St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-04-26
STILL NOT SETTLED.
Protraeted Conference Be-
tween Hill and A. R. q.
Men.
NR. HILL ADDRESSES THEN,
And MIR. Debs, Of Union, Re-
plies for the Men.
THE RO6D MAKES 4 PROPOSAL,
Which Debs Says Off-Hand
Will Be Refused.
ANOTHER CONFERENCE TODAY
Debs Says He Has Ordered
That There Be No N. P.
Strike.
WILL THERE Sc ARBITRATION g


tween the representatives of the Great
Northern. the officers of the American
Railway union and President Hill
opened yesterday morning at the Great
Northern offices. Messrs. Debs and
Howard, accompanied by subcom-
mi;tec of seven, called on Mr.. Hill, and
gave him the schedules which they de-
sire to have adopted. A consultation
was held between President Hill, his
officials and President Debs and Vice
President Howard, which lasted until
the noon hour. adjournment being then
taken to 2:l5 in the afternoon.
Ii came out that Mr.. Hill declined to.
acccde to the terms proposed, and MIR.
Howard heSitated not to say that con-
ference in the AFTERNOON with the COM
mittee would be of no use. Mr.. Debs,
however. appeared more conservative
In his view. and thought it proper that
the committee should call later and re-
sumo the discussion.
AT the morning session Mr.. Hill did
not deny that certain reductions in pay
among certain classes in the service had
necessarily been made, owing to the
general business depression of the
whole country. To the point that this
had been notably so as regards section
hands. Mr.. Hill replied that the COM
pany had had no work for them.
To the poidt made by Mr.. Hill that
notwithstanding certain reductions the
pay of the men would compare favor
ably with that of other lines. Vice
Pr.cidart Howard nrotactnJ
President DebS thought that the cut
had fallen especially hard on carmen,
but to this Mr.. Hill replied that there
was difference between skilled and
nnskilled labor. Mr.. Debs said that if
the men could have the schedules prior
to August last restored, that that would
end the trouble.
Mr.. Hill declared that his company
wanted to do nothing but to be fair. and
lntimated that even better wages might
yet be paid. but really felt, he said,
that the employees had, of their volition.
placed themselves where they could not
Insist upon any particular schedule
being restored them.
MIR. Howard thought it unfair that a
sweeping reduction should have been
ordered on Aug. 10, 1898, to date back to
Aug. /.
This brought Mr.. Hill promptly to
the point, and he declared that the men
who are now out. excepting station
agents, were not included under that
cut. His understanding was that the
matter was being voted upon, and that
the company expected, on April l, to be
notified. which has not yet been done
Mr.. Debs informed him that the ma
jority had voted against accepting the
schedules.
Mr.. Hill replied that no information
had ever come as to the result of the
vote, and reiterated that spirit oi
justice had always actuated the COM
pany in its dealings with its men
and that he wanted his men to know
that they had friend in him.
Mr.. Debs sarcastically replied tha
their sentiments were not that way now
Then a general talk followed and Mr.
Hill said he was anxious to settle the
matter in issue. He suggested that
list OF the names of the men on the com
mlttee of thirty three be furnished him
with evidence that they were the repre-
sentatives of the employees. This wa
acceded to.
Then the question came up that thu
old organizations had, in majority O
cases, carried on the negotiations be
tween the men and the company. Mr.
Hill, in answer to this, replied tina
when Grand Chief Arthur and Crane
Master Sargent were here recently, tha
he had it direct from them that if TIL
members Of their brotherhoods had any
thing to say to the company, that woul
come later. and that they said thei
members were desirous of contlnuin
their work.
Mr.. Howard then said that, in tn
event the brotherhood organization
represented in the committee. whe
they came to meet Mr.. Hill, should re
pudiate the A. r. U. and deny that
represented them. then it would bac
Out of the matter entirely.