Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-20

1916, concerning wages Of railroad
employees; one an eight-hour stand.
ard Of work and wages with add,
tional pay for overtime governing on
about Is per cent of the railroads; the
other a stated mileage task of 100
miles to be performed during ten
hours with extra pay for any excess,
in force on about IS per cent of the
roads. -
1.-THE organizations representing the
employees of the railroads in that
month made formal demand upon
the employers that, as to all engaged
in the movement OF trains except pas
senger trains, the l00-mile task be
fixed for eight hours, provided that
it was not so done as to lower wages
and provided that an extra allowance
for overtime calculated by the min
ute at one and one-half time the rate
Of the regular hours service be es-
tablished.
THE demand made this standard
obligatory on the railroads, but op-
tional on the employees, as it left the
right TO the employees to retain their
existing system on any particular road
if they elected to do so.
Terms Of Demands.
1.-THE terms of the demands were as
follows, except the one which re-
served the option which is in the
margin and others, making article
applicable to yard and switching and
hosting service:
Article |. (a) In all road service
100 miles or less, eight hours or less
will constitute day except in pas
senger service. Miles in excess of
100 will be paid for at the same rate
per mile.
"(c) On runs of over 100 miles
overtime will begin when the time on
duty exceeds the miles run divided
by twelve and a half miles per hour.
"(d) All overtime to be computed
on the minute basis and paid for at
time and one-half the pro rata rate,
"(e) No one shall receive less for
eight hours or 100 miles than they
now receive for a minimum day or
100 miles for the class Of engine used
or for service performed.
20 Time will be computed con-
tinuously from time required for duty
until release from duty and RESPONSE
bility at end of day or run.
The employers refused the de.
nand and the employees through their
organizations by concert of action
took the steps to call a general strike
Of all railroad employees throughout
the whole country.
Action by President.
THE president Of the United States
invited conference between the par
ties. He proposed arbitration. The
employers agreed to it and the en-
ployes rejected it. The president then
suggested the eight-hour standard of
work and wages. The employers re-
jected this and the employees accepted
it. Before the disagreement was re-
solved, the representatives Of the en-
ployes abruptly called a general strike
throughout the whole country, fixed
for an early day. The president, stat
ing his efforts to relieve the situation
and pointing out that no resources
at law were at his disposal for COM
pulsory arbitration to save the COM
mercial disaster, the property injury
and the personal suffering of all,
not to say starvation which would
be brought to many among the vast
body of people If the strike was not
prevented, asked congress, first, that
the eight-hour standard of work and
wages be fixed by law. and, second,
that an official body be created to
observe during a reasonable time the
of the legislation, and that