Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-17
GOMPERS IN CHICAGO
Met Labor Leaders for Con-
ference This Morning.
NOT TO INTERFERE
BELIEVED HE WILL ACT AS
PEACEMAKER, HOWEVER.
Will Try to Help Make Satisfactory
Adjustment-Called on Mayor
Dunno Today.

| CHICAGO, May 17.-Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation of
Labor. was the central figure in the team
sters' strike situation today. His presenc
| in Chicago regarded as Offering hope o.
peace, but the cry of the strikers was still
| for arbitration, which the employers had
resolutely refused, to the garment work
| ers, in whose behalf the teamsters quit
| work six weeks ago.
| Mr.. Gompers met the labor leaders today
| in his rooms at the Briggs House Just be-
| fore going into this conference he said:
II am not in a position to say what will
or will not be done. 1 will say, however,
| that 1 have no intention of interfering, un-
| less am commissioned by President Shea
and his colleagues to do so.''
That President Gompers came to Chicago
| at the solicitation of both the business men
and the teamsters' officials to act in the
| capacity of peacemaker was the statement
| of the national labor chief himself today.
MY mission to Chicago" he said, "is to
| try to be helpful in bringing about an ad-
| justment of the strike. l came here at the
solicitation of one of the Chicago news
papers, which sent me- through it's Wash
ington correspondent ten days ago. a long
telegram setting forth that the situation in
Chicago was very keen. I was urged to
come and use my influence to restore peace
The telegram stated that l enjoyed the con-
hdence of both sides, the employers as well
as the unions. placed the telegram In the
hands OF Mr Shea, and the result was that
several telegrams passed between Mr. Shea
and myself, and on Monday last we had a
long talk over the long-distance telephone
Mr.. shea expressed the belief then that 1
might be helpful in bringing about an ad-
justment of this strike and so / came,
Mr.. Gompers said that the telegram re-
ferred to as coming from newspaper was
signed by John c. Eastman of the Chicago
Journal.
Il wish to say" he added, that the sue
gestons set forth in the dispatch were sup
plemented by a few prominent business
men who also believed that 1 could be help
ful in settling the difficulties 1 am not
here to call the strike off or on. I'm not
In charge of the strike, and don't expect to
be. am here to be helpful If / can Is
there a parallel between this strike ana
the recent New York subway strike? There
Is none That strike was called contrary
to the national union law. The Chicago
strike, the national officers inform me, is
regular in every way. would not say that
1t has been conducted well OF otherwise" 4
Mr.. Gompers declined to say whether he
would seek conference with the Employ
ers Association, and declined to discuss
this phase of the situation in any way.
When asked If he would seek conference
with Attorney Levy Mayer, representing
the Employers Association, Mr.. Gompers
declined to reply.
President Gompers called upon Mayor
Dunno today, the meeting having been ar
ranged by William Bowes, a Chicago mer-
chant, and a personal friend of Mr.. Com
pers.
Came by Request.
That President Gompers came to Chi
cago at the solicitations of both the busi-
ness men and the teamsters' officials to
act in the capacity of peacemaker was
the statement of the national labor chief
himself today.
MY mission to Chicago" he said, SIS to
try to be helpful in bringing about an ad-
justment of the strike. / came here at
the solicitation of one of the Chicago
newspapers, which sent me, through it's
Washington correspondent ten days ago
long telegram setting forth that the
situation in Chicago was very keen. l
was urged to come and use my influence
to restore peace. The telegram stated
that l enjoyed the confidence of both
sides-the employers as we'll as the
unions. 1 placed the telegram in the
hands of Mr. Shea, and the result was
that several telegrams passed between
Mr.. Shea and myself, and on Monday last
we had long talk over the long distance
telephone. Mr.. Shea expressed the belief
then that l might be helpful in bringing
about an adjustment of this strike, and so
/ came"
Mr.. Gompers said that the telegram re-
ferred to as coming from a newspaper
was signed by John c. Eastman of the
Chicago Journal
Il wish to say" he added that the
suggestions set forth in the dispatch
were supplemented by a few prominent
business men, who also believed that l
could be helpful in settling the diff
culties / am not here to call the strike
off or on. I'm not in charge of the strike
and don't expect to be. l am here to be
helpful IL i can. Is there a parallel be-
tween this strike and the recent New
York subway strike? There Is none That
strike was called contrary to the national
union law. The Chicago strike, the ma
tional officers inform me, is regular in
every way. / would not say that it has
been conducted well or otherwise
Socialist Sympathy for Strikers.
Delegates of the socialistic party of Chi
cago have adopted resolutions expressing
sympathy for the garment workers, and
commencing the sympathetic strike of the
teamsters to aid the garment workers in
preventing the return in all it's hideousness
of the sweat shop and its whole train OF
evils The resolutions also urge workers
not to forget at future elections to place
men in power who will administer all af-
fairs In their interest"
Two Negroes Held for Boys Death.
Two colored strike breakers, Jesse Ballin-
ger and James Jones, one of whom is be-
the death Of an eight-year-old school boy,
Enoch Carlson, were arrested today Both
negroes desperately resisted the police.
They are employees of the Peabody Coal
Company, which has been active in attempt
ing with non-union negro teamsters to de-
liver coal at the public schools and has
been resisted by strikes of hundreds of
pupils at the schools. The shooting of Carl
son followed the jeering of colored nom
union men by a number of school boys who
were playing ball in a vacant lot.
Scholars Check Coal Deliveries.
Until the ardor of the school children has
been cooled no more deliveries of mon
union coal will be made at the public
school buildings unless absolutely neces-
sary. This announcement is made by off,
Gals of the board OF education, who believe
that IAN ounce of prevention is worth
pound of cure" The decision to stop the
deliveries of coal by non-union drivers was
reached after the compulsory education de-
partment had put down strikes at six
schools and after disturbances had been
caused at seven other schools.