The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-04-02
APPEALS TO MEN
TO REMAIN FIRM
Vice Grand Master Dodge Talks
to Trainmen on the Strike
Situation.

T. r. Dodge, first vice president Of the
Brotherhood of RailN Trainmen. was
In Ogden yesterday, and last evening adj
dressed secret gathering of traiumen
Ia \. o. L. w. hall While it was stat
ed that Mr.. Dodge did not come 70 Og-
zen 10 address che men on the matter of
The impending trouble between the train
men and conductors and the railroads Of
The west, II T. understood that he touched
upon that subject and urged the men 10
remain firm but conservative.
Mr.. Dodge was at the Healv vester-
cay and talked concerning the POSSIBLE
les or strike. He said:
We are hoping for peSceabl@ ad-
Iustment Of the trouble. ] have had no
recent advtces direct from Chicago and
have been watching pretty closely the re-
ports i'm the papers. / know, however.
hat the men are firm in their demands,
Versy ] would say that the general man.
ayers must back down, if they are sin
rcTc i'm their desire to avoid a strike.
What strikes me as most peculiar is the
TACT that the railroad companies affected
have made no move toward preparing for
a strike as is usual in such cases. 1t
would seem, therefore. that Trey have
some trump card vet unplaVpd or that
they are not taking the matter at all Sc
-iOusly. believing that we are putting up
4 buff.
THE trainmen have made all the con-
-cSsiOnS that they will make and IL would
appear that the whole matter is now up
r
"a the general managers. ! can say this
and say il truthfuly. that if a strike
hoes come the American Railway uuiol
strike OF "a Will not be circumstance
10 1t. Figure it cut for Yoursclf-fOrty-
-wo railroads tied up and 5000 trainmen
and loco conductors on strike. As mat
-cr IF fact both brotherhOOds affected
nave not left a stone unturned in their
preparation for the worst. NOtwithstand-
ing the newspaper reports to the con-
traTy. / know that the men will go out
II called. more than 9S per cent of the
men in our organization. on the lines in
question. having previously voted in favor
Of n strike unless the demands were
granted. Unless an agreement is reached
soon ! expect TO see the negotiations
broken off before the end of the week.
1T is a cold business proposition with
the men and il will be handled as such
TO the end. The railroads Of the cOun-
try are at the present time unable TO
handle the business over their lines. What
hands? They have admitted, and their
own published statements prove, that
they are well able to grant the increase
should they so desire
Mr.. Dodge leaves today for Evanston
where he will address the traiDmen this
evening Tomorrow evening he is sChed-
uled to appear before the trainmen at
Rawlins, and then he will go direct to
Chicago. which he expects to reach Fri
day morning. He said that there are
10000 members in the trainmen's order
and that during the past year they had
paid out through their mutual benefit de-
partment more than N.500,O00. Mr.. Dodge
also said that his main mission on his
benefits made by members of the order.
u is his opinion that a strike, il one re-
suited, would be settled one way or the
other in three weeks time. and he in
sisted that both the trainmen's and con-
ductors' organizations are financially able
to wage a long struggle.