New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-12
Roads i'm East
TO Risk Strike
And Cut Wages
Heads of y Lines Reject
Brotherhood Demand IL
PC. Reduction Granted by
Rail Board Be Abandoned
Chief Fight ON Overtime
Union Heads Say z Million
Men Will Tie Up Country
if Eigha-Hour Day Is Lost

Tho request of the Big Four broth
erhoods of railway employees and the
switchmen's union. presented to COM
mittee of railroad executives on Au-
gust 3, that no reductions or limita-
lions of pay be pat in effect at pres
emit, was denied yesterday. The rejec-
ton CT the employees request was
made at a meeting at the Bankers
Club. attended by twenty-seven rail
Dad presidents in the classification
territory east of Chicago William II.
Truesdale, president of the Delaware,
Lackawanna 4 Western Railroad, pre-
sided.
Yesterdays meeting was called to
consider the report of the special com
mittee, consisting OF E. E. Loomis, of
the Lehigh Valley Railroad; W. w.
Atterbury, of the Pennsylvania; E. n.
Grown, of the Pere Marquette, and
Percy R. Todd, of the Bangor & Aroo-
stock, with whom the brotherhood rep
resentatives conferred last week in the
office of Mr. Loomis
Assurances were asked at this CON
ference = by Warren S. Stone, grand
chief of the engineers; w. s. Carter
president of the tiremen; w. e.. Lee
president of the trainmen; L. f. Shep-
pard, president Of the conductors, and
I. {. Cashen, president of the switch
men, that there would be no reduction
of pay, as recommended by the Rail
road Labor Board, and also that the
demands of the railroads for further
decreases in pay and the elimination
OF time and hale for overtime be
abandoned
Asked Roads to Define Position
The men asked that the railroads
"clearly place themselves on record as
to whether they will move for addi-
tional decreases and tho elimination of
time and half for overtime"
At the close of yesterdays meeting,
which lasted for three hours. f. W.
Leamy, secretary of the Eastern Presi-
dents Conference, said:
''The Eastern Presidents Conference
met to-day to discuss the report of
conferred with officials of the four
railroad brotherloods and the switch
men, in regard to certain questions
the organizations have raised. These
questions, as outlined by the union
representatives. were as follows:
q. If the operating officials Of the
railroads will restore the wage rate in
effect on June 80, 1921.
go If all demands for further de-
creases will be withdrawn.
SO. If all demands for the elimna-
ton of time snd one-half for overtime
and radical schedule revision will be
withdrawn and not again pressed for
stated period.
Requests Are Denied
after giving careful consideration
10 the questions at issue, the confer
ence decided that the secretary should
notify the brotherhoods that conditions
make it impossible to grant their re-
quest"
The question of abolishing time and
one-half for overtime is now under
discussion by the Railroad Labor
Board and by its action yesterday the
railroad executives will make no at
tempt to withdraw this point 1t is
the position of the railroads that re
auctions in the cost of living warrant
the II per cent pay cut, and that at
the present time there is no assurance
but what the cost Of living may fall
still lower
Both the pay reduction effective
July l and the elimination o. the over
time pay are now before the members
Of the brotherhoods for vote Neither
referendum has been completed. but
it is expected that the stoppage of over
time pay, should it be ordered by the
Railroad Labor Board, would bring
}oA III d PROTEST tndl IS llkelE TO result
III countrywide strike. More than
100000 men would be affected.
Overtime Issue Sharpest
The vote on both of these questions
will be completed, it is. expected, by
August 20. The result will then be
submitted to the Railroad Labor Board
Union officials said yesterday that OF
the two questions that involving over
time had aroused the greatest activ-
ity among the men.
The vote of the railroad workers or
this proposition will be the most over
whe lining vote ever cast by railroad
workers on any question:" one brother
hood official declared. Of the Rail
road Labor Board wants to avert ma.
ticnal railroad strike. it will have t.
come through with the eight-hour day
and that is all there is to it.
THE vote will be unanimous against
the proposal to abolish the eight houl
day, and it will mean that national
railroad strike will be practically un
ay0IN ah le -