Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-01
FREIGHT STRIKE
ON HILLS ROAD
TWO CREWS EAST OF CLANCY RE.
FUSED TO GO TO WORK THIS
MORNING.
OPPOSED TO SCHEDULE
FOR TERMINAL SWITCHING.
New Schedule Went Into Effect To-Day
Passenger Traffic Not Effected
Conference Tonight.
Special to Inter Mountain.

SDtCldl - lIlItI N.OuilloiH.
Great Falls, May ALL freight brake
men and conductors here went out at
midnight and no freight is moving. The
men object to the new schedule, taking
effect today. saying it reduces wages tif-
teen to twenty-five per cent. Passenger
trains are running. but the crews say
they will not take out the freights. Havre
reports the same condition and say the
strike may extend to the main line. Off
Gals say the road will be running all
right in two days. Engineers and firemen
are ready to work, but say they will not
take out scab crews. officials say the
men are not backed by trainmen organi-
cations and all will be discharged. The
switching crews in the yards are all at
work.
Locally but little can be learned with
reference to the strike of the Montana
Central employees. 1t seems that Only
the freight divisions east of Clancy are
effected as the freight crews are at work
between Butte and Clancy and work is
being prosecuted as usual in the local
yards.
The officials of the road declined to be
interviewed regarding the situation.
They say that the trouble is at the other
end of the line and they know too little
concerning it to enter into any discus
sion regarding it.
A railroad man who is in a position to
know informed an Inter Mountain re-
porter this morning hat the strike eff
fects about As freight men, conductors
and brakemen. who object to the new
schedule which went into effect on The
Montana Central today. This new sched-
ule, according to this gentleman, is the
one over which many conferences were
held between the grievance committee
representing the employees and the Off
Gals of the road. Numerous propositions
We're interchanged between the company
and the grievance committee, and finally
a schedule, very similar to the present
one, was submitted to the men and they
voted to reject it. Then came more con-
f%erences, and talks of a general strike
and finally the whole matter was fixed
up by the adoption of the present sched-
ule of pay, which vas accepted by the
Great Northern employees and went into
effect just one month ago today.
For some reason the schedule of pay
did not go into effect on the Montana
Central until today. 1t increases the pay
of some of the freight men and effects
some adversely, particularly two freight
crews, Nos. rs and rs, running west from
Great Falls. Under the old schedule the
men working these trains We're allowed
extra pay for terminal and intermedi-
ate switching and the run. under these
conditions, was considered the best on
the road. Under the new schedule which
went into effect today and which has
been in effect on the main line for a
month, the men receive no compensation
for switching unless they are on the road
more than 10 hours, and as the run is
made easily under this time, and fire.
quently in eight hours. they will get but
little extra compensation.
MIR. GRAY's STATEMENT.
Late this afternoon Archibald Gray,
assistant general passenger agent. stated
that he had advices from Great Falls to
the effect that when the freight brakemen
We're called this morning they declined to
go to work and offered no explanation.
lie also said he had been advised that
the action of the brakemen has not the
sanction of the union to which they be-
long. The men We're discharged.
I'VE have enough trainmen at work to
continue operations as uSual,' said Mr..
Gray, although we may be ~nconveni-
enced for a day or two. The men do not
approve of that portion of the new
schedule which applies 20 terminal
switching. The passenger service will
not be affected"
Telephone adVices We're received in the
city late this afternoon to the effect that
the strikers had asked for an audience