The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-11-29
NOW FOR ARBITRATION
President Wilbur Consents to a
Conferen ee with State Boards.
THE FREI CHIT BLOCKADE BROKEN.

hnt This Is Mainly Due to the Fact That
tho Jersey Central Has Taken Much of
the Lehigh Valleys BusIness-Centra raj
Men VIII Not Strike.
BETHLEHEM, Pa, Nov. 29.-The state
board of arbitration of New York and
New Jersey arrived here last night Two
hours after making their headquarters at
the Eagle hotel, Secretary Romance gave
the following to reporter: President
Wilbur, OF the Lehigh Valley Railroad
company, hhs consented to meet the state
board OF arbitration of New Jersey and
New York tomorrow afternoon" No DEM
onstration on the part of the strikers was
made here upon the arrival of the board.
President Wilbur was notified by mes
sehger OF the boards presence here at 10
o'clock, az lie was about to retire.
Speaking of the strike last evening,
President Wilbur said: Business il i'm
proving at all points along the line There
are large number of coal collieries in
operation. don't see but that the strike
IL over. do not mean to say that things
are in altogether as good shape now as be-
fore the strike begun but We are running
trains on all divisions without ncon-
venience. We have closed the employ
ment Office in Philadelphia, and have
more men on our hands than we have
work for. We were compelled this morn-
Ing to refuse large number of appli-
cauts for work"
Reports from along the line show tn at
the company has made substantial gains,
though the strikers show no evidence of
weakening rs yet. At Wilkcsbarre so far
as outward appearances go, there is no
change In the strike situation, although
both sides claim to have made progress in
the past twenty four hours. The Lehigh
Valley collieries are all running again to-
day, and have enough empty cars 10 last
week. A deputation of seventy-iive to
one hundred special police has been en-
gagged, who will be distributed all along
the points where the troubles of the past
few days have been occurring.
An Associated Press reporter talked
with several Brotherhood men on the
Central road at Wilkesbarre regarding
the possibility of strike and they ali
very emphatcally denied that the matter
had ever yet been limited IT.. why said
one, 1T would be the greatest folly for
the Central fellows to go out at this time,
especially when we have no grievance. The
Central is proiltng by the strike on the
Lehigh Valley. The freight business has
nearly doubled, while all the passenger
trains are crowded There will be no
strike on the Central, and from " hat talks
have had with Delaware, Lackawanna
and Western men believe the same feel
ing exists oyer there"
Five members of the general grievance
committee here left for Philadelphia last
evening. Chairman Clark of the execu
tive committee, called them. There are
all sorts of tlmors ms to the mission of the
committee. Ono is that the strike is to be
declared off, and the strikers given per-
mission to return to work
At CoXtoH the coal blockade is reported
to be broken, and the delay heretofore
caused by the idleness of the weigh scales
is remedied. 1t is also stated that uuan-
tiiy of freight has been moved in and out
OF GoHton, and that the coal is moving
freely on the llazleton and Mahanoy
branches, THESE facts, il true, are per-
hhps as significant as anything that has
come 10 light during the past few days.
Inc strikers do not credit them, however.
The chiefs representing the several rail
way organizations of the United States,
and the chhirmen of the different local
committees of the Lehigh Valley strikers,
met in scctet session at the Bingham
House in Philadelphia last night Ii was
currently reported that this conference
was held for the purpose of considering the
adNisabilltyo of declaring the strike off at
stated time, and give the striking en-
ployes chance to get back positions al
ready taken by the new men hired by the
company Chiefs Clark and Wilkinson
were positive in their denials that such
action was even contemplated Messrs.
Rice, Donarnn, Dempsey and Davids,
chairmen OF the strikers committees, to-
gether with seven Jersey Central railroad
men and thd members of the general griev-
auce committee went into executive ses-
sion at II o'clock. The presence of the
Jersey Ce nj 1ral men is significant Some
reports gained circulation that the Jersey
Central men would be asked to ioin the
strikers in the event of the I.ehigh Valley
company continuing to hold to its avowed :,
plans, and y was for the purpose of pro-
testing against such action, it is said, that
these men had come
petition signed by n arly all the mer-
chants in Wilkesbarre was received by
President Wilbur today, asking him to |
arbitrate. The estimated loss to the lie
nigh Valley on account of the strike is |
half million dollars day, 1t is said
that the managem ent of the strike has
now passed out of the hands OF President |
Wilbur into the hands of the newly
elected general manager, Mr.. Voorhees,.
Dispatches from Pottsyille, DeIano, AL
lentown. Mhuch Chunk and other points
along he lihe show that, while the men
are stlll lrln i'll their position, the com
pany undoubtedly making good head
way.