Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1901-05-24
MANY FIRMS YIELD.
Indications Favor Early Settlement
of Machinists' Strike.
PRESIDENT OCoNNELL CONFIDENT.
More Than 100 Firms I'm variou,
Cities Grant the Demand for
q Nine-Hour Day on
Tuesday. r


Cities Grant the Demand for
a Nine-Hour Day On
Tuesday.
Washington, May 22.-President
O'Connell said Tuesday night that
the advices received up to six o'clock
at headquarters here indicates that
an early settlement of the trouble
between the machinists and en-
ployers will be effected. Information
at hand showed that during the day
" 100 firms had settled by grant
ing the nine-hour day. Mr.. O'Con.
nell said that so far as he knew about
5000 men are out in San Francisco
and about 5000 in Cincinnati. In Chi
cago nearly all the important shops
have settled with the men. The re.
ports from the south, he said, show
that all through that section settle
ments are being effected. Half the
hrms in Philadelphia, he said, have
come to terms, and the others are
expected to follow suit. There has
been no news of a clash anywhere.
Tuesdays reports show that only
three railroads in the United States
are now affected by the strike, name
ly, the Central Vermont, Lehigh Val.
ley and Delaware, Lackawanna &
Western.
Summary OF Situation.
The situation, according to reports
received at headquarters, is summar'
lied as follows:
Practically all the trouble between
Kansas City and the Pacific coast has
been adjusted. At Kansas City about 600
men are out, but a few small firms have
signed the agreements. San Francisco re-
ports an almost complete tie-up. About
5000 men nave struck. Agreements have
been reached there, however, with II firms
outside of the Union and Dresden iron
plants and the Fulton Ship company. At
Seattle 700 men have struck. There are
800 strikers at Tacomah, Wash. The trouble
has been adjusted at most of the other
Pacific coast points.
At New York about $500 men have
struck. A settlement has been reached
with the balance, which involves about
30 per cent. of the firms. In Chicago all but
several of the small shops have adjusted
matters. About 1900 men are out in Bos-
ton. Many men are out in the Ohio cities
of Cincinnati, Hamilton, Dayton and AL
lance. Alliance reports a complete tie-up
with 500 men striking. Only a few men are
out in Cleveland, practically a general set
Element having been effected there. All the
firms in Columbus, O., and Chicago
Heights, H., have made agreements.
Favorable reports come from the south.
All the establishments employing machin-
lists in Norfolk, Va, have signed agree
ments. OF the establishments in Whining
ton, Del. four of the largest ones have
signed agreements, leaving about half Of
the original strikers out. There is a COM
plete tie-up reported at Newburg, N. Y,
all of the 300 machinists being out, while
all of the men at the Brooks locomotive
works at Dunkirk, N. Y, have struck. The
Naugatuck valley, in Connecticut, is gen
orally affected. All are out at Bridgeport,
Derby, Ansonia, Waterbury, Stamford and
New Britain, but all the firms in Danbury
nave signed agreements. In New Haven Ii
hrms signed Monday, but 600 men are still
out. About 500 are out at Springfield, Mass.
IN Philadelphia about half OF the firms
nave reached agreements, leaving 2, 800 men
approximately still out. At Syracuse, N.
y, II establishments nave conceded the de-
hands
Seeks Il Conference.
! New York, May 22.-Henry r.. De-
vens, agent Of the Metal Trades asso.
citation, went to the headquarters of
the strikers Immediately after the
meeting at the Astor house had ad-
journed. His mission was to pave the
way for a joint conference in which
the strikers could explain their posi-
ton and their demands, so that the
employers could find out what the
men wanted. Mr.. Devens said that
he got little satisfaction. The men
said they would have to telegraph to
the national headquarters at Wash
ington before they could do such a
thing. He hoped they would decide
to meet the employers. Later it was
announced that President O'Connell
had sent word that the machinists
could appoint a conference commit
tee. According to Mr.. Dexens the
purpose of the Metal Trades asso-
citation in asking for the conference
is to gain an opportunity to lay be-
fore the machinists fairly the situa-.
ton. Mr.. Devens says there is no
question but the machinists under
~existing agreements are entitled to
a nine-hour day. This the employers
are willing to concede. But the ques-
ton at the bottom of the present
difficulty is whether or not ten hours
pay for nine hours work is to follow
the introduction of the nine-houn sys
tenn. The members of the Metal
Trades association say that there is
not a word about the wage question
in the agreement, and hat under an
other clause Of that document all
such questions when difficult to set
tie IRE to be decided by arbitration,
the men remaining at work pending
a solution.
At the conference the committee
of the Metal Trades association will
demand that the men returnlto work
and refer the wage question to the
board of arbitration. Business Agent
Constant Booth, of the machinists,
said Monday night: There will be
no arbitration. This matter has gone