Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-11
CRAFT STORY DISCUSSED
LOCAL LODGES OF MACHINISTS
TO INVESTIGATE.
Statement by PRECEDENT O'Connell of In
Against Railway Company.

The alleged paymcn- of a large sum of
money by the Erie Railroad Company to
secure immunity from strikes by its force
of maChiniSts, exploited not long ago in
the press, has been revived by the recent
action of the two lodges of machinists in
this city. II is said that Columbia Lodge,
composed largely Of employees Of the Wash
ington. navy yard. at a recent meeting APP
pointed committee to gather information
concerning the alleged graft The state
ment was also made that ut meeting of
Washington Lodge of Machinsts. to be held
this evening steps vii! he taken to have
u committee appointed and sent to New
York To- investigate the allegations and Sc
cure further information
The headquarters of the International AS
ISOLATION of MaChiuists are in the McGill
Building this city and the international
president. Mr.. James q Council, was seen
today and shown copy of statement
made 10y one Of the leading members OF the
machiuists' organization in this city. This
statement is as fellows.
In a conference with Superintendent
Stewart of the trlv railroad and dcltSa-
ton of macniuists of the Erie system in
May. Super iutcndcut Stewart told James
O'Conncil president If the International AS
suCia. ion Il Nachirists. that n dare not
call a strike on thc Ere railroad lie sald
the Erie was tired Of rayinG $lo.06J year
TO keep the shiu:sts from striking.
VI T.
Stewart said Lc could press Il button and
prove ii Tint cldvd the conference lh"n
Mr. O'ConncI to prove it was false, called
a strike on the .Erlc.
Alleged Vouchers Produced.
Tile machiu;s;s of New York city, dis
trict IL. APPOINTED . committee to call on
Mr. Stewart To prove what he had said.
Mr.. Stewart produced nine vouchers each
for the sum Of $25Ol paid quarterly from
May. 1902. to 1894. signed by George II.
Warner. for tie purpose of securing immu-
nifty from strikes by the !. y. of NJ
Monday. in New York. George Warner
on the stand admitted he got S22.Jo3 from
the Erie. but denied that it was to prevent
strikes. lie positively refused to say what
he did with the money or TO implicate any
one else in the deal
1t seems strange that a man who was
only business agent in New York city
could control the whole machiniStS union.
When this statement from one of the
local machinists was shown to President
OCCnnel today he said there were some
inaccuracies in IT. The man who received
the money from the Erie railroad, he
added. is not an officer of the international
association, or any of its lodges. He had
been a business agent OF a New York lodge
about ten years ago, but his lodge was
not even in the jurisd. elton with the Erie.
Not Informed on That Point.
Mr.. O'ConneH did not know for what pur-
pose the railroad officials had paid the
money To this man, for II was certain lie
had no power to order strikes or to prevent
them The machinists' organization had "a
responsible representative examine the re-
CENTS given the railroad official by Warner
for the money that was paid him. and there
was nothing about them to show that he
had promised the Erie immunity from
su.kes. The receipts stated the payments
were for -rVlCgs rendered.
The International president said the mat
ter was practically a closed incident so far
as the association was concerned. as 1t had
not been shown that Warner had promised
immunity from strikes, or that had he
done so he could not have made good
to the Erie company, as he was entirely
without such authority.