Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1917-03-15
No RASH MOVE
PLEA MADE BY
COMM 7 TEE

Republican A. p. Leased Wire]
NEW YORK, March 14.-An ap-
peal to the patriotism of the mem
bers of the four great railroad
brotherhoods to refrain from any
rash movement" which would
bring an industrial warfare in the
present national crisis was made
here tonight by the national con-
ference committee of railways on
the eve of the conference tomorrow
with the chiefs of the trainmen's
organizations. There were addi-
tlonal indications, however, that
the brotherhoods were determined
to call strike unless their de-
nnands were granted.
After a meeting here with sew
eral hundred general chairmen and
charmen of the locals in the broth
erhood organizations on lines en-
tering New York, w. G. Lee, pres
ident of the Brotherhood of Rail-
road Trainmen, announced that
unanimous support had been voted
the brotherhood chiefs in the de-
mands they intended to make at
tomorrow's conference. These de-
nands, he said, would be based on
the modified demands of last De-
cenber, which called for basic
eight hour day and pro rata pay
for overtime.
This is virtually what the Adam
son law would give if put into
force, he said. The original pro-
gram of the men, the refusal of
which resulted in the call last Sep
tember of the strike, which was
aVerted by the passage of the
Adamson act, included an eight
hour basic day with time and a
half for overtime. Mr.. Lee indi-
Gated that there was no intention
of going back TO the original claims.
He admitted that recent fore
casts of a progressive country wide
strike beginning Saturday night at
six O'clock unless the railroads ac-
cede to the ultimatun1 of their en-
ployes were written by a good
guesser."
Charges that we are acting in ba
faith in bringing. up this question agai
at this time without waiting for th
decision of the supreme court on tn
AdamsOn act, are baseless," he declared
I'VE were not parties to the agree
ment entered into between the attor
neys for the railroads and the repre-
of the attorney generals OF
flee to do nothing until the decision
handed down.
Our position is the same as if ther
were no Adamson law and no decisio
pending. Whether the decision is fC
or against the law our demands. Whic
we shall present tomorrow, will be un
altered. If the law is upheld. it woul
give us what we will ask for tomol
row. If it is thrown out, we still wi
stand pat and take no less than II
Adamson law would have given us.
We four brotherhood chiefs, throug
these recent meetings with our me
now feel that we have the united bach
ing of our men behind us in this. "
want to get this question for the eigl
hour day settled quickly. The reaso
for our seeming haste at this time
forcing il to an issue is that the couI
try may be in a war within a fe
weeks or months and we believe tn
ought to be settled before that comes
The statement of the national col
ference committee, signed by its chat
man, Elisha Lee, said:
We are sincerely desirous that Il
wages and working conditions of OF
employees should be son the highe
plane consistent with the efficient ol
GRAFTON of the railroads. When Il
national wage demands of the fol
train brotherhoods were made last yea
we felt that they We're beyond reaso
entailing as they did, an annual il
crease of $100,000,000 or about 80 p
cent in the wages of the SOC, 900 mo
highly paid workers in the country.
But we were ready and anxious
submit this wage controversy for sc
tlement to some impartial public Il
Continued on Page Two)