Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-21
TINE OF SETTLEMENT NEAR
City Official Expresses Opinion Some Move
in Strike il Necessary.
DENY STATEMENT OF CAR BUILDERS
Company Asserts That Agreement
with Them Has Been Observed
I'm the Most Minute
Details.

THE time is near when the citizens Of
Omaha must and l believe will undertake
a settlement Of this Union Pacific strike"
said a city oficial and active business man
yesterday. II am willing and anxious. to
do anything ] can to settle the differences
existing between the company and its men
and restore normal conditions. This course
will, l believe. be adopted before long. The
strike is hurting the city and hurting the
business men; II has been hurting the COM
pany and hurting the strikers all along,
and there is every reason why II should
and could be settled. l think a mass meet
ing Of citizens will be called very soon, at
which the question may be fully aired and
some method Of procedure decided on"
1t is admitted that the company and the
strikers are equally averse to making the
first concession. but the sentiment is grow
ing that either side would be willing to
take the second step, and so It is up to"
some diplomatic peacemaker to get the con-
tending factions together. The action Of
the Real Estate exchange yesterday in APP
pointing a committee to offer It's services
Of mediation has been commended and it
is thought may lead to a solution Of the
problem.
OfAcials Of the Union Pacific stated late
yesterday afternoon that thus far they had
not been approached by the committee Of
realty men.
Deny Car Mems Claim.
The claim Of the Union Pacific car build
ers who have struck that their action was
due to the company's violation Of an agree
ment 1t entered into with the car men July
Z is pronounced the merest subterfuge by
%oficials Of the company. Superintendent
of Motive Power McKeen, who is closest
in touch with the situation, defends the
company by emphatically denying the
charge Of bad faith made by the strikers,
| contending that the company has lived up
infinitely to every detail OF the agreement,
and that the only violation Of faith has
been on the part Of the car men in strik-
ing after signing an agreement, through
their committee, that they would accept
the provisions Of that compact and remain
at work for the period Of time specified
therein.
All the officials Of the Union Pacific
whose positions connect them with the
strike situation affirm Mr.. McKeen's state
ment and hold that the car builders
struck, not because OF violations Of agree
ment by the company, but through sym
pathy for the other strikers.
THAT Of itself might have been all
right" said an official, "but why do the
men not admit that they struck through
sympathy and not charge the company
with failing to keep its contract with
them?
The claim is made by the car builders
that since the adoption of this new agree
ment some Of them have been materially
reduced in wages, that foreign scales have
been introduced and that foremen have
practiced discrimination between certain
worImen. Now our statement Of the case
is simply this: The company has not
violated its agreement, no cuts in wage
have been made, no determinations have
been practiced and no foreign scales intro
duced. These are the facts in the case
and merely denying them does not alter
them in the least"