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
spcciol Dispotch to The Tribu,,e

PHILADELPHIA, June 28.-More
than $4,000 employees on the lines of
the Eastern division of the Pennsyl-
vsnia Railroad, officials of the shop
mems union agreed tonight, would be
called out on strike tomorrow morn
ing at IL 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
tive-h hour conference between the
officials Of the Pennsylvania and rep
resentatives and officers Of the work.
mems organizations, held in the rail-
road Offices at Broad Street station, at
which the officials fatty rejected the
workmen's demands.
Officials of the railroad tonight did
not seem to believe that the workmen
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 by. .recons sideration of
this afternoons decision by the rail-
road officials and the complete
acQuiescense in the workers demands
Road Explains Action
The following statement was issued
by officials of the railroad:
"The Pennsylvania Railroad labor
board for the Eastern region, head ed
by Assistant General Manager r. v
Massey, as chairman, conferred with
President N. NJ. Kones of System Fed
Grafton No. 80 and the general chair.
man Of the six shop crafts represented
in the federation with reference to g
threatened cessation of work The
statement for the men, which was is
sued by H. S. Jeffrey, chairman of the
Philadelphia and Camden advisory
board, demanded, among other things
the removal of Foreman Staples, Fore
man pheneger and Assistant Foreman
Kieseling.
Jeffrey was called upon for the
evidence against the foremen. He OBJ
jected to furnishing specific evidence
against Mr.. Stapless and Mr.. Phenegel
on the ground that he was being suee
for criminal libel by the men named
Gas to Mr.. Kieseling, no evidence OF
! misconduct was offered except a gen
eral complaint that he failed to CO
operate with the men under his charge
Gas to foremen Staples and Phene
gen, Mr.. Jones modified the demand
for removal to request that they be
transferred to other positions.
Refuse to Grant Demand
"Mr. Massey informed Presiden
Jones that the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company stood for the principle tha
a man is considered innocent until ht
is proved guilty, and that the man
agement therefore refused to sanction
any disciplinary measure agains
Messrs. Staples and Pheneger until the
cases based upon the charges made
against them by Mr.. Jeffrey are dis
posed of.
Consideration was then given t.
the demand that seniority rights b
restored to twenty-five gang foreme
who abandoned work in the so-calle
unauthorized strike last April an
failed to return before the ultlmatur
expired.
"They have since been reemploye
in lower positions with the loss o
seniority. President Jones was ir
formed that the Pennsylvania Railroa
COMPANY would stick bV its determin.