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Show I i Brotherhoods Explain Case Hv- . Reply to Pamphlet by Howard Elliot MtLty' Wlth ReQard t0 Present Mf Disputes H Cleveland, May 21. In a Btatomcnt K given out today by tlio nnllroad B h Transportation Brotherhoods who aro M '! Jointly usklng for an 8 hour day, ex- H f ceptlon Is taken to a pamphlet Issued B D by tho rnllrond officials entitled Thu H' ( Malady of tho Railroads, by Howard H j KUlott president of tho Now York, Hi j Now Haven & Hartford rnllrond. H Tho employees Btatement admits m thnt Mr. Elliott Is well qualified to H speak with authority on some phases M of railway malady, Judging tm cor- H tnln recent rovolntlons about tho HI t former financial mismanagement and HI f B wrecking of tho road which ho Is Hbjl now directing. In aubstanca tho HJH, Btatcmunt's argument continues: HHL Mr. Elliott says: "It Is the proa- ! cut and future- which confront us. Ii I..ot tho dend past bury Ub dead. Hj Thero must bo many things of tho III post" In regard to tho Now Haven H mismanagement over which Mr. Kl- HHI' llott would like to draw tho veil and HI Imvo tho public forget especially tho HRI- most recent revelations. HHI'' Hon ever, tho evils of tho dead HB- past havo saddled a load of debt on HJHt tho living present and when this HUT. heavy burden is used as an nrgu- HHI' ment agalnBt fair wages and fair HJI hours to cmployccB of tho present HHI ttmo, wd do not forget this past of HHI tbo Now Haven and If other roads HK I tlmt aro so strrnuously opposing the H movement to better the conditions H of Us employees. HH Called Glaring Example Tho Interstate Commcrco Commls- HH slon Bays In a report on Its research HH, Into tho financial workings pf the Now Haven system, that It disclosed cno of tho most glnrlng Instances of maladministration revealed In all tho history of tho American railroads." A reasonable cstlmnto of tho loss of tho Now Haven by reason nlono of wasto and mismanagement, tho commission places ot an amount between be-tween $00,000,000 and $90,000,000. For many a year to como theso transactions aro to bo a drain upon tho Now Haven's resources nnd tho oraploycea aro expected to do constantly con-stantly Increasing labor without a corresponding lncreaso In pay In order or-der to make up this loot. No wonder Mr. Klllott would llko to havo tho public forgot and let tho dead past bury Us dead. Hut tho ghost ot highly Inflated capital securities se-curities cannot so easily be disposed ot. Why Pay la Large Mr. Klllott presents statistics but doos not allow In theso figures, for tho fact that tho bnsls of an 8 hour work day already oxlsts on n numbor ' of railroads. Ho does not allow for tho fact that tho demand for an 8 hour day docs not affect tho nun- dreds of thousands of train employ- I eos In passenger service throughout tho United States. Much stress is laid by Mr. Elliott on tho fact that only 18 pcr cent "f tho railway army now absorbs 28 per cent of tho railway's pay roll. Ho fallB to mention tho very Important fact thnt his 18 per cent constitutes tho most skilled of tho employees who aro bearing n greater responsibility responsi-bility und runnjnj.grenter rlskn than any other class of railway employees. It would bo Just as convincing If Mr. Elliott .would show tho largo salaries received by a comparatively 1 'few hlchcr ndmlnlstratlvo officials ns compared to tho total expenso of administration ad-ministration along sldo ot tho numerous num-erous lesser officials nnd clerks. It la claimed by Mr. Elliott thnt this in a poor.tlmo to mnko n demand for an lncreaso In pay. Why They Ask More If, In theso prosperous times It Is n poor tlmo tho employees aro at a loss to know when would bo n good time. They ,woro told .early In tho yetr of 1915 by tho federal arbitration arbitra-tion board, that no improvement In their conditions of employment could bo granted, becauso tlioro was a do- r-i. - I 1.. -.J presulon In tho railroad business at that time. No Improvement could be secured during lean years and now Mr. Elliott comes forward and claims that impiovement In working conditions should not be asked In good years. Thci game, nccordlng to tho statement state-ment apparently Is, heads I win, tails you lose. Hut tho employees In the railway freight train servlco see no good or convincing reasons in 'Mr. Elliott's argument especially In view of tho fact, that enormous sums aro wasted In mismanagement and financial finan-cial manipulation and when tho United Uni-ted States government Issues reports, showing how once prosperous railroads rail-roads hnvii been milked and looted of such tremendous Bums, that tho employees should havo to bear the full burden. ' If only a small part ,of the enormous enor-mous suras that are annually diverted from tholr proper uses could be applied ap-plied to the bettering of tho condition condi-tion of tho employee, It would more than offset any inconslderablo lncreaso ln-creaso which might come by tho grunting of nn 8 hour day. |