The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-19
MACHINISTS TALK OF STRIKE.
THEIR UNION MAY ORDER THEM
OUT N MANY CITIES.

ANSoclHttOus-NS w ere HGR0X
10 Accept Arbitration. But Would
Not Can on the strikes Now ia
ProRrcss-Thrcaten to Order
Strikes All over the Country.
Chicago, March 1S.--After the conference
between Representatives of the Interna-
| tional Association OF Machinists and the
administrative council of the National
Metal Trades Association ended at 80
o'clock this morning. President James
o'Connen Of the union declared that
strikes would be called Immediately In all
parts of the United States and Canada.
Such strikes would involve 100000 men.
and cause to be shut down for an indeh-
mite period plants having an aggregate
capital of millions of dollars.
Chicago labor troubles are responsible
for the disagreement which Is expected
to precipitate the general machinistsF
strike Were 1t not for the fact that lead-
ers of the Machinists Union refused ia
cali off the strikes that now exist In Chi
cago, Columbus, o., and Paterson, N. j..
the manufacturers and the leaders, IT Ia
believed would have come to an amcable
agreement and arbitration would have
been permanently established between the
National Metal Trades Association ana
the International Association of Machln-
lists.
Tho members OF the Executive Board OF
the Maohinists' Union, however, refused
TO call off the Chicago strike, as they de-
clared that If they did the Chicago local
union would secede from the International
Association.
When the refusal of the machinlsts ia
end the strike was presented TO the manu-
facturers, they issued an utimatum to the
labor leaders. and on their refusal to agree
to its provisions all negotiations were
broken Off
VIII Cali More Strikes.
Before leaving the rooms in which the
joint conference was held James ONConnelI
of the International Union declared than
the union would begin Immediately to call
strikes in all parts of the country begin
ming at Cleveland, o. After all the large
cities have been tied up strikes will be
called In the machine shops OF all the rail-
roads in dhe country
The joint conference, which commenceF
at O'Clock Saturday afternoon and did
not end until 30 O'Clock Sunday morning,
was held at the Grand Pacific Hotel
There were present representing the Ma
! chinists' Union: President James O'Con-
nell, Washington; Organizer Stuart Reed.
Toledo; Hugh Doran, Chicago; A. w.
Holmes Buffalo, p. j. Conlin, Sioux City;
j. j. Connolly Boston.
The manufacturers present represented
the Erie Iron Works, Erie. Pa; Watson
Stillman Company New York; Chardlsr
& Taylor Company, Indianapolis; Dunne-
Gordon Company, Cincinnat; Gates iron
Works, Chicago; American Tool and Ma
chine Company, Boston; Watts-CampbelI
Company Boston; Leland a. Fallkner. De-
troit Gardiner -Grovenor Company, Quin-
cy, ILL.,; Fred Wolf Company Chicago
Edward p. Alls Company, Milwaukee:
Wagner Electric Manufacturing Company,
st. Louis Faser a. Chalmers, Chicago and
England; II. f. Devans, New York; Lid
gerwood Manufacturing Company, Brook
lyn; the Pump Trust, New Jersey.
The Agreement Proposed.
After meeting I'm separate conferences
all the afternoon the manufacturers ana
labor leaders began joint meeting at
o. m. At this meeting the manufactur-
ere submitted to the machinists pros.
posal for arbitration substantially as fol-
lows:
IAN strikes and ockouts to be called
off An arbitration committee, consisting
Of the presidents of the two organizations
and two members from each associations
who shall arbitrate all present and future
difficulties and whose decision shall be ac-
cepted as final by both parties TO tha
agreement" Is
on the second proposition the two asso-
Citations were united. The labor leaders,
after holding a meeting, refused to agreS
to the first proposition and submitted "a
demand for Immediate and separate arbi-
tration of the Chicago difficulties. This
the manufacturers refused TO ratify ana
the conference broke up, both sides max
ing what amounted to a formal declara-
tion of war. The declaration of the ma
chinists took the form of threats of am
international strike made by Presidenu
o. Connel and Organizer Reed.
Manufacturers' side of IT.
The manufacturers presented their side
OF the question In resolutions which re-
cite that their administrative council had
met expressly to consider joint agrees
ment for arbitration on an express un-
derstanding that the president Of the ma
chinists association In consultation with
Mr. Hoyt, a member OF the manufac-
turers' association, had signified his inten-
tion to call his executive council together
10 ratify the agreement.
The Executive Committee of the machiH-
lets now refuses to sign the agreement
claiming they cannot control the local
unions and win not order men back 10
work prior to arbitration taking place ems
being concluded. The resolutions cons
clude:
''Whereas, 1t Is the fundamental prIn-
ciple of the National Metal Trades Asso-
citation to arbitrate labor disputes only in
the absence OF strikes and lockouts; now,
therefore, be 1t,
Resolved That the form of joint agree
ment this day unanimously adopted by
the administrative council of the National
Metal Trades Association, and presented
to the executive officers OF the Interna-
tional Association of Machnists, as the
best and only proposition which the Ma
tional Metal Trades Association has tn
make and that the committee again pre-
sents thu agreement to the Executivo
Committee OF the International Associa-
ton Of Machinists, and requests them to
accept the same by affixing their official
signatures end notify them that this
association Is ready to sign the agree-
ment jointly with them"
The Chicago Union Of the International
Association of Machinists met to-day and
indorsed the action OF the national off,
GERS.
In view Of the failure Of all efforts