Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-05-24
Indications Favor Early Settlement
of Machinists' Strike.
PRESIDENT ovoyNELL CONFIDENT.
More Than 100 Firms in Various
Cities Grant the Demand Tor
n Nine-Hour Day ON
.. Tuesday.

between the machinists and en-
ployers will be effected. Information
at hand showed that during the day
over 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 settie-
nents are being effected. Half the
firms in Philadelphia, he said, have
come to terms, and the others are
expected to follow suit. There has
been no news of 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
lev and Delaware, Lackawanna d
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 mas
been adjusted. At Kansas City about 6oo
men are out, but few small firms nave
signed the agreements. San Francisco re-
ports an almost complete tie-up. About
5000 men have struck Agreements nave
been reached there, however, with II hrms
outside of the Union and Dresden iron
plants and the Fulton Ship company. AT
Seattle 100 men have struck There are
CT of "a
has been adjusted at most OF the otner
Pacific coast points.
At New York about $500 men have
struck A settlement has been reached
with the balance, which involves about
so per cent. of the firms. In Chicago all but
several of the small shops have adjusted
matters. About 2,G00 men are out in Bos-
ton. Many men are out In the Ohio cities
of Cincinnati Hamilton, Dayton and AL
iance. Alliance reports complete tie-up
with 500 men striking. Only few men are
out in Cleveland. practically general set
Element having been effected there. All the
Hrms In Columbus, o., and Chicago
Heights. ILL.,. 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 COM
=,
all of the 800 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
have signed agreements. In New Haven II
firms signed Monday, but GOO men are still
out. About 500 are out at Springfield, Mass
In Philadelphia about half of the firms
have reached agreements, leaving $500 men
approximately still out. AT Syracuse, N.
Y, u establishments have conceded the de-
mands.
Seeks Conference.
New York, May 22.-Henry F. 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 joint conference in which
the strikers could explain their posi-
ton and their demands, SO that tn,
employers could find out what tn,
men wanted. Mr.. Devens said tina
he got little satisfaction. The mel
said they would have to telegraph t,
the national headquarters at Wash
ington before they could do such
thing. He hoped they would decid
to meet the employers Later it wa
announced that President O'Connel
had sent word that the machinist
could appoint conference commit
tee. According to Mr.. Devens tn,
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 situs
tion. Mr.. Devens says there is n
question but the machinists unde
existing agreements are entitled t
a nine-hour day. This the employer
are willing to concede. But the ques
lion at the bottom of the presen
difficulty is whether or not ten hours
pay for nine hours work is to folio,
the introduction of the nine-hour sys
TEN. The members of the Meta
Trades association say that there
not word about the wage questio
an the agreement, and that under al
other clause of that document q
such questions when difficult to sc
tie arg to be decided by arbitratio
the men remaining at work pendi1
solution.
At the conference the commit,
of the Metal Trades association w
demand that the men return to wol
and refer the wage question to II
board of arbitration. Business Age
Constant Booth, of the machinist
said Monday night: ''There will
no arbitration. This matter has gol
TOO far for arbitration"
In Cincinnati.
Z. Cincinnati. May 22.-The strike S
mation here remains favorable to t
strikers, six more firms having sign
agreements with the union Tuesd;
and as result about 100 more m
will he at work this morning. L
drill hands and laborers and othe
in the&e shops who struck with t
machinists. will also return. II
makes, in all. 20 shops that ha
signed the agreement, and it is S;
that number of others are nego
nting to the same end There q
still a bout $500 machinists out, all
& whom belong to the big shops. T.
large firms have settled down to
fight, and have opened headquarte
in Odd Fellows temple. where dai
meetings are held. At their sessi'
Tuesday afternoon they refused
give out any statement. 1t
za,rnad fro,,, n carniofEcio1 cour