Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-15
STRIKE is HARD TO CRUSH
Labor Situation is Perple1ing and Both
Sides Express Confidence.
CRISIS IS REACHED, BUT NOT PASSED
Governor Crane Declares Settlement
VIII he Reached soon, ms Con-
ditiOns Are Gradually he
coming Encouraging.

BOSTON, March 14.-The labor situation |
In Boston tonight is extremely perplexing.
To give weight to statements Of labor men
who speak without authority and who say
that harmony is not restored is to make
the outlook far more critical than at any
time since the allied freight transportation
council began it's fight against the r. S.
Brine Transportation company. On the
other hand Governor Crane and the state
board Of arbitration believe that the prob
lem is being solved quite rapidly, consid-
ering the immensely of the strike, and only
ask for time and patience, from both la
boring and business men to remove all OBJ
stacles for q resumption Of freight traf1c
under ordinary condition.
AS a matter of fact the strike was COM
paratiyely broken today. Although troubles
cropped out in many quarters, some of
which were arranged with delay and others
dragged along in. uncertain state, so that
they came in for consideration nv the vari-
Gus labor bodies tonight. During these
meetings judging from what was argued by
the men, independent strikes of bodies seem
impending, but the leaders in the strike
Just ended are sanguine that they still hold
control and will not again be Obliged to
order a. strike of the freight handlers or
its more serious accompaniment, a SYM
pathetic strike of affiliated bodies. JNmor-
row will show more clearly the COM itions
in this respect.
Men Rush for Old Places.
The special side Of the strike breaking
today presented an army OF workingmen
rushing heller, SHELTER to get to their old
positions. There had been more than 20, 1000
places vacated, but fully ten per cent of
the men found their places filled. This
was the reason for friction all day, Affect
ing only the men themselves for concerns
were too busy raising the embargo on
goods in their keeping to give heed to talk
OF unfairness. Freight began to move at
docks, freight sheds, from and to whole>
sale houses and factories and upon the
streets and by night great inroads had been
made on the four days. accumulation Of
goods.
With the breaking Of the strike employ
ers Of freight handlers, team drivers, or
Jumpers, rushed into print with calls for
more help. Even concerns which hereto
fore have been bound to unionism seem to
have grasped the opportunity Of hiring
whom they liked. 1t is on this point Of all
others, that the critical phase Of the situa-
ton tonight hangs. The real battle today
was between the men who control the strike
and the representatives Of great interests
WHO nan UCCh PASNoASu hPNA
certain propositions as a way to a settle-
! ment OF the trouble.
Governor a Mediator.
AS for the past 1t was Governor Crane.
at his office in the statehouse, who stood
! between the parties at issue. The gov
ernor received many delegations during the
I, afternoon and by great exertion got to-
: gether President John NJ. Hall Of the New
York, New Haven & Hartford railroad,
President futile of the Boston & Maine,
: and Samuel Hoar, general counsel for ~
> Boston a Albany, at the statehouse att
. o'clock. w. e. Chamberlain, general mar
ager OF the eastern division of the New
Haven road, also was admitted into the
executive chamber.
These gentlemen were with the governor
for an hour and a half. In the meantime
Q a number of the labor leaders who had been
holding conferences with the State Board OF
n Arbitration at labor headquarters, arrived
: and were taken into the council chamber.
n For an hour the governor had alternate In
e terviews between employer and employe,
g During these conferences Secretary Farley
n Of the Civic federation came into the walt
ing room and saw the governor. He wai
3 accompanied by Frank P. Sargent Of Cleve-
. land, president of the Brotherhood of Loe-
: omottve Firemen, and George B. McNeill
Of this city.
Mr.. Farley said that he had attended q
meeting Of the longshoremen during the
10 afternoon and spoke there with Mr.. sar'
gent and Mr.. Mcneil, The meeting wai
y a hot one, but at the close the men al
4 voted to sustain the officers and return Il
work. The several conferences ended early
I this evening, the men leaving.
The governor granted an interview will
the newspaper men. He said:
The situation looks very much more en-
~couraging than last night. The railroads
have all argeed to take back as many mel
as possible without discrimination. AS fal
as the steamship lines are concerned, l un'
derstaud, the men have returned. The rail-
way companies will not consent to dis
! charge men whom they have hired in place
OF the strikers, but they are we'll disposed
toward the old men and are anxious tC
take back as many as possible. The ques
\ ton of loading and unloading of the teams
while II came up incidentally today, wa
not very much discussed. 1t will be takeI
up next week.
Efforts to Get Men Back.
The governor further said that both Pres.
ident Tuttle and the Boston & Albany on
eials had used every effort to get the me
hack. Al East Boston. where ninety of thu