The San Francisco call., 1906-08-27
Carmen Are all
Minded Says
Cornelius.


Although non-c committa1 regarding
possible overtures from the United Rail-
roads. President Cornelius of the Car
mems Union lives in the hope that the
officials of the company will make some
proposition regarding a compromise
within the next twenty-four hours
Cornelius says that the executive COM
mittee of the union is at the disposal OF
reasonable and within bounds in order
to effect settlement. Regarding the
situation, Cornelius says:
The carmen are not unreasonable,
as many are led to believe. They are
willing to keep on working as they
have for the last year till the United
Railroads engages men enough TO make
up the eight-hour shifts. This, of
course. holds good only in the event
that our employers come to our terms.
we realize that men are hard to OBJ
tain at the present time. We know
that between ESQ and 800 prospective
motormen and conductors have their
applications filed for positions with the
United Railroads. Now, in order to
have these men properly broken in and
to give the United Railroads time to
make their arrangements with them.
we will keep on working on the same
old basis and at the same old hours
for a reasonable length of time. In
othe- words, we are ready to resume
work under the old scale II we have
the company's assurance that our de-
mands will be granted and put into
operation in a reasonable time"
What would you consider a reason
able length Of timer" Cornelius was
asked
Well" he replied, 1T should think
that the United Railroads could fix up
their running schedules under the new
regime within two weeks. Our men
are willing to work under the old con-
ditions till then. This is a reasonable
proposition. We do not wish to take
any unfair advantage of the company.
I believe it should be satisfied with this
angement, for 1T is very broad and
needs no argument to support IT.
Should the strike be settled within
the next day or two our men will be
ready to take the cars out within two
hours after peace is established. A
certain portion Of them Is constantly
in uniform. These report to the car
barns and are in constant communica-
ton with our pickets. Should the lat
ter pass the word that the strike is at
an end the men will Immediately jump
on their cars and resume work.
by this means we figure that every
car in control of the United Railroads
can be started at two hours notice.
The men are not leaving the city. They
are all practically at their posts and
ready to respond to the call OF duty
when the proper moment arrives.
There have been no complaints made
to the executive board today regardin g
riotous conduct on the part of the car
men. The members of this union have
pledged themselves to conduct this
strike on an orderly basis and I know
they intend to live UP to their word.
There is no occasion for any display.
The men realize their position and are
willing to bide their time in the hope
that the difficulty will be peacefully ad-
justed.
Our executives committee is ready
and willing to listen to any and all
overtures that the directors OF the Unit
ed Railroads seem willing to make.
Whenever Mr.. Calhoun or Mr.. Mutually
wishes to communicate with US they
will find US ready to listen to any rea-
sonable argument In the meantime the
strike will continue on the lines laid
down by u.s."