The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-07-15
FIGHT IS;g
TQz. FINISH
=
Chica' ) Merchants Los
ing Millions.
STRIKERS ARE ARROGANT
Railroads Decline to Yield to
the WOrkmen.
Secretary Of the Board Of Arbitra-
ton Declares President Of the
Freight Handlers Union
Broke His Word.

business of this city is almost completely
paralyzed, and while its business men are
suffering a loss of 100000 per day, the
striking freight handlers and the rail-
roads are in a deadlock and announce
their determination tonight to fight to
the finish over the question Of one-half
cent per hour per man. or a total of
about $500 for every twenty-four hours.
this sum being divided on one side be-
tween twenty-five railroads and on the
other between 10000 men.
The situation tonight Is more seISsus
than at any time since the commence
ment of the trouble, and at no time since
the walk-out have points at issue been
so obstinately maintained. Three times
today the freight handlers sent commit
tees to meet the general managers and
three times they came back without re-
suit. The first call was made without
giving warning to the managers, and
when the committees arrived they were
unable to find any of them. for the rea-
son that the managers were having a
meeting of their own and were not at
their Offices. The second call produced
more effect as several of the committees
saw the managers. but nothing definite
resulted.
The last committees were sent out by
President Curran of the freight handlers
at the demand of the Transfers. who
wanted something attempted toward a
settlement. This time the committees
were started so late in the afternoon
that it was a foregone conclusion that
they would not find many of the general
managers in their offices. All the COM
mittees reported as before, that they had
failed of any result.
Declined to See Them.
The committee that went to the Chi
cago, Milwaukee and st. Paul road came
back bearing the information that they
had been refused admission and were in
formed that their former employers did
not care to receive them; that they had
all the men necessary in their business,
and that, hereafter, no populations would
be received from employees who had gone
on strike. The officials of the road de-
clared later that they would maintain
this position.
After this had been reported at the
headquarters Of the strikers. President
Curran announced that the fight was on
to a finish, and that hereafter when the
railroads had any overture to makes or
wished to do any business with their en-
ployes they would be compelled to trans
act such business through the officers Of
the freight handlers union. Both sides
now declare they have reached the limit
coded.
The business men of the city, particu-
larly those who deal in perishable goods,
are growing FESTIVE, and declare they can
endure the situation but short time
longer. 1t is costing them more tran
either the strikers or the railroads. and
they say that If the strike shall not be
settled within a week many of them
will be badly crippled. To bring about
,.t.,
tanned by the strikers and the teamsters,
the commits sion men of South Water
Street met this afternoon to take mat
tiers into their own hands. 1t was out
of the question for the, employers to look
to the teamsters to go to the depots to-
morrow. A message was sent to Mayor
Harrison asking If police protection would
be given them and the word was received
that ample protection would be offered.
Ask Police Protection.
During the day the officials of the Erie
road sent a communication to Chief of
Police O'Neil saying they had been in
formed that merchants in the city were
preparing to deliver freight tomorrow to
the freight houses of the Erie road and
demanding that the police furnish them
protection while it was being done. The
letter was referred to Corporation Coun-
sci Walker, who declared that 1t was the
duty of the police to furnish such pro-
lection. and the Erie people were in
formed that protection would be given
them.
The police say that it is impossible for
them to place a man on every wagon
that is seeking the freight depots, and
they will not attempt this. They declare
they will keep the way to the freight
houses open and suppress all disorder
ha 70 ba
men who deliver freight is not so much
at the depot as it will be from the men
who will follow them when they leave
the depot and attack them when they
are not in the vicinity of the police.
There were but few such cases today as
nobody attempted to deliver any freight.
One driver took two small packages to
the depot of the Pennsylvania road and
at last accounts he was still besieged
there Many pickets were waiting for
him and he was afraid to leave the depot.
The firm of J. V. Farwell and Company
today attempted to take some cases of
dry goods from their warehouses to their
store on Market Street and a crowd of
men and boys surrounded the wagon cut
the traces and refused to allow the
wagons to proceed. The wagons had not
been near a freight depot and were not
bound for one.
Charges of bad faith were numerous be-
tween President Curran of the Freight
Handlers Union, Secretary Driscoll of the
Chicago Arbitration Board and some of
the railroad managers. These triangular
accusations were made after the various
committees appointed today had gone to
the railroad managers with an amended
schedule of wages and with power to act.
The amendments contained these three
propositions:
First. no probation; second. straight
time for all work done by men paid by
the month outside of the ten-hour day;
third. truckers to get II IL cents an
hour"
Committees which went to the Santa
Fe, Chicago and Northwestern, Illinois
Central and other railroad managers are
said to have asked for scale of Is
cents an hour This was half a cent
above the schedule the managers had
been assured by both the State Board of