Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-13
RAILROADS REMAIN FIRM
Declare Striking Freight Handlers Must
Accept Terms offered July /.
TRANSFERS Will HOLD CONFERENCES
strong EnDrt Being MADE to Get Them
90 Quit work Dat of sympathy
and Condition Crow
Serious.

CHICAGO, July H.-Conferenees between
the striking freight handlers and the man
ayers OF the railroads did not produce any
definite result today, All the railroads with
the exception Of the Chicago a Northwest
ern. Erie and Illinois Central refused to re-
cede from their position and declared the
men must accept the terms offered on July
1. This means II cents an hour and q
period OF probation for new men,
The demands OF the men were IS cents,
time and a half for overtime aud no period
OF probation, all men to receive full pay
from the start. The Northwestern road
ofeted 17h cents On haur. single time for
overtime for men employed by the day, but
not for men whose wages are paid by the
month.
The Erie offered II cents, alnsie tim for
overtime and no period OF probation.
The Illinois Central declared that II had
made an agreement with its employees since
tho inauguration OF the strike and that It
would do no more. The men must accept
that or remain on strike.
Although II had been the understanding
Of the members OF the Board Of Arbitration
and Of the general managers Of the rail-
roads that the committees which were to
call on the railroad managers would have
full power to accept or reject all proposals
from the roads, the committees announced
NJ ~ NOhSiubAOn II buO COultEtnC0 mat
they did not possess this power, but were
compelled to report back to the ofncers OF
the union.
They declared that they, had been sent TO
the conferences with instructions to demand
is cents, but IL that was found to be impos-
sible to obtain, to take IN cents, but even
this must not be accepted until the on1cers
Of the union had been consulted.
A general meeting OF the freight handlers
will be held tomorrow night, at which the
sdvisability Of accepting the offer OF the
Northwestern and Erie roads will be dis
cussed. ...
Transfers to Hold Sessions.
Numerous meetings Of teamsters will be
held, tomorrow for the purpose Of calling
strike" In sympathy with the freight
Handlers, but the %oftcials of the organise
ton declare that no strike will be called
by the organization as long as they can
prevent It. While there may be no official
strike Of the Transfers. the condition is
the same as though one existed. The
truck teamsters refused today to accept
freight for the freight houses and in many
OF the Wholesale houses they were informed
by their employers that II 1t was impos-
sible to deliver the freight they need not
attempt to do SO. The railroads deprecate
this attitude on, the part of the shippers.
They claim that the ,etrike OF the team
sters In o matter between their employers
and the teamsters, and Il is no matter of
the railroads and they do not see why
they should make further concessions to
the freight handlers for the sake Of pro-
ducing peace between the shippers and
their men.
The freight handlers are now fully as
sured Of the assistance of the teamsters.
Whether a strike should be sanctioned by
that organization or not. an announcement
will be made to call out the railroad
swltchmen, by asking them not to handle
cars OF freight loaded by non union men.
1t was announced at the Freight Hand
lers' headquarters that this had been done,
but Grand Master Hawley Of the Switch
mems union, who is in the city on bust
ness, having no connection with the Freight
Handlers strike, said he had received no
such request, and that under the rules of
his organization it would be out OF the
question for him to call a strike, and he
Ibid not believe there was any prospect OF
the men going out to aid the freight hand
Iers. The national convention Of Long
shoremen ia. In session here, and Grand
Master Keefe Of that body said tonight
that he had not been approached on the
matter Of a sympathetic strike. but that
the freight handlers could present their
request to the convention on Monday II
they should desire to do so. What action
would be probable in such an event Mr..
Keefe declared he could not guess.
Railroads fake Statement.
The railroad managers issued the follow
ing statement tonight:
The railroads Increased the wages of all
their freight handlers in April last. Juns
50 a further Increase IN wages to ali freight
handlers was made by all railroads enec-
uy JSl sf' Y the men were called out without
having requested conferences with their
July 8 the committees of employees from
each railroad visited the agents OF the
roads. These committees stated that they
tiSn from TSn PeSSe eia e@plo oS ssU Snort s9 oE t RSsP Slti-
matum Of the freight handlers 5Tt *
terms OF the railroads.
All the freight houses are open and
equipped for the handling OF regular bust
It is reported that the teamsters are
about to strike and that many Of them
Violating an. agreement which they made
agreement the railroads have no connec-
ton. At the time that agreement was en-
horned as between the Transfers and the
merchants for the purpose, OF settling any
differences that might arise under their
The chief controversy that appears to
exist at this time is between these two In
terests and 1t resolves itself into a ques-
ton Of whether or not the teameters will
carry out their agreement with the mer-
chants. The railroads are ready to receive
and able to handle freight and say that
they are performing their full duty to the
public as common carriers
There is no question as 10 the willing.
ness OF the railroad companies to deal
directly with their own employees at any
time. The employees have expressed a will
inEness to confer with the railroad agents
and in most cases haye already conferred
with them and agreed upon a basis upon
which they are willing to work and many
OF them have reported for duty.
CuFran Makes Reply.
In response President Curran issued the
following statement Of the position of the
men:
The strike is still on. We have done our
duty these last two days. no matter what
|, may be said regarding our course.
i now call upon the citizens OF Chicago
and the members. of the laboring world,
whether of the army OF organized men or
not, to aid hs. We have exhausted every
means possible to get our just demands,
save the city, from GENERALIZATION and
show the managers OF the roads that they
honest days pay for an honest days work:
we have conceded to obtain this end all
that we feel Is just. We have gone further
than many a union would have gone. We
will hRht Il out and ask for the sympathy
and support OF all.
Heavy pressure was brought to bear on
- nLan.-S n.Ak.aNlnn II fVakna .AaotaNs