The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-07-10
PRESIDENT, OF THE CHICAGO
FREIGHT HANDLERS, AGREES
TO TERMS OF RAILROADS
STRIKERS MASS MEETING
is TO OCCUR TODAY
Under the Terms of the Settlement the
Men Are to Accept the Schedule Of
Wages Offered Them by the Trunk
Lines the 1st of JuIy-Basis of the
Trouble.

CHICAGO, July 9.-The strike of the
freight handlers is virtually settled.
Meetings of the strikers will be held
tomorrow to ratify the action taken to-
night by President Curran, of the or
der, but, as he stated tonight after a
conference with the general managers
of the railroads that he had agreed to
their terms because the majority of his
men were going back on him, there
is little doubt that the terms will be
accepted by the mass meeting of the
strikers tomorrow.
By the terms of the settlement the
strikers accept the schedule of wages
offered them by the railroads July /.
This schedule was emphatically refuS-
ed by the strikers at the time it was
made. 1t offered an average increase
OF 20 per cent for all classes of labor
connected with the Freight Handlers
union. The demands of the men would
have made an average increase of
about 80 per cent.
Wouldn't Deal With the Officers.
The railroads at the time of Offer
ing the increase on July 1. said that
under no circumstances would they
recognize the union of the freight
handlers to the extent of allowing the
officers of the organization to make
terms for the men with the officers
of the railroads by which they were
employed. This was one of the chief
reasons for the strike, the men insist
ing that the union should be fully rec
ognized.
The officials have won a complete
victory on this point. The attitude of
the roads toward the Freight Handlers
union is the same as that maintained
toward all local organizations of rail-
road men. The freight handlers de-
manded something that no other Or
ganiZation of railroad employees in Chi
cago had asked, and the managers an
nounced that under no circumstances
would they agree to this.
Compelled to Accept.
President Curran, of the Freight
Handlers union, said after the meet
ing with the general managers tonight
that he practically had been compelled
by his own men to accept the terms of
the roads, "Two-thirds of them would
have gone to work in the morning,
anyhow" he said, "and it was simply
a question of doing the best possible
under the circumstances" The rail-
roads agree to take back all the strik-
ers who will apply for their old posi-
tions by noon tomorrow. The settle
ment of the strike came unexpectedly.
The meetings during the day of the
various committees with the general
managers of the railroads did not pro-
duce much result, neither side making
concessions.
When the committees had reported
back to the executive council of the
strikers, meeting of that body was
held. Several of the officials of the
Chicago Federation of Labor, includ-
ing President Bowman, were present.
The officers of the federation used ev-
cry means to induce the strikers to ac-
cept the terms offered them, but with
out avail. Twelve members of the eX-
ecutive council spoke against the ac-
ceptance of the terms and three were
in favor of it. The meeting was at
times acrimonious, and there was a
sharp exchange of words between
of Labor, and President Curran. of the
Freight Handlers union, in which the
former was accused of playing poll
tics" at the exnense of the freight
handlers.
Agreed to bv Curran.
The proposition finally was made
that the matter of an agreement with
the railroads should be left with Pres
ident Curran and President Bowman
of the federation, with full power to
act. A meeting was then arranged
with a committee of the general man
ayers of the railroads, who had full
powers of settlement on their side. The
result was that President Curran
agreed to accept the basis of increase
offered by the railroads July 1. The
action of the teamsters was a potent
factor in settling the strike They took
strong issues with the freight handlers
and intimated very plainly that no as
sistance could be expected from them,
inasmuch as the freight handlers had
struck against the advice of the Chi
cago Federation of Labor.
The session of the executive council
came to a sudden termination, and
Presidents Curran and Bowman left
for the meeting with the general man
ayers. When he left this meeting Pres
1dent Curran was surrounded by
crowds of the strikers, who had been
waiting to hear the result of the meet
ing,, and there was great dissatisfac-
|, tion when it was announced that no
settlement had been reached, but that
meetings would be held Thursday
morning, at which the results of the
meeting with the managers would be
| made known.