Waterbury Democrat., 1902-07-15
POLICEMEN ARE READY.
Will Check Trouble At Once
 Should 1t Arise in Chicago.

The Situation Among the Strikers Looks More Serious To-Day Than at Any Time Yet-The Outcome of To- Days Meeting Is Anxiously Await ed, As It May Smooth the Way for the Men To Go To Work or It May Precipitate Trouble.
 Chicago, July 15.-Eight hundred policemen were held in reserve at down town stations or at the railroad houses this morning ill anticipation of u possible attempt to raise the embar go on freight occasioned by the freight handlers strike and the sympathetic walllout of the teamsters.
 The situation was regarded as even more serious than yesterday, as the failure of conferences scheduled for to-day was believed to mean that the merchants, who are suffering over a million dollars loss every day of the strike, would assume q determined attitude At meetings held yesterday houses in different lines of business, but especially those handling perish able goods, declared their intention of manning their trucks and attempting to take freight from the warehouses of the railroads. After the meeting of the teamsters after midnight last night when it was arranged that the freight handlers should make one last proposition to the managers, the mer- chants changed their plans of action the first thing to-day to await the re- suit of the conferences.
 Few were found to express hope that these meetings between the men and their former employers would re- suit in peace. The men were instruct ed, among other things, to demand .171a cents an hour for truckers, and on this point the railroads have taken decided stand. Secretary Driscoll, of! the team owners association, is quot ed as stating that eight of the rail roads were willing to pay l7a cents, but this being true, there would re main IS still pledged to pay no more than IT cents.
 The extra large force of reserve men on hand at police stations this morn ing was reflection of the feeling that to-day, more than any other day since the strike began, was liable to bring forth trouble. Any attempt of the South Water street commission mer- chants to remove perishable goods, scores of cars of which lay spelling on the tracks or in warehouses, was re- garded as certain to precipitate con- f1icts between the police and pickets. The tentative plan of the big whole salers and manufacturers to deliver freight would, it was judged certain, result i'll similar conflicts. Said one wholesaler this morning:
 ''We are waiting the result of to- days conferences. Should they fail as the others have failed, then it will be fight to the finish. We have got to do business even if the militia has to be called out. A few hours will tell"
 Others expressed themselves iG q similar vein. One man said that the fight would be to completely crush the Teamsters' union. This union, he said, had broken it's contract, made only q few weeks ago, and as it could nor be relied on to keep a contract, nothing remained but to crush it if it persisted in staying out in violation of it's agree mentS.
 Business conditions this morning were the same as yesterday, only worse in South Water street, where the bad effects of the strike have been felt most severely. The warehouses were almost deserted save for the police who stood between the warehouses and the pickets.
 The full membership of the state board of arbitration held a meeting this II, s.at. tn resume active efforts towards concili- ation, as directed by Governor Yates yesterday.
 A continuance of the strike threatens to tie up building operations in the city. Several cars of brick are on the tracks where they have been for some time. The supply comes in day by day. ard it is said that the present supply will last only little time possibly not more than twenty-four hours Business Agent Hanks of the BriclSmakers' union declared that should the freight handlers continue to refuse permission to move brick from the freight yards between 10000 and 10000 building men would be out of work within week.
 Chicago, July 15.-The Northwestern, Erie and Santa F'e roads have turned down the proposition made to them by the freight handlers and it is believed that similar action will be taken by the other roads.
 Cxar Entertains Italian King. KRASNOE-SELO, Russia, July 15.-- Emperor Nicholas II. and King Victor
 Emmanuel of Italy, accompanied by the czarina and the dowager empress, G a,clc1-