The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-07-08
FREIGHT HANDLERS STRIKE
HOPES OF SPEEDY SETTLEMENT
 OF CHICAGO TROUBLE.
Union Willing to Allow Conferences Between Operators and Empioyes pro- yided Lnbor Officials Are Permitted to Act ms Advisors to the. .nIen.-Teamsters and Truck Drivers Threaten n sympa- fhetlc Strike.

Chicago. July 7.-Hopes of a speedy settlement of the strike of the Freight Handlers union, which was declared to- day. are entertained tonight by off, cials of the union and members of the state board of arbitratioi. The officials of the union at conference tonight told Chairman Job, of the board of ar bitration, that they were willing to per- init employees of the different companies to meet officials of the same to discuss the wage scale, providing a joint con- ference should be held at which officials of the union would be permitted to act as advisors to the men. The arbitra- tion board is now working on the mat ter in an effort to bring about con- ference between the railroad managers and committees representing the men. As the railroad officials have favored this step from the beginning of the con- troversy there is little doubt that the strike can be settled satisfactorily to both sides. if the conference shall be arranged.
 Lack of unanimity already permeates the strike. The Chicago Federation of Labor was ignored when the order was issued for the men to quit work, and it's executive officials are somewhat of tended and are inclined to let the freight handlers fight out their battle in their own way. There are twelve thousand freight handlers in and about the various freight houses of the twer- ty-four railroads centering in Chicago. Of this number ore than nine thousand are now involved In the strike. Some of the men who quit work to-day did so aunder protest. Notably this was the case in the freight houses of the Lake Shore and Michigan Central roads.
 The men there employed were receiv- ing all the consideration they had ask ed. They were forced to strike, how ever by the order of the executive com- mittee of their order. Before the men went out they informed the railroad Of ficials of the situation and said they would seek an immediate return under orders from the authority that ordered them out.
 The sudden suspension of customary operations by the freight handlers to- day occasioned trouble in and about the various railroad warehouses and depots, but the inconvenience and delay were but q drop in the bucket to what will happen tomorrow and later in the week, if the strike shall not be settled sooner
 To add to the present difficulties of the railroads, the Teamsters' and Truck Drivers union threatens to join in a sympathetic strike. If this shall occur it will affect all incoming and outgoing freight of every kind. Every railroad in Chicago to-day accepted all freight offered. While it was confessed by sev- eral railroad officials that freight was not being moved as expeditiously as heretofore. vet it was said the largest part of it was being handled reasonably well.
 The various freight houses and yards, however disclosed considerable accu- mutation of unmoved freight and cars loaded with freight. portion of it marked "Perishable" filled the side tracks of all the railroads.
 There was no trouble or disorder in or about any of the freight houses. An ticipating the possibilities of such a strike, the railroad companies had brought to Chicago a considerable num- ber of men to take the places of the strikers. These men were intercepted by pickets of the strikers and most of them were induced to go in the Freight Handlers unions.