The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-10
TRAIN MEN
 QUIT WORK Biz Strike Begins on the
 M. & O. ENTIRE LINE AFFECTED
ENTIRE LINE AFFECTED
Management Issues Statement
 of the Disagreement.
Percentage of Increase of Pay De- manded by the Men Declined. Extra Deputies Sworn in to
 Prevent Violence.

Mobile. May s.-(special.)-Tonight the Mobile and Ohio Railroad is in the mldoie of a complex problem due to the strike of the trainmen, which went into enect promptly at noon today.
 For several months past the ualnmeh have been negotiating with General Man ager c. s. Clarke for an increase U. wages. Conferences have been heio anu if was hoped an amicable adjustment would be reached but the action or 'he +rainmen along the entire line at noon showed that the difference had not peeN adjusted It was learned here that at various points north of Mobile. business was interfered with after F o'clock to- day. The demands of the men were thought by the company to be unreason- able. therefore they were not granteo' The following statement was issued from the office of the General Manager here this afternoon:
 Mir. CIarke's Statement.
 .To Our Patrons and the Public:
 ."rhe Mobile and Ohio Railroad regrets ,o state that certain of it's conductors, who are members of the Brotherhood or Railway Trainmen, have without nouce to the management, as to time or oate' left the service of this company tooay' giving their reasons therefor as Ioiio"s: .. .Eirst-The demand that no train or aver thirty cars, loaded or empty. shall he ruu with two engines without double nav and double overtime, has been oe" clined. :" .second-That the percentage of in- ,raasa of nav as demanded by them has been declined
 ..The management separately met com ynittees of engineers and firemen In Fep- ruary and March. and after discussion' an amicable agreement was reacheo oi' rates of service, and per centase oi Iu- crease of pay, satisfactory to the ensi- aaar. and fremen and to the company, no rrIe of management entering into the con- ference. ... "Rules of service and rates of pay TOT .,,,ertinne were mutually agreed upon ny +his company and a committee represent fno the conductors and brakemen' out 'he company denied the right Of the elnPioS e s +o dictate a rule for the management oi it's property, and believing that the per centage of increase demanded by these ranInyes was unreasonable, likewise de- clined it. "since April the conductors and brake men in service on the same trains "i'n the engineers and firemen are onereo aho !. now being paid the same per centase ol increase as was granted the engineers and firemen. IA. .-.,.s 'The company expects to run its trains hut fin view of the conditions asks the in- dulgence of its patrons and the puoi'o
 e. s. Clarke.
 "General Manager" "E. L. Russell. General Counsel
 Asked for Conference.
 Tn reference to the above Mir. Clarke stated to your representative this after- noon that while in Maryland re-lnterHnE the remains of his father and mother ne received a telegram stating that If ne olo not accede to the demands by letter the trainmen would quit in a oody' Ht promptiy replied by wire that ne Woulu meet the committee in Mobile for con ference on any or all matters appertain- ing to this branch of service May 0his morning) On arriving in Mobile thls morning he received an answer from St Touis from the committee, declining to come to Mobile for conference. MT Clarke said he was hopeful that the train men would send Representative delega' lion to Mobile to discuss the matter with him with a view to an amicaole adJust' ment.
 The delegation failed to show up this afternoon and the company, determined tc keep trains moving. set about devisins means to this end.
 The northbound passenger train lef here on time at s:35 tonight, Conductor Rawls in charge. As fiagman he hat Hack Fox. a clerk to H. W. Clarke. Su perintendent of Transportation. and il inc baggage car was John Moulton. Chie Clerk of the Car Accountants Depart ment in the same office. There was large crowd at the depot to see the trair move but there was no interference whatsoever.
 her of deputies to see that no trouble en sued. hut they had nothing to do tonigh at the depot. A special detail of police men was also around the depot.
 General Manager Clarke stated tonigh that he regretted the action of the train men as he desired only to do what wa! right as between the company and men.