The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-12-01
THIRTEEN RAILWAYS
TIED UP. SWlTCHMEN
BEING ON STRIKE
Continue from Faae &c.

pay Of switchmen employed in the ter
ritOry west of Havre, Mont, on the
Great Northern railway, and west OF
BiIlings, Mont, on the Northern Pa
citc railway, the diherential in that
territory for sWitchmen having obtained
for about Two years.
Further concessions were declined
Tor the reason that the rates OF pay
OF switchmen were increased over 15
per cent in November, 1906, and be-
cause the rates at that time estab-
lished had not been reduced during the
period Of business depression which
followed.
"The attention of the switchmen was
called to the fact that in 1906 the
switchmen were granted a larger per
centage Of Increase than any other class
OF employees in train service. AT the
present rate the wages of the switch
men average over 500 per month.
On November 20. 1903, in submit
ting Its final answer to the switchmen,
the managers committee, assuming
that the sWitchmen Joined in the desire
for an amicable adjustment Of ques-
t1Ons under consideration, suggested
that the demands be submitted TO arbi
tFauOn under the provisions of the Erd-
man act. The switchmen declined to
accept this suggestion, and in their
final written answer to the managers
committee, made the statement that the
committee begs leave to state that it
VIII not submit to arbitration under any
circumstances"
Mediators Called In.
The statement then recites that on No
vember %. after a discussion of the pro-
pOsal to arbitrate under the terms of the
Erdman act at the suggestion of Presi-
dent Hawley, a joint telegram was ad-
dressed to Martin A. Knapp of the inter
state commerce commission and Charles
p. Neill, United States commissioner Of
labor, asking them to act as mediators I'M
der the Erdman act
Continuing the statement says:
Monday, November %, was selected as
the day for conference between Messrs.
Knapp and Nein and representatives of
the railroads and sWitchmen at St. Paul.
about November %, before the confer
ence with Messrs. Knapp and Neill had
begun, despite the understanding reached
in the conference that mediation under
the ETdman act should be invoked and
without the knowledge of either the man
ayers committee or mediatOrs, a strike
order was issued by the sWitchmen's COM
mittee, directing the sWitchmen of
thirteen Of the northwest railroads to
cease work at p. III. November 90 in
the event that their full demands had not
been conceded.
Violation of Good Faith Charged.
'This violation Of good faith so embar-
raised the negotiations that successful
mediation became impossible and led to
the demand by Mesrs. Knapp and Nell
addressed to both the managers commit
tee and the switchmen, that the cOntrO-
versy be submitted to arbitration under
the terms Of the Erdman act. To this
proposal the managers committee gave
its willing assent but the switchmen alb
solutely declined it.
1.-THE managers committee believes that
the public interests should not suffer be-
cause Of a disagreement where a proper
method to settle the difference is offered
through the decision Of a disinterested
third party under the terms Of federal
law"