Lancaster Daily Intelligencer

AGAINST THE P. R. R. SCHEME.

THE DRIFT OF SENTIMENT AT MR. PUGH'S CONFERENCE.

Nobody Wants the Relief Plan as It Was Originally Put Forth, and the Delegations From Some Divisions Refuse to Take It In Any Form Whatever.

Three hundred and twenty-four delegates from the twenty-seven divisions of the Pennsylvania railroad assembled at the Broad-street station, Philadelphia on Tuesday morning, they having been chosen by the employes of those divisions to represent them in a conference with General Manager Pugh in regard to the relief system recently inaugurated by the road. The conference was held with closed doors, nobody being admitted but the delegates, Mr. Pugh, Solicitor John Scott, and stenographers in the employ of the company, who recorded the sentiments expressed by the delegates. The roll of the divisions was called, beginning with Pittsburgh division, and following along through the middle, Philadelphia, New York, Amboy, Altoona, Altoona shops, Belvidere division, etc. The fullest possible freedom of speech was allowed, each individual delegate being given the privilege of expressing his own sentiments and those of the men whom he was sent to represent. Mr. Pugh acted as chairman of the meeting, and it was seldom that he was obliged to call for order. Occasionally the men became too demonstrative, when some delegate voiced their sentiments with greater than usual clearness, and occasionally somebody wandered from the subject. This was the case with one from the P. W. & B. road, who found the wings of his soaring eloquence clipped as he berated the Baltimore & Ohio road. "We are not here to discuss the B. & O.," said Mr. Pugh; "we are considering the Pennsylvania's relief system. Please confine your remarks to that subject."

After the adjournment of the meeting a statement for publication was prepared by one of the stenographers, by the direction of Mr. Pugh, in which it was said that Mr. Pugh, after calling the meeting to order, stated the purpose for which it was held, saying that "objections have been made to the relief system since it was formulated, and in consequence of these objections the meeting had been called for a full and frank conference upon the merits of the proposed system, inviting the fullest and most candid statements, by all the delegates present, of the objections made to any feature of the proposed organization." Mr. Scott also made a few remarks of a similar nature. The statement prepared for publication continues: "As the divisions were called the delegates almost uniformly availed themselves of the opportunity not only to hand in the written proceedings of the various meetings that had been held, but also by verbal statements to express the sentiments of those they represent, and also their own. While the most kindly feeling was expressed toward the company and its officers throughout, the criticisms of the relief system proposed and all its features were of the most candid and outspoken character, and the drift of comment on the system was against its adoption. The reasons given for this would be too numerous to enumerate in a report. One, however, which was prominent from almost every division was the fact that the various classes of employes had already taken life insurance to as large an extent as they felt able to carry, and they did not wish to be put in the position, either of relinquishing what they have or being compelled to accept the relief fund." The prepared statement concludes by saying that the conference adjourned with three cheers for Mr. Pugh and three cheers for "No Relief."

Many of the delegates were very reticent in regard to the transactions in the conference, but others talked freely. "It was noticeable," said one, "that of the few who favored the plan the larger portion were from the western division, and most of them were men who had been in the employ of the company a long time. I referred to their favoring the plan. I mean they favored it if modified. There was nobody, I think, who favored it in its original form, including the compulsory feature. Among those who opposed it without qualification or reservation were the P. W. & B. men and those from the New Jersey divisions. Of these latter only one, from the Belvidere division, favored the plan. The remainder said they didn't want it in any form whatever. Among them was Abe Wood, an engineer on the Camden & Atlantic road, who said: "New Jersey is opposed to the whole thing. We are a small delegation, but we've got lots of sand." It appears to me that the company will look the thing over and then drop it entirely."

Another delegate said: "From the indications at the conference I should suppose that seventy-five per cent. of the employes of the road are opposed to the original plan, but if modified I think that a majority of them will favor it. The trouble is, some of them want one kind of a change and others another. Nearly all appear to think that the dues are too high, for one thing."

The statements of the opposition of the men and the grounds upon which it is based were practically the same as the objections which have been published from time to time as emanating from the men, and would be mere repetition. They are to be laid as a whole before the board of directors, which will decide what shall be done in the matter.