The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-23
WEBB FIRM AS A ROCK.
he DECLINES THE STATE BOARDS
OFFER TO ARBITRATE.

NEW YORK, Aug. 22-Thls has been
day of expectancy in the railroad situation.
No one knows what tomorrow Will bring
forth, whether the great STRIKE which it is
now believed must be, will be declared one
way or the other, or whether it
will be postponed till Monday. Il
is evident that there is considerable
difference of opinion between Mr.. Sar-
geant of the Firemen's Brotherhood
and Mr. Sweeney Of the switchmen's union,
the latter being opposed to a strike, and say
| ing that 1t was not at all certain that the
supreme council would order one. The
| knights of Labor criticise Mr. Sweeney
They assert that he has changed from, If cor
rectly reported, and add that Mr. Sargeantis
influence preponderates anyhow. The labor
leaders say there is nothing TO do save
| strike, as the principle involved is the right
OF the working man TO organize
THE STATE BOARD OF ARBITRATION.
More literature was added to the strike
history this afternoon and evening State
Commissioner Donovan of the board of
mediation and arbitration sent a letter to
Vice President Webb and a copy to Mr..
Powderiy, saying: 1T having come to the
knowledge of the state board OF mediation
and arbltation that another strike is seri-
ousiy threatened upon the lines Of the road
or your company, | am instructed by the
board to again communicate with you and
invite a joint conference between the
officers of your company and representa-
tlves OF your employees, with a view of
deVising some means, either by arbitration
or such other method as may be mutually
agreed upon, whereby the threatened strike
may be averted and an abrupt interruption
OF travel and transportation of freight pre-
vented"
PowDERLY WILLING.
Mr.. Powderly says: ''Our DO ard are
willing to comply with your request and
hold themselves in readiness to respond at a
moments notice. We have from the begin
ming been willing and anxious to submit
the matter to your board for adjustment"
VERB DECLINES.
In reply Mr.. Webb says: THE further
strike referred to by you will or will not
take place, as the efforts of the persons
who have left our service may or may not
meet with success. l believe that such
efforts will fail The operating force of
this company Is full, the passenger service
OF the company is regularly performed, and
there is no obstruction to its freight service
except lawless interference and apprehen-
sion thereof. 1t seems to me inappropriate
ana unnecessary to have d conference as
suggested by you"
WEBB ON THE DISCHARGES.
The following statement is given out by
Mr.. Webb for publication:
No man has been discharged by the company
because he was knight of Labor or member
OF any other organization. The company has
dlscharged men irrespective of their member
ship In the order of the Knights of Labor for
drunkenness, incapicity, breach of duty, insub-
| work TO employ them, and it will CON
tinue to do 50 whenever proper occasion
arises. The people of this state granted TO the
| corspany Its franchise, and made 1t obligatory
render IN ha r1uh liz
and provided that sl its duties, including the
employment and discharge of all classes of
agents. should be performed by certain officers.
and Its officers do not propose to surrender
abandon or transfer the discharge of these du-
| Ties, or any part of them, to any one except
| their duly appointed SUCCESSORS. II would be
moral and probably criminal neglect of duty for
| me to omit to discharge q switch towerman for
drunkenness, when upon his sobrietv and fidelity
to duty depends the safety Of life and limb of
| some OF the millions OF passengers transported
annually by this company. We could
| temporarily supply the place of a man
who absented himself from work for two days
| without leave and without excuse, but what
business, private or public, can be carried on
| subject to dictation from workmen, that there
shall be performed only this or that amount of
| work? What employer can tolerate insolence
and INSTRUMENTATION, based upon a belief that
| the offender will be supported therein by a
secret organization to which he be-
lon and by the agency of which
aged or stopped? The foregoing gives without
| setting forth the name or place OF employment
the causes which called for the discharge of
fifty or sixty men referred to in Mr. Powderly's
appeal For these discharges and to avert a
| threatened strike I have been called upon nv
| Mr. Powderly and his associates to consent to
| the monstrous absurdity of satisfying by some
| kind of arbitration or investigation persons
other than the duly constituted authorities of
the company that these causes existed de
| mand which, as long as | occupy the position
with which am intrusted, feel it to be INV
| duty TO firmly decline. H. WALDO WEBB
| Third Vice President.
A mass meeting to express the sentiment
of the people of New York in behalf of the
| right of citizens to organize against the
existence OF Pinkerton's private army is
the latest development of the strike. The
event will take place Tuesday evening next
| III Union square.
| CORNERING THE DELAWARE AND HUDSON.
ALBANY, Aug. 22.-The knights of Labor
committee called upon Supt. Hammond to-
| day asking for a decision to their REQUEST
that the Delaware and Hudson refuse to
accept freight from the Central road
Supt. Hammond said he would let
| the men know tomorrow what course
he would pursue. One of the officials of the
Delaware and hudson, in speaking on this
question, said 1t was difficult to see what
| right the men had to make such a demand,
the effect of which would be to practically
tie up the Delaware and Hudson almost rs
Dau as the central, as large part of the
| roads own freight traffic depended on its
connection with the Central.
| CLEANING UP THE YARDS.
At the West Albany and Harner wards
great progress was made in clearing 10
these yards to-day. Over 200 men are now
at work there, and 100 from Chicago and
other points are expected to-nignt One of
the Centrars officials, in speaking of the
working force at these yards tonight, said
| There will be at work tomorrow about
twice the number Of men usually employed
in The yards We handled more freight to-
day than on any day since the strike was
declared"
| PLUMBER FIRED ON.
! About 5 o'clock this afternoon, as q man
named Gray, a plumber, was making his
way over the railroad crossing at ALBANY.
George Wahl, a Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy freight conductor, who was on a
| freight tram at the end of the
bridge, fired three shots at him
from revolver without any
provocation. None of the shots took effect.
When the strikers heard the shots they
made rush for the conductor who jumped
from the train and ran away. A crowd
followed after him, but were cut off by the
drawbridge opening, so he escaped from
their clutches. The police took the con-
ductor to the station, where he was held for