The age-herald., 1901-07-20
SAMUEL SPENCER
 AND MACH|N|STS Of Southern Railway Who Are
 on Strike THE PRESIDENTS VIEWS Given at Length In Letter to Disinter- ested Person-Birmingha Ma chinists Believe That Spencer
 VIII Grant Conference.
THE PRESIDENTS VIEWS

way system, in reply to a communication concerning an effort to bring about an- other conference between the railway and the striking machinists.
 Local members of the strikers were shown a copy of this letter yesterday, but they would make no statement in reference to it further than to say they hoped to secure a conference with MT. Spencer. They say they feel confident he will grant them this conference and that they will win out In their strike.
 The letter of MT. Spencer Is addressed to a disinterested person and is as fol- lows:
 The question which you present of an appointment with such committee, if asked for. is an important and far-reach- ing one, as I am sure you will appreciate. and in order to deal with it properly brief review of the situation is necessary.
 On May 27 last a committee of machin- fists, then in the employ of the company at the several shops, met MT. Cannon, the general manager. at his office in Wash ington, by appointment. and presented a typewriter petition, which had been pre- viously presented to the master mechanics and the superintendents, asking that the working hours in the shops be reduced from ten hours to nine without dim1nu- tion of pay; that certain rules in respect to overtime be adopted; that limit be placed on the number of apprentices ein- ployed, and that other specified rules and regulations with regard to the operation of the shops be put in force by the com- pany.
 After a general discussion of more than two hours the delegation informed MT. Cannon that it had no authority to accept anything except the provisions Of the petition as presented Many of these provisions were such that they could not reasonably be &C., ceded to- and the reasons were stated.
 The petition had not been drawn by the employees of the company, and the questions involved had never been previ- ously discussed on their merits between the officers of the company and those employees.
 It was drawn by outside parties, and submitted as an ultimatum, the employees ayowing in presenting 1t that they had
 
 terms
 The issue was thus clearly shown: Should the rates of pay and hours of work, the relative number of employees of a special class to be employed, and other rules and regulations for the com- pany's shops, be dictated by an outside authority, or should the company control it's business in these respectsas To this, of course, there could be but one answer.
 All subjects of mutual interests are proper ones for discussion and reasonable adjustment between the company and It's employees, but the company cannot accept, or the conduct of the business in any de- partment, rules and regulations laid down arbitrarily by any one.
 It has always met it's employees. of all classes. in fair discussion of any question which might reasonably arise between them, and 1t was ready fin this case to take up such discussion. Equitable and satisfactory adjustments have on many occasions been made with the employees, including the machinists, after such con- ferences.
 l or consideration shown to the committee or to any of it's members, and the pro- ceedngs of the meeting, which were re- ported stenographically and of which enclose a printed copy. do not disclose any evidence of 1t.
 On the other hand, one delegate so far forgot himself as to announce: We will come near getting what we want or we will close the shops until we do."
 After the close of the conference, and in order that the employees at all of the shops should be fully acquainted with all that had transpired, this printed pamphlet was distributed to them as promptly as possi- ble In the meantime. advices were sent | to the several master mechanics and su- perintendents that such printed report would be sent as soon as it could be print ed, and the me nwere urged, in their own interest. to await bts receipt and avoid all hasty action. with the assurance, on May 2S that if. after reading the proceedings, they considered another meeting desira- ble, one would be arranged for. This advice was, unheeded, and, appar- ently under instructions from authority outside of the company's service, the men. | as you know, struck on or about May 30, before the proceedings could be delivered l to them.
 The company desiring still to befriend it's employees and protect them against the unfortunate consequences of the bad ad- vice which they were following, promptly l issued notices, which were posted at all of | the shops, cautioning them of the un- | wisdom of their course, and allowing them until Monday morning, June B. to return | to work, without prejudice. but cautioned them that if they failed so. to do, they | could no longer be regarded as employees of the company, and their places would be filed
 This advice and caution was also disre- garded, and, I am afraid, was misunder- stood and possibly misconstrued by many.
 This is the situation today, except that the places of over 70 per cent of those who thus voluntarily left the service have been filled.
 The men who have taken these places are now the employees of the company, and they are entitled in good faith to the same consideration which is accorded to all, other employees. viz, preference in continuance of service so long as they so desire and their services are satisfac- tory.
 TA |.