New-York tribune., 1917-11-14
Would Mean S1O9,O00,OOO
Increased Wages From
Railroads Of Country
Government May
Stop Strike Ballot
Union Heads Overridden IN
Action for Is to so Per
Cent Advance

One hundred and seventy thousand
railroad cc-ductors and brakemen on
all roads in the United States are Sc
cretly voting this week, on demands
Tor increased rates OF pay, averaging
- per cent. in addition 20 the S6O,O0O,-
600 gained under the Adamson act.
Eastern railroad officials, who re-
ceived advance copies Of the demands
yesterday, estimate that the increased
wages for the lines east OF Chicago
would be s4S,000,000.a year. As The
payroll Of the Eastern roads is al per
cent of the national payroll for these
mon. IL Is estimated that the nation
wide demand would call for an increase
of Sl09 900, 900. :
The men In the movement include
80 900 passenger men. $4,000 freight
men and $4,000 yard men. The $1,000
firemen, under the leadership OF ". >.
Carter. nave not yet determined upon
their course. Leaders of the hremen's
brotherhood are now meeting in Cleve-
land TO decide whether they will join
the national movement.
Engineers Take No Part
The 80 900 engineers, railway officials
are informed, will not take part in the
movement. Il Is understood Warren ).
Stone. granl chief of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers, now serving
as = member of one Of the labor COM
mittees OF the Council of National De-
fence in Washington. is opposed to any
national wage movement among the
train amployes AZ this time.
The vote now being taken is prelimi-
nary TO a strike vote. The brother
hoods are following their usual pro-
cedure OF voting the men OH the de-
mands. leaving q strike vote to follow
the failure 10 force the full demands OH
the railroads. The official circular sent
out by the grand lodge officers states
the strike vote will be taken "in case
the proposition is turned down by the
managements."
Railroad officials here say they do
not believe the Council OF National
Defence at Washington, which brought
about a settlement of the eight-hour
controversy in March last, would al
low the new demands to go to a strike
vote.
The four brotherhood leaders, ac-
ern railroad managers, were opposed
TO & general demand for increased
wages so soon after the victory Of last
winter, but William G.. Lee and A. b..
Garretson, the leaders Of the trainmen
and conductors. found that they either
had TO approve Of the new demands or
else give way 70 more radical leaders
Of the brotherhoods, ambitious to suc-
ceed them.
In the passenger service the proposed
rates involve mileage rate increases Of
from 206 per cent for conductors 10
J1.5 per cent for baggsgemen. II is
proposed TO raise the minimum monthly
basis for conductors from sl35 to
S162.90, and for bsggagemen from
$3.50 20 Slt6.+0.
In through freight service the con-
duc'ors ask for an increase in the mile
age rate OF 32ls per cent, and the brake
men 42.7 per cent. Local freight con-
ductors demand an increase Of 2S.9 per
cent. and brakemen 43 per cent in their
mileage rates. The demands for yard
conductors and brahemen involve an
increase Of IL per cent in daily rates of
pay.
The Eastern carriers. in the rate case
now being heard in Washington, have
presented figures showing that they
have increased wages By 102,OOO,000 a
year. or this amount, sS6,O00,000 was
received by the brotherhoods under the
Adamson act. and the remaining $685.
100000 are increases 20 other classes
Of railroad workers.
The percentage increase to the broth
.erhood is about 90 per cent, while the
other employees have received only 10
per cent.