Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-13
BOSTON SUFFERS.
Business Being ParaIy1ed by
the Great Strike.
Fully 10000 Men Out and More Ex-
pected to Join Ranks.
ft,
Business Men Will Meet, Today, to
Devise Some Relief.

Boston. March 12,-With 10000 men
idle. their ranks likely to be greatly
swelled by sympathetic votes of the
Building Trades Council and the Bos-
ton Central Labor Union which will
meet. tomorrow night, and the entire
city beginning to suffer from the effects
of congested traffic, the only ray of
light visible. tonight. is the hope that
the conference of business interests
which has been arranged for tomorrow
may lead to a settlement of the strike.
This conference, which is due in. a
large measure to the influence of Gov.
Crane. was arranged, late this after
noon, at a meeting of representatives
of the Boston Chamber of Commerce,
the Boston Associated Board of Trade
and the Boston Merchants Association
with the State Board of Arbitration.
Everyone present realized the serious
ness of the situation, and after an in
terchange of opinions, it was decided
that the best way of getting at public
opinion would be to-call conference of
business men of the city, to which,
among others, the presidents of the
Produce Exchange, the Coal Exchange
and of all the railroads. will be invited.
1t is also hoped that Secretary Easley
and other representatives of the Civic
Federation may also be present.
During the day, Gov. Crane had a
long talk with the committee of the AL
lied Transportation Council having the
strike in charge, but at its conclusion
he announced that he could see no way
at present of solving the problem. Later
he sent for Mayor Collins and the two
time.
A little later Mayor Collins made a
statement that he had no power to
act. He said further: Until the rail-
road officials consent to having the
differences considered by an arbitra-
ton board, there is nothing more we
can do. They are obdurate, therefore
our hands are tied. The governor and
myself have done all in our power to
render assistance. The answer from
Senator Hanna does not leave a fur
Their opening for working for an i'm
mediate settlement. The saloons can
not be closed until rioting starts. A
prominent strike leader said, today,
when some one suggested closing the
saloons that the best way to close the
saloons was to keep the men out of
them Now, l fully agree with that
opinion. There does not appear to be
any necessity for closing the saloons.
There is no rioting, and only when
there is can the power to close them
be exercised"
The railroad company against which
the strike is chiefly directed. the N.
Y. N. H. & Hartford, shows no in
clinatiOn to ask for interference by the
National Civic Federation, and reit-
crates what it has said from the first
that it's duties as common carrier
are defined by law and that it is COM
PEELED to handle all freight delivered
to it, whether by union or nom union
teams. and that it has no option in
the matter This position is adhered
to by the company and may result in
the refusal of the Federation to in
terfere in the quarrer. as it desires
a request from both parties to a con-
troversy before taking up the matter.
Freight business at the various rail-
roads, wharves and docks has been al
most at a standstill, today, and the
moving of accumulated merchandise is
becoming a most serious matter to
The strike Of coal teamsters was one
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