Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-07-17
Big STRIKE ENDS
CHICAGO FREIGHT HANDLERS De.
eide BY MAJORITY VOTE TO
RETURN 70 WORK.
VIcTORY For FMPI OVERS
VICTORY J FOR EMPLOYERS / {

Men Decide to Resume Their Old Po.
sitions and Allow the Questions in
Dispute to Be Settled BY Confer.
ence Later-charges Of Treachery
y Made Against Officials Of the Freight
Handlers and Teamsters' Unions.
Chicago, July 1.-THE Association
Of Railway General Managers, enbrac-
ing every road which enters Chicago,
has issued the, following signed state.
ment: Ss
.'.All of our old men, not before on
hand for work, reported at the freight,
houses at noon and were put to work,
No conference was held with any com
mittee or otherwise since Tuesday and
no agreement was made with thesu1iion
or with any committee. The men sim
ply reported for work and they doubt
less expect and will receive the pay
offered July l and which the railroad
companies have been willing to pay
all along
After ten days of strife the Chicago
freight handlers strike terminated dur
ing the day in an unqualified victory
for the railroads. A meeting of the
strikers, presided over by President
Curran, resulted in almost unanimous
vote to return to work, leaving the
wage scale and other questions for set
tlement between the men and their re,
spective roads.
At the conclusion of the meeting the
strikers went by hundreds to the ware
houses to apply for their old positions
and the teamsters who have remained
out on sympathy again took up their.
reins. By noon immense quantities of
freight, which had been held back for
days, were being rushed to the rail
roads or taken from warehouses and
cars. Where stagnation had ruled
commercial activity again reigned.
Chicago merchants expressed un-
bounded relief at the termination Of.
hostilities but they were scarcely less
happy than the men themselves, al
though the strike is estimated to have
cost them $4,000 900. to say nothing
of the trade that has been permanently
lost to them.
Brief Meeting of Strikers.
The little hall where the meeting of
the strikers took place was jammed to
suffocation and thousands were unable
to obtain entrance. It was brief
meeting-only long enough for an an.
cry speech by President Curran and
the vote which followed.
Men, said Curran, ..we came out
like men; we have acted like men, and
we should not go back like sheep, but
there has been treachery in our camp.
Tuesday when was about to use the
telephone the wire got crossed and /
heard one of the members of our execu-
tive committee talking with a railroad
manager. He was encouraging the
manager to hold out, for he told him
that the strike was almost broken.
That is a sample Of the faith that has
been kept with me. The officials Of
the Truck Drivers union have not
kept faith, either, and it seems useless
to continue the fight any longer. Shall
we go back and ask for our old jobs?n
In this simple form the matter was
put to a vote and almost imme ediately
great chorus Of ayes had brought to
q peaceful end one Of Chicago's most
serious and threatening labor situa-
tions. It is believed the roads gener-
ally will allow the truckers II cents
an hour and minor concessions granted
by the proposition of July 1.
The railroad managers, when told
of the vote to return to work, said that
wherever possible the old men would
be taken back. A small percentage of
the new men, however, will be retained
for time at least.
No where was the newsaof the set
tlement received with more pleasure
than at the warehouses, where thou
sands Of men, gathered from other
points of the various roads to take the
places of strikers, were longing to re-
turn to their homes. They had been
well fed and given good sleeping quar-
ters, but the big majority of them, be-
ing accustomed to the comfort Of their
homes, were tired Of being herded:a