Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-20
Business Mems Association Declines Il
Hold Further Conference.
EXPRESS BELIEF THEY HAVE FIGHT WON
Consequently Reason There is No Occasion
for Another Meeting.
MEN EXPECTED TO MAKE A MOVE TODAY
Big Restaurants Open Up with Force Of
NOnuniOn Employees
BENNETT SETTLES WITH HIS DRIVERS
Thirty Men Return to Work on Terms
Satisfactory to the Union and
Firm Declared to he
Fair.

Firm Declared to BE
Fair.
The Business Mems Association has re-
Jected the proposition for another confer
ence with representatives of organized
labor looking to a settlement Of the strike.
This action was taken last night at another
of the associations secret meetings in
Creighton hall. The union forces will be
formally advised today.
The employers take the position that
they have the employees ION the run" and
that therefore arbitration is not necessary.
As one of the enthusiastic members last
night put it, There is nothing to ar
bitrate; we have them licked"
Last nights meeting of the Business
Mems association was expected to yield u
final basis of settlement of the serious sit
uation. The union forces had, on invita-
ton, sent a proposition to the association
for another conference between the two
committees appointed for the purpose OF
trying to arrive at some common ground
The executive committee of the associa-
tion held its daily meeting yesterday after
noon and drew up formal answer to this
proposition. That answer was read last
night. 1t went on to say that one confer
ence had been held with the labor organi-
zation's committee and the governor and
that since then the union forces had shown
such manifest signs of weakening to
warrant the belief in the minds OF the ex-
ecutive oommittsemen that they were van
quished and that therefore 1t did not seem
| necessary to go to the trouble of meeting
them half way, as provided in the proposal
of the union men.
Much Enthusiasm Is shown.
This letter and the subject matter were
discussed pro and con for some time and
! finally adopted. The usual rule was OBJ
served to withhold any statement from the
| press and 1t was further decided not to
communicate the action of the association
to the union forces until this morning.
During the discussion some enthusiastic
| speeches were made by members who were
| foremost in decrying the idea of meeting
| the laboring forces half way in an endeavor
to amicably adjust all differences. w. s.
Jardine said that his transfer company
had not only. enough men, but was be-
sieged with applicants for positions as
teamsters whom ~ had to turn away. Re
marks of this character stimulated the
feeling that arbitration is now a thing of
! the past and that II a settlement was made
It would be done by the union men simply
asking to be allowed to return to their
work under former conditions, or whatever
conditions their employers saw fit to name.
Great interest was manifest in the
| strikers camps last night over the possi-
! bic outcome of this meeting. 1t is evident
| from the state of feeling, the anxiety OF
the artisans TO know whether their en-
ployers would agree to treat with them,
| that general disappointment and probably
serious complication of conditions will
follow the announcement today of last
nights action.
"I look for the employers and employees
| to get together now and rather think this
| conference will open the way to a final
adjustment of all differences" said the
! chairman of the press committee of the
| Business Mems association yesterday. THE
! radical elements seem to have been sup
pressed by this time on both sides and the
| conservative men, the men who see the
need and are earnestly endeavoring to
bring about settlement OF the
strike, are in the saddle. Everything tends
toward peace. However the business men
are just as firm as ever SO far as their
rights are concerned. There is no dis.
position to concede what they believe to be
their rights. It may be well TO repeat al
! this time that the Business Mems associa-
ton is not organized to disrupt unionsm
IL has no objection 20 unions living and
thriving so long as they keep within proper
bounds and do not become arbitrary The
men who compose this association are
business men and too intelligent to think
that they could, II they would, destroy
organized labor. The sooner the union men
get the idea out of their heads that the
Business Mems association is organized to
suppress unionism the better 1t will be for
all concerned
Arrange with Bennett.
The thirty team drivers of the Bennett
wagons who have been among the strik-
ers yesterday agreed to return to their
work and will do 80 this morning. J. +
Crews, president Of the Team Drivers
union, last night stated that the conditions
under which the men went back were en-
tirely satisfactory and that from now on
| Benefits would be. regarded as a fair
house by organized labor. No formal
agreement was signed between the men and
the firm, but the former simply go back
on the basis of their confidence i'm their
employers that they will do, what they
say. Shortly before the strike Bennett
gave his men a raise in wages and they
were not among the precipitators Of the
strike, in fact were among the last to sc
out.
These letters have been sent by the re-
spective labor leaders to the Bennett peo
pie showing the estimation in which thai
firm is held by the union forces
OMAHA, May l6.-The Bennett Company
City.-Cientlemen. We wish 10 state thai
the circular which was passed upon the
| streets today requestiong the families o.
union men not to go near Benefits store
was not authorized by this union You
! concern has been considerate in its atti
tude toward this organization, and We have
no desire to do you any injury or injustice
We make this statement for the purpose o.
relieving you Of any prejudice that may
have been caused by said circular. Your
very truly ]. r. CREWS,
President Local No. Il, Team Drivers In
ternational Union OF America.
| OMAHA. May 19.--The Bennett Company
| City.-Gentlemen: Referring TO the card
passed upon the streets. in which organ
lied labor is presumed to have asked
union men and their families TO stay ava,
representatives OF the Team Drivers unioI
declare that they have no grievance agains
! your company and did not authorize tn
publication OF such cards For the Contra
Labor union. / desire TO say that We hav,
not authorized the publication or distribu
| ton OF the cards IN question, and 10 fur
ther say that the Bennett company has al
CCentinued on Second Page.)