The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-05-10
Perishable Freight to Suffer From
Tie-Up Caused by Trainmen
Quitting Work.
WAGE SCHEDULE IS THE ISSUE.
Passenger Trains Run on SEIZED
ules and Officials of the Road
Claim They Have Encoun-
tered Little Inconvenience.

While every passenger tarin on the> Mo
bile and Ohio Railroad departed on schedule
time yesterday, there was almost a COM
plete tie-up Of the freight trains in response
to the order issued by w. G. Lee, first
grand master of the Brotherhood of Rail-
way Trainmen. and C. II. Wilkins, grand
senior conductor Of the Order of Railway
| Conductors.
Manager Clarke is in Mobile and he will
remain to attend the operation of the south
ern part OF the road.
The Mobile and Ohio at this time of the
year has an perishable traffic.
such as bananas. fruit and cary vegetables.
and a prompt transportation of this freight
Is essential.
Leaders OF the railway orders claim that
1t will be impossible for the road to ill the
places of the trainmen and conductors in
sufficient numbers to handle the traffic.
1t is stimated that 5o conductors. train
Nell. switcnmen and b-agsumemen will obey
ice of the road.
The order was issued yesterday morning
shortly before 10 o'clock and was transmit
ted to the members of the committee over
the road.
The order instructed all trains which had
started prior to the time Of the Issuance Of
the order to be continued to the end Of the
division. and all mail trains to be carried
through. The men were then ordered TO
quit the service.
Messrs. Lee and Wilkins have been in
st. Louis for several days waiting the re-
sponse expected to their demands fer an
Increase in the wage scale of the Mobile
Mr.. Lee stated that C. S. Clarke. general
manager OF the road, had been notified that
were increased Z per cent and the freight
trainmen increased 10 per cent by May s
a strike would be ordered.
| Other changes were asked. including the
/ usual demand Tor extra nav on double
headers. but the wage question was the es-
sent.al question at issue.
RESPONSE NOT SATISFACTORY.
According to Mr.. Lee, Mr.. Clarke did not
icials waited IN st; Louis until yesterday.
when it was learned that a number of non
cago. 1t was then decided to order a strike.
At East st. Louis no freight trains went
out, though several came in. and It IS
stated that the crews quit these trains as
soon 5 they arrived.
1t appears that there is a general DISPOSE
ton on the part Of the passenger crews to
| disobey the orders of the leaders to quit the
service.
c. Imboden. a conductor on a passenger
train. stated that he intended to continue
running his train. as he was satisfied with
| the pay.
The vote on the proposition to strike re-
suited as follows. Conductor-For the
and switchmen-For the strike, 1872; against,
!. This poll was taken last month when 1t
| was found that an agreement could not De
made witt Manager Clarke.
The original demand was for a Is per cent
increase in the wages of the freight train
men and conductors and L per cent In the
wages Of the passenger trainmen and con-
| ductors.
COMPROMISE OFFERED.
A compromise was offered Apri, q of 10
per cent for the freight trainmen and con-
ductors and Z per cent for the passenger
employees. This was refused and an offer
| made by the road OF IA for freight and b2
for passenger employees.
Officials of the Mobile and Ohio claim that
| employees of any of the other competitive
lines. 1t is further claimed that due notice
was not given of the proposed strike. and
for that reason there may be some slight
! delay in, the freight service. which will be
| soon overcome.
Leaders of the order claim that Mr.. Clarke
| desired to hold further conferences with
them at Mobile, but that they had been
advised by their attorneys that st. LOUIS
was the general Offices of the road and lnis
was the place which further negotiations
should be held.
Messrs. Lee and Wilkins stated that 1T
was a matter purely between the Mobile
, company had SO far as they knew no other
road would be involved.
ut is simply a question" said Mr.. Lee,
whether the Mobile and Ohio can operate
| its trains without US or not. If they. can
/ run the trains without the men who have
struck. we are beat: II they cannot, they
are Nbeat..
1--WE will proceed entirely on peaceful
lines. Instructions have been sent along
the line that any man willing to work for
| the road shall not be molested and every
thing must be orderly"