Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-05-27
Greatest Grievance of the Georgia
Railroad 8 Firemen Is En-
ployment Of Negroes.
ROAD COMPLETELY TIED UP
4 rev Wen In Committees nIOng the
Line stoned Trains BccnUsc They
Objected 10 Negroes being
Given Positions over
the whites.

than 100 striking Georgia railroad
fremen were able to stop practically
ell train service in territory 40
miles long and from - to 100 miles
wide was the knotty problem into
which United states Commissioner Of
Labor Charles =. Neil plunged immed-
lately after his arrival here Tonight.
~ emissary of the national board
of mediation he faced first the race
problem, the force behind the strike.
second, an announced wish of many
persons in this section to have Gcor-
gians settle this question by arbitra
ton, aud third tho necessity of NOV
Ing the United states mails immed-
lately.
Within two hours after his arrival
Mr.. Neil was in private conference
with General Manager Scott Of the
Georgia railroad with no intimation
RS to when the negotiations might
bring results. .
What a remarkable feat this hand
ful of union firemen accomplished and
what power was behind them became
apparent to-day when a consdcra bic
section OF this state was compelled
ger, mail and express service and
when the Transportation of such nee
sssities of life as food dropped back
10 the methods OF a former degree of
civilization. namely, to wa CONS and
even pack animals
The four score iircmen alone did not
produce this situation. 1t was the conf
munitics which the railroad served that
stopped every wheel of the system during
the past three days; not the officials Of
the communities. but a few men who are
said to have fighting blood IN their veins,
who came forward and announced that
negro firemen should not he given senior
ty over white fremen. From some hid
den source of public opinion these men
have up to now made good this radical
ultn1ation.
Few Of these men were fremen. some
did not even claim to be acu,,a ed with
striking fremen. They accomplished the
tie-up without serious acts Of violence,
with a few cases Of throwing stones
which appear TO have been accomplished
warnings of what might happen il
trains continued to run
settlement by arbitration should
not he difficult so far as the strikers
demands are concerned. Vice President
Ball. Of the fremen's organization
said to-day because tho f1remen are
not trying to exact a hard and fast
settlement They struck because 30
white hremen were replaced by negro
fremen. The railroad officials declare
that the negroes We're put in these
positions as rewards for faithful SER
vice and that they are within their
vic in ct ic
one crucial point Of the controversy
there has as yet been no sign of agree
ment.
The officials Of the road We're in al
most continual conference to-day and
II was reported that some Of the di-
roctors strongly favored Governor
Smiths proposition for each side TO
select three Gcorgians as arbitrator.
General anager Scott would not say
whether this Offer would be accepted.
Hand cars, automobiles and interurban
cars to-day made little impression upon
.hc 1900 pounds of delayed mails in the
Atlanta postoffice. Here and there in
the strike district rural postmaster
rhouldered sack Of outgoing mail and
inter hours OF hard work riding and
walking managed to reach an unaffected
railroad station.
Reports We're current that the federal
courts might interfere and place guards
on trains in order to get the mails
through. No such action. however. de-
veloped locally.
The strikers have announced that they
are willing to fire engines TO carry mails,
hut that such engines must carry ma is
Only and not passengers
Reports that the necessities OF life were
lacking in some communities caused
Governor Smith to-day to telegraph along
the line of the Georgia railroad inaulr-
ege. No replies indicating such n condi-
ton were received. Business men. how
ever, complained OF serious financial
loss.
MANAGER MEETS GOVERNOR.
For the first time since the beginning
Of the strike. General Manager Scott
conferred with Governor Smith this
evening. Afterward the Governor said:
I'VE discussed the situation fully and
] am now very hopeful that some steps
may be taken which will bring about
speedy adjustment. In the meantime
] regard II as Of the utmost Importance
that perfect order should prevail"
Present at this conference were state
ming, Gen. Counsel for he Georgia rail-
road.