The Connecticut labor news., 1921-10-21
CANADIAN WORKERS
 CONFER WITH ROADS ON WAGE REDUCTION
Board of Consolidation Refers Dispute to Direct Negotiation Be
 tween Parties

Ottawa, Oct. 21.-Af1cr four days
 discussion of the wage reduction of
 approximately I2 per cent. imposed | on all railway workers on the Cana l dian National, Canadian Pacific, | Grand Trunk and T. H. X B. rail ways, Hon. Justice McLennan oi | Montreal, chairman of the board of conciliation, appointed by the Fed cral Department of Labor, to inquire into thc reductions. suggested that representatives of the railways and | the workers hold out an independent conference for the purpose ot trying 10 arrive at some mutually amlCablc | agreement.
 Ihis suggestion was made at the meeting Ot the board in Montreal last Monday afternoon and the chairman fixed the following W cdncSday as d time limit for both sides 10 report back, but made it clear that an ex- tension Ot time would readily be granted. So far no report ot the conference has been submitted to Judge MCLennan and his colleagues
 If no satisfactory agreement can be arrived at, then the board will meet in camera and it's decision will be sent 10 the minister of labor, Hon. Gideon Robertson, incidentally an old telegraph operator and still a mcmbcr in good standing of the o. R. T.
 Another board of cancellation is sit ting in the House of Commons, Ot- tawa, to deal with the wage rcduc- ton issue between the homogeneous of the Canadian railways and the lower paid employees, such as freight handlers clerks, etc, who are not members of the international broth crhoOds, but are organized under the banner of the Canadian Brotherhood of Railway Employees.
 Hammct P Hill, chairman; Harold Fisher, representing the employees, and George D. Kelley, representing the Canadian railways. All three be- long to Ottawa and are lawyers. The cause for the railways is being pre- scnted by F. F. Brady, advisor to the executive of the National Railways, while the workers are submitting their arguments and evidence through A. R. Moshcr, president of the C. B. of R. F., Ottawa: C. F. Cole, Monc- ton, N B.; P. Larkin, Toronto; R. Dykes, Winnipeg; (. H. Minchen, Calgary, and William Hardacre, Ed son, Alberta, all members of the ex- CCut1Nc Ot the brotherhood.
 The points upon which conciliation is necessary were established when negotiations lasting 10 days between representatives of the men and the railways, held in Toronto. At the opening of these negotiations the railways submitted to the representa- tives of the workers a proposal for the complete revision of the working conditions After the prolonged dis cussion the railways withdrew the proposed changes with the exception of five points. They refused to alter the schedule of wage reductions, whcreupon the Department of Labor was appealed to and the board of conciliation was formed and assign ed to try and settle the question.
 The board will also be asked 10 de- eide upon annual vacations, statutory holidays. overtime rates of pay, allot- ment of working hours within the day, and the arrangements proposal to place new men on a monthly basis on hourly rates Ii will likely be two or three weeks before the decision of the board. is announced All the evidence is not yet submitted.