Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-29

that commenced in the company's yards
lin this city at 9 o'clock last Wednesday
morning was brought to close at lo
o'clock Sunday night, and within half
hour after the agreement had been
signed by General Superintendent
Sweeney and the committee of switch
men the yards were the scene of un-
usual activity, as men, lanterns in hand,
signalled the enginemen to resume the
work interrupted for the past four days.
As soon as it became known the men
had agreed to enter into the contract
the shrill blasts of engines stand
ing in the yards awoke the echoes on
the south side and announced that the
strike was over. The agreement reached
was largely thru the efforts of Grand
Master w. Hawley, of the Switchmen's
Union of North America, who, as arbi-
ter, arranged with Mr.. Sweeney the
scale of wages agreed upon that
granted to the strikers an advance of
cents per hour. This makes the new
scale which will go into effect on Jan.
/. 1903, % cents for day switchmen and
25 cents for day foremerl, while the
night switchmen will receive 20 cents
and the foremen 81 cents. This is prae-
|ticalIy what the other roads are paying
in this city, yet is cents under what
the switchmen demanded.
Conferences Lasted All Day.
1t required five conferences, which
LASTED thru the entire day and late into
the night, before all the details Of the
agreement had been reached. All of the
conferences between Mr.. Hawley and
Mr.. Sweeney were held in the latter's
private car and were secret, the com"
mittee of switchmen being only adj
mitted to the last two. Early in the
afternoon 1t was known that progress
toward a settlement was being made.
and turnout the entire afternoon and
evening the switchmen kept in the
vicinity of the yards, ready at a mo-
rnent's notice to resume work. Whiie
the basis on which the contract made
was within cents for which the strih-
ers had demanded, 1t is on basis SINH
lar to that paid by the Northwestern
and Chicago Great Western for similar
work in this city. AS soon as Mr. Raw
ley ascertained that the demand OF the
men was for more than other roads
here were paying, he offered to compro-
mise on the latter basis. This was en-
tirely satisfactory to Mr.. Sweeney ana
all that remained We're the details,
which consumed considerable time.
There is every reason to believe, how
ever. that the agreement reached was
only made possible by the firm stand
taken by the trainmen IN refusing 70
assist in any way that would be detrl-
mental to the interest OF the men VINO
were out.
Articles of the Contract.
The contract on which settlement
was based is rather lengthy and is sup
posed to cover every possible phase
Of the situation. It is signed by Cen
eral Superintendent NJ. Sweeney, rep
resenting the company, and Messrs ~.
c. Page. B. B. Van Steinberg, and
Harry Vance, as the committee OF
switchmen. It becomes effective or.
Jan. 1. 1903, and will be in force one
year from date. BY it's articles the
increase in pay stated above is granted,
and the company also agrees to meet
at any time advances in pay that may
be granted by either of the other roads
in this city. 1t also gives an additional
man for one of the day engines, that
has hitherto been working with but
two helpers. Ten hours is to constitute
a days work, all overtime to be paid
for at the regular rate per hour. me
men Of the Oskaloosa yards VIII also
be affected, the same increase being
granted to them.
DODGE Turned Down.
A rather peculiar turn in the affair,
which may not be exactly clear to the
public, and is not to many of the train
men. was reached at about noon sun
day when Vice Grand Master q. w.
Dodge, of the Brotherhood of Railway
Trainmen, Chicago, made the demand
before meeting Of about twenty
brakernen employed by the Iowa Cen.
trail that they go into the yards here
and do switchmen's work. This he
claimed to be in accordance with the
by laws of the organization and he de-
manded, in view of the fact that by
going out the switchmen had disra
garded the schedule, which he claimed
to be a contract, issued by General
Sweeney last summer.
In so doing, he asserted, the switchmen
could not expect aid from the train
men, and the latter, in view of the
conditions, should fill the strikers
places. Regardless of the implied threat
that they would be ousted from the
union, the entire body of brakemen re
fused to move a hand. organization OF
no organization, that would in any way
tend to weaken the cause of the strik
ers Mr.. Dodge was under the pain
full necessity to report to Mr. Sweeney
that his effort to secure men from
among the train crews to fill the strik-
ers places were in vain.
Dodse's Action Condemned.
Many of the trafnmen who were pres
ent at the meeting when Mr.. Dodge
made his demand spoke of the method
he took in anything but mild terms
and some of them went so far as to
destroy their cards and tear off the
badges worn as an insignia of mem
bership They state that the schedule,
on which Mr.. Dodge based his claim
was in no wise contract, as 1t ha6
not been entered into by representa-
tives of any branch of the railroad
employees, but had simply been signed
and posted by Mr. Sweeney, and they
or the switchnen had, at any time,
the right and privilege Of disregarding