The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-31
JEMISON STANDS PAT
HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE
UNIONS.
Threats of Birmingham Central Labor
Council Seem To Have Little
EGect on President Of
street Railway.

Birmingham, May s0--(Special)-
The entire city was discussing today
the mtimatum issued by the mass
meeting of the labor union men held
last night at the Majestic Theatre to
the effect that if there was not rec
ognition of the union recently formed
by the street railway employees, all Ia
boring men in the district would be
called out in a sympathetic strike
Monday next at noon.
In accordance with the resolutions
adopted last night, the committee sent
communications to Mayor George B..
Ward, J.. E. Shelby. president of the
Birmingham Board of Trade. and to
President Robert Jemison. of the Bir-
mingham Railway, Light and Power
Company. asking for conference to
consider the matter in dispute and
looking to a reinstatement"of the for
mer employees who. were either dis
charged for belonging to the union or
quit out of sympathy to the men who
had been discharged. The Mayor, fol-
lowing tho receipt of the communica-
tion from tue committee of the labor
unions addressed a letter to Mr.. Shell
by and Mr.. Jemison, receiving a re-
ply from Mr.. Shelby only. The letter
asked that a conference be held at 3
O'Clock in the office of the Mayor in
the City Hall.
Mr.. Jemison, when spoken to this af-
ternoon before the hour of the confer
ence set by Mayor Ward, said. I'VE
are running cars The conditions with
us are normal. ] have no engagement
with any one this afternoon"
No definite statement is made by Of
f1cials of the unions beyond the fact
10 has wrrat -
up Monday IL the matter is not adjust
ed by that time. No disorders have
taken place. If there was a parade
after the mass meeting last night very
little is known of 1t. A large number
of the men came out of the theatre at
the same time and started on their
ways home, many going in lit
tie crowds. None of the men dare ride
on cars for fear of violating orders of
the union. The Chief of Police reports
that the conditions are better than
usual and that last night there was no
trouble whatsoever. Mayor Ward to-
day announced that the saloons could
open and close as before the trouble on
the street car began, opening at 5
O'CLOCK in the morning and closing at
IL o'clock midnight.
The journeymep tailors today donat-
ed $50 to the street railway employees,
and adopted resolutions of sympathy
Other locals have taken the same
steps.
Ben Commons. organizer for the
American Federation of Labor, in
charge of the locked-out street rail-
way employees, today gave out a state
ment In which he expressed the belief
that the matter would be settled ami
cably before Monday. He said that he
did not desire to see a general strike.
that business was bad enough now,
and that further trouble would be
caused if a general tie-up would take
place.
President Jemison of the Birming-
ham Railway Light and Power Com
pany. did not attend the conference
today between committees appointed
at the mass meeting OF laboring men,
Mayor Ward and President Shelby OF
the Board of Trade today. but Secre-
tary Ross OF the company was on
hand.
Some discussion took place in regard
to the street car situation, but Secre-
tary Ross had nothing to say of any
interest.
The conference adjourned until Sat
urday morning. So far there is no
change of opinion and all indications
is that the call for the general sus-
pension of work will take place Mon
day.
President Jemison appears to be
just as steadfast that there is to be no
recognition ot the union.
Deputy sheriffs today arrested a
union man named Russell, on a charge
of jeering at employees of the Street
Railway Company. A large bond was
required and test case OF the anti
boycott law may result. Saloons were
all omen tonight, but good order pre-
vailed in the city.