This is equivalent, the officials state,
to paying annually in increased wages
to train service employees. only, an
amount almost equivalent 10 the month
ly payroll for all departments"
The attention of the employees is
directed especially to the following
| facts:
Yard employees, to whom 55.7 per
cent increases would go, comprise only
| %. U6F C6uu vi bHO UOVdl mum OOA VI
train employees.
Branch line crews, to whom 10 6 per
cent increases would go, comprise only
10 per cent of the total number Of
train employees.
Main line local freight crews, to
whom ll.2 per cent in increases would
go, comprise only 81 per cent of the
total nun Der of train employees.
Employees in freight service, other
| than local or main lines, who comprise
the majority, would suffer reductions in
many cases.
"The careful study and consideration
which this company has given, con-
| tinues the letter, convinces me that
whether the service be revised by
change in runs, additional facilities,
etc, the present revenues of the COM
pany are not adequate to take care oil
| the increased cost"