New-York tribune., 1920-06-29
$4,000 May:
Quit To-day ON
Pennsylvania
Decision to Tie Up Eastern
Lines Result of Session at
Which Company Rejects
Demands of Workmen
Officers Defend Action
Declare Employees Gave No
Evidence Against Workers
They Wanted Discharged
Specie, Dispatch to The Tribtt'.,

PHILADELPHIA, June 29-More
than $4,000 employees on the lines of
the Eastern division of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad, officials of the shop
mems union agreed tonight, would be
called out on strike tomorrow morn
ing at II o'clock.
This decision or the men to-day,
which would result in the virtually
complete tie-up of the Pennsylvania
lines east of Pittsburgh, followed a
fve-hour conference between the
officials of the Pennsylvania and rep
resentatives and officers of the work
mems organize tions, held in the rail-
road offices at Broad Street station, q.
which the officials fatty rejected the
workmcns demands.
officials Of the railroad tonight did
not seem to believe that the worAmen
would strike. saying they thought the
men would send request to reopen
the negotiations in an endeavor to
avoid this contingency.
On the other hand the officials Of
The advisory council said that the only
possible way to avert strike over the
entire eastern district of the Pennsyl
vania would be b. reconsideration OF
this afternoons decision by the rail
road officials and tho complete
acQuiesceuse IN the workers demands
Road Explains Action
The following statement was issu.c
by officials OF the railroads:
"Thc Pennsylvania Railroad labo1
board for the Eastern region, headed
bv Assistant General Manager r. V
Massey, as chairman, conferred viii
President N. NJ. Kones of System Fed
eration No. 90 and the general chair
man Of the six shop crafts Represented
II tie federation with reference 70
threatened cessation Of work. Tn
statement for tho men, which was is
sued by II. S. jeffrey, chairman Of tb
Pm; ade!phia ard Camden adv!so-.
board, demanded, am ong other talnrs
the removal of Foreman Staples, Fore
man Phcneger and Assistant Foreman
Kieseling.
"JoHrcy was called upon for tn
evidence against the foremen. He 90
jected to furnishing specific cvidenc
against Mr.. Stapless and Mr.. Phenege
| on the ground that he was being sue
! for criminal libel by the men named
Gas to Mr. Kieseling, no evidence o
! misconduct was offered except gen
eral complaint that he failed to CO
operate with the men under his charge
"As to foremen Staples and Phene
gen, Mr. Jones modified the deman
for removal to request that they b
transferred to other positions.
Refuse to Grant Demand
"Mr. Massey informed Presiden
Jones that the Pennsylvania Railroa
Company stood for the principle tha
a man is considered innocent until h
is proved guilty, and that the mar
agement therefore refused to sanctio
any disciplinary measure agalns
Messrs. Staples and Pheneger until tn
cases based upon the charges mad
against them by Mr.. Jeffrey are di
posed of.
Consideration was then given
the demand that seniority rights
restored to twenty-five gang foreme
| who abandoned work in the socallt
unauthorized strike last April al
failed to return before the ultlmatu
r expired.
l "They have since been reemploy
| in lower positions with the loss
f seniority. President Jones was i
5 formed that the Pennsylvania Railro
| Company would stick by it's determin