The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-07

BUFFALO, N. Y, May 6-The Lake
Carriers assertion tonight abandoned it's
efforts to settle the dispute between Con-
tractor William J. Connors and the grain
shovelers. The state board of mediation
and arbitration will remain here for some
time to investigate the grain shoveling
business, and ascertain what truth there
is in the charges made by the men con-
corning the abuses of the contract sys-
tenn. The board, however, has lost hope
Of ever being able to bring the contractor
and the men together.
This hopeless situation was brought
about by the action of the striking grain
shovelers' union In rejecting the PROPOSE
lions submitted by a joint committee of
the state board of mediation and arbitra-
ton, the Lake Carriers association, the
Elevator association, the Merchants ex-
change and the United Trades and Labor
Council and agreed to by Mr.. Connors
The proposition was the result of a con-
ference among the representatives of
these organizations, which lasted from II
o'clock in the morning until late in the
afternoon. The conference was held at
the Iroquois hotel. Those who attended
it were Harvey D. Goulder, of-Cleveland,
counsel for the Lake Carriers associa-
ton; James Corrigan, H. Coulby and
Capt. Thomas Wilson, of Cleveland; G. T.
Douglass and George F. Sowerby, of the
Western Elevating association; Martin E.
Murphy, John Coleman, and ]. Robert
O'Brien, representing the labor interests
of Buffalo, and the members of the board
of mediation and arbitration.
- Contractor Connors was called before
the conference committee and requested
to state what concessions he would make
to the men. Mr.. Connors said he would
do anything that was fair, but that he
would refuse to abandon his contract in
compliance with the request of tile
strikers.
At 3:15 o'clock this afternoon the COM
mittee announced that an agreement had
been reached, but declined to give and in
formation concerning its terms until after
it had been submitted to the grain shov-
elers 1t was not until o'clock tonight
that the proposition, in typewriter form,
was laid before the grain shovelers. AT
that time 1000 of them had assembled at
their hall. The proposition was carried to
the hall by the representatives of the la
President Mcmahon, of the new grain
shovelers' union.
COMPROMISE REJECTED.
The proposition was to the effect that
Mr.. Connors would agree to abolish the
saloon boss system; that dummies would
not be placed on the pay roll; that a rep
resentative citizen of Buffalo would be
appointed, with power to investigate all
complaints made by the men in the flu
ture, and that the men should receive
$1S5 per 1000 bushels, which was the scale
fixed last year
President Mcmahon declared immedi-
ately after reading the proposition that
he rejected it, and would refuse to submit
1t to the men. The committee OF labor
men urged him to permit the men to vote
on the proposition, Lut Mcmahon refused.
Instead he walked to the front of the
stage and said:
"a fake proposition has been submitted
to us by the Lake Carriers association.
contract system, have rejected 1t in
your behalf"
The grain shovelers cheered the an
nouncement enthusiastically. President
Mcmahon then announced that the men
would have nothing more to do with the
Lake Carriers association, but would
fight the matter out on the docks.
Ing lISlI WIZ nave UcGA SilQeGNOTlilS
to bring about a peaceful settlement of
the difficulty were much disappointed
when informed of the stand taken by the
grain shovelers. Mr.. Goulder said:
''The Lalae Carriers association has
done all it can. We will leave row and
let the men fight it out with Mr.. Con-
nors''
President Johnson, OF the state board of
mediation and arbitration, said:
THE proposition was a perfectly fair
one. The demand on the part of the men
that the contract be abrogated is absurd.
While the board will not leave Buffalo
yet, it appears as If 1t will be useless to
make further efforts to effect a compro-
mise"
President Mcmahon claims that the
proposition was refused for the reason
that the contractors never kept pledges
in the past and could not be expected to
do so in the future.
A final effort will be made tomorrow
through Bishop Quigley, of the Catholic
diocese here, to induce the men to make
terms.
1t was. announced tonight that the
monthly men at the elevators and the
coal beavers on the coal docks would go.
out on Monday. This will add nearly 1000
men to the ranks of the strikers