The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-24
EMPLOYEES SAY NOT
A NUMBER OF THEM SAY THERE
WILL BE NO
STRIKE
ON THE GREAT NORTHERN

ON 411G O4tCAA 4sOIA 4AGAeAs
All Other Efforts VIII BE Made to
Secure Such Concessions as the
Men Ask, but In the Event of
Failure 1t Is Doubtful If Any
Branch of the Service would
Quit Work.
The rrmors Of a strike on the Great
Northern as 81 means of settling differ
ences between the officers of tho system
and the trainmen, locomotive fiji enen
and conductors are gradually growing
less. Informa rion from reliable sources
Yesterday verifies the statement in the
Globe Of Sunday that the employees
will not resort to extreme measures.
Statements made yesterday by both the
officers of the road and men employed
in different capacities indicate there Is
a feeling that strike would be extremely
III advised Traffic, both passenger and
freight, is at it's height and there is hard
lyi branch Of the service at present but
which Is using its, full quota of extra
men. On, the part of 5tlff officers Of the
system there are frank admissions that
strike would be most serious and would
cause the, loss both to the system and
to the employees, of many thousands Of
dollars The officers manifest desire
to settle what differences there are with
out recourse to arbitrary methods. and
the men have realized through all the
talk that strike will mean to many thu
loss of their present positions, and, even
that excepted, the loss of several wseR S
salaries to all the men who go out.
It is now more than three weeks since
the last grievance committee finished It's
work and no decisive measures have oeen
taken. During this period the chances
OF securing the entire cooperation of the
different branches of the employees have
been considerably lessened, and especially
at this end Of the line and on the East
ern7 Minnesota the conviction has been
frro rel1atstaI satisfactory agreement can
bss' arrived at without interrupting traffic.
or causing Toss TO the men.
Such dissatisfaction as exists has been
mainly on the Montana and mountain
divisions. At terminal points the wide
spread. effect Of tie UP has been more
evident than on interior divisions, and for
many reasons the causes of discomfort
have been less The railway trainmen
were represented some weeks ago IN a
meeting of their grievance committee,
which was held in st. Paul, and SUI n
troubles as they had along the line were
carefully reviewed Somewhat more than
three weeks ago the grievance committee
of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire
men, representing the members of the
organization empoyed en- the Gent
Northern, began a session lasting ten
days, during which their differences with
the system were discussed A visit o st.
Paul was made by the assistant grand
master of the order, and he held confer
ences with the men, both in St Paul
ard Minneapolis, obtaining a careful re-
sumo of their case. The assistant graz d
, master of the Order of Railway Con-
ductors also visited the cities for the
same purpose
On the day of adjournment of the ses-
sions Of the firernen grievance commit
tee the admission that strike was I'M
der consideration was secured from one
of the members. The statement was also
made by railroad man in the confidence
of the firemen that the executive officers
would consider the reports made and de-
eide upon the advisapility of strike
Information considered authentic. though
unofficial, was secured yesterday TO he
effect chat the officers to whom the re-
ports were submitted have agreed that
all other means must fail before more
severe measures can be resorted to.
At the general superintendent office,
in the Great Northern office building, Quss-
lions were put yesterday concerning the
status of the difficulties with the men.
The reply was received that there was
no present trouble, and that the differ
ences would be adjusted without strike
1t was admitted that certain branches
Of the service have presented points on
which an agreement is wished, but pres
ent conditions were not considered such
that if the desired concessions are not
granted a strike would be the alterna-
tive.
Interviews with several officers of the
system brought the same expressions, in
dicating belief that there are no
troubles at present which cannot be easi-
ly settled.
1t was not to be expected that the en-
ployes of the road would take the same
stand as its officers, but in a conversation
on the subject an employee of the Great
Northern yards made the following state
ments:
"Half the talk which has been current
concerning the probability of strike is
without foundation. There are several
points on which the trainmen wish an
understanding with the officials of the
road The conditions at present are not
to any great degrees more strained than
they have been at other times since the
strike OF 1893. The trainmen consider
that the conditions under which they are
working at present are different in some
particulars from those which have pre-
vailed heretofore. Many changes have
occurred which have affected them, and
the gist of their demands may be con-
veniently summarized in the statement
that they wish their work curtailed and
their pay raised. This will apply.
think, to the general situation.
..One reason for so much talk has been