New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-08
Companies Officials and
Brotherhood Heads
Will Confer.
MEN INSISTENT
ON S-HOUR DEMAND
Declare Opposition to Referring
Matter to Interstate
Board.

Whether the 225 railroads in this
country will shortly be forced to sus-
pend operations because of a strike of
their 100000 employees will be decided
this morning at a conference to be held
in the rooms Of the Engineering So
cieties, at % West Thirty ninth
Street, at 10 o'clock between the COM
pany officials and the presidents of the
four railroad brotherhoods.
An eight-hour day is the chief object
at issue, but, in addition, the employees
want time and half for overtime.
These demands were first preached last
March. Conferences were held from
June l to 10, resulting in deadlock
The strike vote was then ordered, and
for the last week the general commit
teemen of the brotherhoods, coming
from all parts of the country, have
been tallying the vote at the Broadway
Central Hotel.
Grand Chief Warren S. Stone of the
brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
and Chairman A. S. Garretson of the
employees conference committee yes
terday stated that the results of the
vote would be told to the national con-
ference committee of railway officials
at to-day's meeting. 1t is generally
known, however, that more than 80 per
cent of the men have voted to strike.
Opposition to Arbitration.
Neither Mr.. Garretson nor Mr.. Stone
cared to discuss the subject of the
possibility of strike yesterday, pre-
ferring to retain their opinions until
after to-day's meeting. Speculation
was yesterday centred on the question
of arbitration, and the possibility of
the brotherhoods refusing this mea-
sure, even if the companies should
agree to a dicker in which a third
party was judge. Prominent national
officials CT the brotherhoods seemed to
be Of the opiaon that the general dis
satisfaction with arbitration recently
manifested by the men, was not so
much with the theory itself, as with
the recent awards of arbitration
boards.
Assistant President Timothy Shea, of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire
men and Enginemen, stated that he did
not see how the railroad men could
logically recede from the eigh-hour
demand, considering the fact that
there arc no wage demands involved
except the issue of time and a half
for overtime. And, Furthermore, this
latter point could not be considered
exorbitart, considering the fact that
1t was the express proposal of the men
to do their work within an eight-hour
limit
The consensus of opinion in union
circles was that there would be no
compromise on the eight-hour propo-
tition, and that the men would stand
solid on this demand.
Interstate Board Opposed.
ANY investigation of the controversy
by the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion will be strenuously opposed by the
officials and members of the railroad
brotherhoods, according to an an
nouncement given out by the publicity
committee of the men, which was
worded in part as follows:
"The proposition Of the railroads to
refer the demands of the railway
brotherhoods for an eight-hour day to
the Interstate Commerce Commission
is nothing but a proposition to gain
time for the railroads and to waste
time for the men.
"The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion is not now equipped to engage in
this task. In order to undertake il, the
Interstate Commerce Commission act
would have TO be amended radically by
Congress. Such an amendment would
require at least month for passage,
and upon its passage several months
would be required before the commits
sion could actually begin the work thus
imposed upon it. Whatever may be the
desirability of empowering the commits
sion to handle wage disputes, this is
not the time TO do it. The commission
is overburdened with duties. A bill has
been pending before Congress, urgently
advocated by the railroads themselves,
calling for an increase in the member
ship of the commission in order to en-
able it to handle cases already on the
docket