The Brunswick times-call., 1901-08-25
THE soUTHERN's STRIKE.


The Times-Call 10 In receipt OF q very
pamphlet issued by Mr..
Samuel Spencer, president OF the South
ern Railway. which throws new light
On the troubles growing out of the re-
cent strike of Southern Railway mas
at Charleston, S, G. This
pamphlet contains the full text Of some
which passed between
the repre- ssnta ives Of various CONNER.
cial bodies at Charleston and Mr.. Spen
Ger on the subject. On July 18th, a
joint committee, composed of Mr.. w.
II. WEIGH, president Young Mems
Buslness Lesgut; Mr.. T. X. MoGshsn,
president Charleston Oh an Der Of Com
merce, and Mr.. w. b. Wilson, pTesi-
dsnt Merchants Exchange, in behalf
of the business interest Of the commu~
nifty, made an appeal TO President
SPENCE, urgently requesting that he
arrange for a oonferer ce with com
mittee OF The m lChIuists in the hope
that an amicable adjustment of the
troubles might be reached.
In replying to this communications,
Mr.. Spencer takes occasion to briefly
review the situation, and presents TO
the committee tue facts and circum~
stances leading up to the strike. The
trouble dates back TO NJ. " 9th, when
a committee of ms chInists, then in the
employ of the company at various
shops, met the general manager at his
Office in Washington and presented q
type written petition asking that the
working hours in shops be MAIDS nine
hours per day with ten hours pay; thai
certain rules in respeot to overtime be
adopted; that prescribed limit be placed
upon the number of apprentices ems
ploye6, and that other specified rules
and regulations with regard TO the oDe-
ration OF the shops be put 10 force by
the company. Many of these provisions
we're such that the company could not
reasonably accede to, and the general
manager explained at length the res-
cons why this petition as presented
could mot be granted. 1t developed,
however, in the course OF general
discussion, extending over two hours,
that the petition bad not been drawn
by employees Of the company; it was
drawn by outside parties representing
the International Association of Ma
chinists, an organization which at that
time was ordering strikes all over the
country IS means Of enforcing demands
substantially the same as those made by
the Southern Rallwsy machtnIsts. This
petition was submitted as an ultimamm,
the employees avowing, in presenting
il, that they had no auth GRITTY" TO act
outside of it's terms. In the opinion Of
the railway comp any, THE made clear
cut Issue as to whether tho rates OF pay
and hours OF work; the humber OF en-
plOyees OF certain class to be employed,
and other rules and regulations for the
Oonpsny's shops, should be dictated by
an outside party, or should the company
control its own business In these res
spects. or course, from the point OF
view of the railway company. there
could be but one answer TO these ques-
si0ns. While ready and willing at all
times to meet its employees in a full and
fair discussion OF any question which
might arise between them, the compsny
could not accept for the conduct of its
business in any department, rules and
regulations arbitrarily LAID down by
any one. After the close of the CONFER
ence, the proceedings Of the meeting,
49, -'----~ ---~ ...--- ----------...-,r.s