The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1905-02-02
CARS ACTION HAS HAD
A BENEFICIAL EFFECT

St. Petersburg, Feb. 2.--Persoral as
surances of his intention to afneliorate
the conditions and remove the causes,
in so far as they are economic, which
led to the recent strike, were delivered
by Emperor Nicholas yesterday to
workingmen representing all the lead
ing factories of St. Petersburg, who at
his invitation journeyed to Tsarskoe Se-
10 and were received in audience in the
hall of the Alexander Palace, where he
has his winter residence.
This interview, face to face with their
little father" in whom their faith has
not been shaken by the events of the
bloody Sunday of Jan. "a, has had
far greater and more reassurirg effect
than any number of proclamations by
ministers and governors general and the
workmen of St. Petersburg are now
generally inclined to accept the prom
ises of Governor General Trepoff and
Finance Minister Kekovsoff at their face
value .
The gift by the imperial family of
$4,000 to aid the families of the VIC
TINS of the conflict on Jan. 22 also has
had an excellent effect and as the news
slowly permeates the laboring classes of
Russia it is expected. that it will make
them content to wait for the promised
reforms
Like wave caused. by the falling Of
stone, the strike movement, however,
is spreading over the great sea of Rus
sian industrial life; and while st. Pet
ersburg and Moscow, where the troubles
began, are now placid the worlsnen of
Poland and other provinces are not yer
calm, and the ripple has reached to far
off ,Irkutsk and other Siberian towns.
Emperor Nicholas adopted the tradi-
tlonal fatherly tone in his talk with the
workmen yesterday. He chided them
for allowing themselves TO be nlisled
into engaging in movement imperiling
the internal order of Russia and aiding
the foreign foe and for attempting to
demand by force what he otherwise
would be willing to do voluntarily. The
Workmen received the royal assurances
Of reform with cheers and after lunch
at the imperial table returned to St.
Petersburg in the best of humor to re-
port to their fellows, as enjoined, the
words of his majesty. No attempt was
made by them to present their desires,
which already are sufficiently evident
The action of the ST. Petersburg man
ufacturers in placing themselves IN the
hands OF the government in the matter
of the adjustment of the main points OF
the dispute and to grant the men pay
for the time they have been on strike,
not as matter of right but as a favor,
and their contribution in aid Of the suf-
ferers among the families of their work
men, are expected to add to the pre-
yailing good feeling.
The Association of St. Petersburg
Manufacturers has adopted the follow
ing resolutions: NJ
First. all points of the mems de-
mands concerning the eight-hour day,
participation of the men in fixing pay
for piece work and regulation of the
internal workings of factories, etc, shall
not be discussed, but submitted to the
minister of finance with view to their
settlement 1egisIatively.
Second, regarding special demands ad-
vaneed at the different works, discus
sion is inadvisable till the men have re-
sumed work al
Third, recognizing that the men were
drawn into the movement by other than
economic causes, the association lutlafii-
mously voted that no mutual bitterness
exists, and has, therefore, decided to
meet the workmen, not to apply the pen
alties for wasted time, not to cifdcavor
to discover the instigators and leaders Of
the strike. or to employ special measures
against them, and to collect funds for
the support Of the families Of the VIC
Tins; and i'll this respect to make no dill
ference between voluntary and coerced
strikers. Il ;sss
Fourth, the association, iii order not
to create precedent by paying work
men for the time they have been crgag-
ed in the strike, will grant assistance to
the necessitous which need not be re-
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