The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-04-18

came to an end at 2.30 o'clock vester-
day afternoon. The strikers went into
session in Carpenters hall yesterday
morning, With Grand Master. Frank T.
Haw'ley. of Buffalo, presiding, and,
after deliberating for six hours. de-
cided to return to work. Many of the
men went direct from the meeting to
the yard, without waiting to change
their clothes, and started in to relieve
the congested switches. Last night the
full force was at work, and the full day
force Is expected to be on hand this
morning.
What transpired at the meeting
would not be given out by the switch
men, but 1t Is understood the grand
master advised them to return to work
and leave the adjustment of their
grievances to their officers.
committee of the strikers waited
on General Superintendent Clarke in
the morning to. arrange for a confer
ence between him and Grand Master
Hawley. regarding the reinstatement of
the two discharged men. Superintend-
ent Clarke declined to confer on this
matter. and told the committee that he
could not bring himself to consider this
matter demanding a conference. The
men had been discharged, he said, be-
cause their services were unsatisfac..
tory to the company and not for any
other reason.
RETURNED TO WORK
The strikers returned to work with
out exacting conditions. They were
pleased, however, to find upon their re-
turn that the two men who had been
brought on from Hoboken to take the
places Of Herrity and Toomey were not
about and that Yardmaster L. E.
NOVEL; had announced he would ap-
point two men from the Scranton yard
to the positions which the discharged
men had filled. These are semi official
positions. Herrity having Ibeen an as
sistant yardmaster. at a salary of $1OO
a month, and Toomey being next in
line under Herrity. The fact that men
were imported from another division to
fill these places was quite as much a
grievance to the strikers as We're the
discharges. Yardmaster Novel; said
yesterday to Tribune reporter that
he would today announce the names
Of the men to be promoted.
John Murray, the assistant yardmas-
ter, who quit rather than instruct the
imported men, was at work yester-
day afternoon. General Superintendent
Clarke said he understood Murray had
not been discharged, but had resigned,
and If he wished to resume his position
he would be permitted to do so. IT
don't propose to be thin-skinned in
such matters" the superintendent
added.
AS a result Of the strike. all the mines
sending coal over the Lackawanna had
to shut down yesterday. The few
sWitchmen on hand during the morning
We're utilized to steer the first-class
trains and fast freights through the
yard. In the afternoon and last night
the mine runs We're manned with extra
hands to take away the coal from the
mine switches and supply empty cars.
EXTRA HANDS PROTESTED.
The extra train hands who were Or
dered to report for duty at O'Clock
yesterday morning came around on
time, but only a few of them would
agree to work in the yard. The others.
in a body, waited on the company Off
cials to protest against doing any
switching. They We're told that the
company would not insist on their
doing any work other than that for
which they We're regularly employed.
Those extra men who We're not sent
out on runs went home.
1t is believed now that the switch
men decided to return to work with
the understanding that the grievance
which caused them to go out on Tues
day will he included with the other
grievances which they will call upon
the company to adjust at the general
conference they expect will take place
May !, when, among other things, a
demand will be made for uniform
scale of wages throughout the whole
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
system
The officers of the local switchmen's
union deny all knowledge of the re-
ported conference at Buffalo of the
switchmen Of the various roads enter
ing there.
Though the strike only lasted day,
it caused a great loss to a large num-
ber of business houses and manufac-
turing establishments, besides the loss
entailed by throwing thousands of men
and boys out of work at the Delaware.
Lackawanna and Western mines. which
had to shut down because they could
get no cars.
WHAT TRUESDALE SAID.
With reference to the Switchmen's
strike, the New York Commercial Ad-
vertiser of last night credits Presi-
dent Truesdale with making the fol-
lowing statement:
1T has come to a pass nowadays"
he said, "where the position of the
employer has been made decidedly
uncomfortable. Our officials are con-
stantly occupied in meeting various
committees of the men and taking up
time in the consideration of sets of
ridiculous and absurd grievances. Our
men are we'll paid and we'll treated;
there can be no question of that. We
have been always ready to treat with
them on the question of wages. but
we must absolutely refuse to submit to
or even entertain any proposition in
the matter of discipline"
NOTHING KNOWN OF 1T HERE.