Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-11-06

I
the Employees still Divided-Strikers
| Prevent Trains from MOying-HeayS
Express Busincss-Strike on tho
Knoxville and OIliO-A Mass.Meet
ing.
The KROrriUe Press and Herald of The
4th has long article on the strike in East
| Tennessee, from which We CLEAN the fol
| lowing:
There are no signs of an early compro
mise between the East Tennessee, Virginia
and Georgia Railroad Company and its
employees. As before stated, the objection
made by the men is to the decrease Of their
per diem, they protesting willingness tC
work three-quarter, half, or even quarter
| time, at the proportiOnate rate Of their re-
| cent pay for ten hours work The compa-
ny believe that the reduction ordered is the
plan which will best subServe the interests
of ali concerned.
The day trains, carrying mails and pas
Sengers, have run regularly, the company
having experienced engineers who were
serving in other capacities when the trouble
commenced, in charge Of the engines. The
freight trains, however, have not been
moved, with the exception of the through
freight from Bristol, which arrived last
night. Efforts to start the freight trains,
yesterday morning, were impeded by a
number of men who rcSOrted to uncOupling
the cars and putting down the brakes, and
finally prevented Mr.. G. \. Hodge, the
master mechanic, who was aNing as
engineer, from moving the train of.
When, in the afternoon, Mr..
Hodge was about taking an en-
CINE out to attach il 10 train filled with
freight, he was warned by some half A
dozen men, not to do it, and it was not
taken out. The same men went with Mr.
Hodge, to Capt.JaqueS, in his office, but the
interview was without result. The COM
pany has also been unable to unload
its cars full of freight for Knoxville and
great damage to the commercial interests
of the city has thereby resulted. The ac-
ton of some of the men in thus impeding
the business of the company is repudiated
by the governing committees who say ire
SpOnSible persons, outside the organization,
are alone responsible.
In consequence of the blockade of freight
the Southern Express is doing an unusual
ly heavy business. The express matter is
shipped without interruption, and many of
our business men are sending their ship
ments by express. Articles heretofore
unknown in the express lists are now car
ried.
A number of engineers who have arrived
in the city, intending to report to the COM
pany for duty. have been met by the craft
here, and talked into joining their fortunes
with their brethren, the latter paving them
their wages.
The engineers onthe Knoxville and Ohio
Railroad, having their wages reduced 20
per cent, have also quit work. Col. Nc
Ghee, however, is confident that the bust
ness of the road will not be materially in
teTupted. Mr.. Kinzell, Assistant Superin-
tendent, took the mail train out to Carey
vile at o'clock p. NJ. yesterday.
Monday night meeting of the railroad
men was held at their hall, on Broad street,
North Knoxville, at which there were about
one hundred present. Several speeches
were made. Col. John Baxter represented
-he Company. He detailed the financial
Of the Company at the present
lime; the falling off of business; the unre-
mUnerative character Of what was being
lone, and the necessity which existed for
reduction Of the expenses on the part of the
Company. He urged that it would |
De reasonable for the men to
yield, and hoped they would |
'efrain from violence or observation-disclosures. |
He was replied to in speeches, giving the
-iewS Of the engineers in the matter, which |
nay be summed up, that they were will |
ing to work as long or as short time as
he company might decide, but only at the |
ame rate of wages as they had been get
ing. They could not submit TO the ar
of the company.
Mayor Rule also spoke few words, adj
Using the men to do nothing within the |
.ity limits that would render them amena-
be to the laws, which his position and duty
would require him to administer