Salt Lake Tribune | 1914-02-18 | Page 4 | Situation Acute on Oregon Road

SITUATION ACUTE Oil am ROAD Telegraph Operators Favor a Strike, but Are Waiting for Mediator. WASHINGTON, Fell. 17. G. W. Hangar, Hang-ar, assistant commissioner of tho federal hoard of mediation and conciliation, left today for Portland, Ore,, to attempt to mediate between tho Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation company and different dif-ferent classes of Us employees who have voted to strike. FORTL.A.NTJ. Ore., Feb. 17. With the voto running !)5 per cent in favor of striking strik-ing nnd three-fourths of tho vote In, a general strike of the telegraph operators In the employ of tho Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation company may be called next week unless an understanding under-standing between the operators and of II-clals II-clals of the road can be reached,? or a solution secured through federal mediation, media-tion, which has been asked for. E. J. Manlon of St. Louis, fifth vice president of the Order of Railroad Telegraphers, Is in Portland In charge of the situation for the telegraphers. He eays he will not call the strike until the arrival of the government mediator, G. W. W Hangar, who left Washington today to-day and will arrive hero Monday. If the government, makes- known Its willingness to mediate, Mr. Manlon said today he will postpone calling the strike. Officials of the Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation company said today to-day that the situation presented no critical criti-cal phases yet. Since November In conferences con-ferences were held with M. J. Buckley, general superintendent, and IS. A. KHp-ple, KHp-ple, superintendent of t olograph. In an effort, ef-fort, to brlnp about the granting of the demands of the employees. The conferences with these officials was followed by an appeal to J. P. O'Brion, gcnoral manager and vice president. "Mr. O'Brien declined to concede anything any-thing and the matter was turned over to the Order of Railroad Telegraphers," Mr. Mnnion si Id tmlnv. "I fllnd mv rpmipst for a mediator to be sent representing the federal government February 13." The schedule asked for by the telegraphers is similar to that of tho Southern Pacific and the Northern Pacific and. If granted, will Involve a reduction In hours of labor la-bor and changes in the salary scale and the establishment of a seniority system In promotion. There are 250 station agents and operators oper-ators in Washington, Oregon and Idaho involved. Tho strike plans were at first reported to bo an echo of the general shopmen's striko In 1P11 on the Ilarrlman system, but officials of the Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation company, now separated from the Ilarrlman system, gay this was false.