Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-04-04
TRAINMEN FIRM
FOR 9 HOUR DAY
Managers and Employees in
| Conference Till Midnight
and Resume Work This
Morning

Chicago, April 3-ComrffS fSe,ou.
ers Knapp and Neill who for some
days have been acting as media
A tors between the western rail-
roads and members of the organ
ization Of train and conductors.
IS today submitted to the men the
ultimatum of the railroads which
A3 was handed to them last night
The commiss sioners declined to
a state the nature of the final pro-
position of the railroads, but 1t is
generally believed the managers
have made slight concessions.
The opinion is growing that a
fN strike Of the two organizations
will be averted.
On Verge of Break.
After coming to the verge of a break
Yesterday, the railroads and their en-.
Moves got together again last night
Through the mediation of United
States eCanini nissoner Knapp and Neill,
and at midnight were in conference
at the Auditorium Annex with the out.
look for peace still bright.
The government agents had decided
to make final appeal to the em-
poyes' committee in the interests Ct
harmony before leaving the city, when
1.-THE men met at the Sherman house
iAnd determined on further concessions
fRAf their own accord. Mr.. Knapp and
iissMr. Neill were preparing to leave for
PNew York on an afternoon train when
ithey received word Of the action and
ARRANGED the night meeting.
1t is believed scarcely possible that
the peace meetings can be prolonged
beyond today without an issue of some
sort. Both sides look for settlement
but there are more radical leaders
among the union men VINO see clouds
gathering for big strike.
Shorter Workday Demanded.
It was said that the employees at
their meeting determined on their final
fpncessions. At the last moment
hey refused to waive the nine hour
ay demand and declared they would
,tand firmly for shorter workday.
The opinion among the rail officials
was that unless the men receded from
this position settlement of the dis
pute is out of the question The roads
aver they cannot shorten the sched-
ule of working hours without the re.
arranging of their entire system of
running trains, which would entail a
/ vast expenditure of money.
'p In support of their nine nour day
demands the employees, on the other
Shand, prepared to bring up arguments
to show that several roads already are
operating successfully on this basis,
and that one of two systems in the
west even are running on an eight
hour day schedule. This was declar.
ed to be true of the Missouri Pacific,
the Houston, East and West Texas,
and the coast lines of the Sante Fe
railroad,
Change in Strike Plans.
In the event of strike, leaders de-
clared, these roads probably would be
eliminated from the systems to be af.
4 fected, particularly if the nine hour
day clause turns out to be the real
stumbling block in the way of peace
1t is said that the leaders have chang
ed their strike plans completely now
and that they have dropped the origin.
s al idea of tying UP the entire forty
railroads west Of Chicago and New
!, Orleans. Probably only few of tne
.llarger systems will be included in a
strike order, should one be issued.
/ It was estimated that the negotia,
{ ton for higher wages and shorter
hours have cost the railroad brother
hoods a larger sum of money to date
than ever was expended before in q
similar movement. The negotiations
began Jan. % and have continued
with an interim of about three weeks
almost uninterruptedly. The employees
committee consists of 1876 members
whose expenses average $40 a day
The total cost to the organizations is
said to be not far from 100000.
Earthquake in Azores.