The San Francisco call., 1906-07-26
FREIGHT HANDLERS
STRIKE ENDED.
Men Will Get a Raise in
Wages, but Switch
men May Walk Out
PRESENT DEMANDS

The strike of the Southern Pacific
terday afternoon when their employers
granted the men the raise in wages
they demanded. This will probably
solve the freight congestion difficulty
Immediately. 1t is expected that things
will move as before in the local and
Oakland yards of the company, and that
merchants will now receive their
freight without delay.
Hardly had the news of the settle
ment of the freight handlers strike be-
come known than the switchmen en-
ployed in the Oakland yards announced
that they would quit at the end of
sixty days unless their wages are in
creased. The demands have been sent
to the officials of the company and are
being considered
The raise is to date from August |,
and the men have returned to work
Those who walked out on Tuesday
evening formed a committee, composed
Of Henry Marks, v. Cameron and Rob
ert Downey, who arranged settle
ment with the company.
The freight handlers both at Kirk
ham street and at the Peralta street
platforms have agreed to the company5
schedule which grants overtime at the
rate of half an hour for sixteen min
utes to half hour and an hours pay for
thirty minutes to an hour of work.
The new rate applies to freight hand
lers throughout the city.
Work was resumed throughout the
yards as soon as the company's de-
cision had been given to the men.
This action relieved a situation
which, in view of the heavy freight
blockade, might have still further seri-
ously interfered with the clearing the
yards now so blocked with the loaded
freight cars.
Steps toward helping to relieve the
freight congestion were taken yester-
day at q special meeting of the Oak
land Chamber of Commerce transporta-
ton committee. The Southern Pacific
Company advised the committee that
much of the trouble was due to the
failure of consignees to take their
freight promptly.
The company asserts its ability to
place from 200 to 225 cars day on it's
Kfrkham- street tracks in such position
that they can be discharged From
sitxy-five to eighty-1v cars containing e
miscellaneous consignments can also
be handled daily, the company claims
Secretary Edwin Stearns will procure a
list of the leading consignees of Oak
land, Berkeley and Alameda and send
a letter requesting expeditions removal
of freight. The Southern Pacific Com
pany will be urged. to have all freight
consigned to Oakland cut out at Ogden
or Sacramento and sent direct to Oak
land.
The switchmen presented the follow
ing schedule of wages: Night foremen
from 33 cents to - cents an hour;
night helpers, from 81 cents to 35 cents
an hour; day foremen, from 81 cents to
3S cents an hour; day helpers, from 2S
cents to 80 cents an hour.
The switchmen. under their brother
hood rules. give sixty days notice on
their request before taking final action.
The congestion in the Southern Pa
cific freight yards in San Francisco and
Oakland isIfelt at San Bruno. long
string of boxcars has been sidetracked
on the spur tracks near the old Tan
foran track. Indications are that the
railroad officials intend to utilize the
spur tracks for freight accommodations
until the rush orders have been re-
ceived from the San Francisco yards
The spur connecting the loop to South
San Francisco is being repaired. A
large gang of section hands is engaged
in replacing the old ties in the track
with new spruce timbers.
The congestion at the racetrack sid
ing numbers close to seventy-five box
cars of the large type. Little is known
of the plans of the company and the
length of time that the cars will be
kept here will largely depend upon con-
ditions at the shipping center.