Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-30
GEORGIA STRIKE IS SETTLED
Will Be Called Of, Says Neill After
Conference.
BOTH SIDES MAKE CONCESSIONS
Announcement Follows Ions Session
of Labor Commissioned, Railroad
omciaIs and Firemen's
Representative.

ATLANTA, Ca, May z.-At the conclus-
ion of the conference between Commits
sioner OF Labor Neill, T. X. Scott. general
manage of the Georgia railroad. and E.. A.
Ball, vice president Of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive F1remen and Enginemen, at
2 p. m. today. Commissioner of Labor
NELL announced that the strike had been
called off, that kilograms to that effect
had been sent to all interested parties and
that a statement would follow within half
an hour. 1t is understood that both sides
made concessions.
Train service will be resumed immedi-
ately.
Previous to the announcement Of a set
Element the indications were hat the day
would bring forth serious trouble and the
state decided to interfere in the strike.
State officials instructed the sheriff at
Lithonia TO summon a posse Of sufficient
size to protect and insure the movement
OF the stalled freight cars from Lithonia
to Atlanta.
Later there wa a renewal Of last nights
rioting, when a negro fireman was badly
beaten at Augusta. But before there was
serious consequences the police interferred
and settled the matter by arresting two
white men.
Ultimutum by People.
In the morning the people OF north
Georgia In the strike district had delivered
an ultiratum that negro flremen should
not be allowed to operate engines except
on the mail trains. This ultimatum came
in the form of strongly worded protests
from nearly every community along the
railroad, voicing Indignation against the
forcing OF negro firemen Onto the train
undar the rnyar ~ the TTp{ted Ctatae rnaIIs
To what extent the people were prepared
to carry out this timatum puzzled the
authorities here. 1t was known that this
intolerant spirit forced the resumption of
the negotiations toward arbitration.
Many leading citizens also openly de-
clared that the moment the Georgia road
attempted to move passengers or freight
with negro firemen life and property
might be destroyed and that certainly a
chaotic and dangerous condition would re-
suit.
The panic of negroes in the back woods
was pitiful. Reports we're circulated by a
few negroes that the strike was a fore
runner of a race riot which would destroy
their race. The race issue, however, ex-
tended to only those blacks who were fir
ing Georgia railroad trains.
Today also, for the first time, there had
bCtA a lNoa avn GhSh
Arbitration Feature simplIfied.
The arbitration feature of the Georgia
railroad strike was simplified today. 1t
was announced that General Manager
Scott of the railroad now had full power
to say whether or not there should be ar
bitration for every mile of track covered
by Georgia trains.
After a brief conference late last night
with Commissioner of Labor NELL, c. E.
Evans, fourth vice president of the Louis
Vile & Nashville railroad. left the city,
nothing being given out as the result of his
visit. Some of the firemen today were
negroes and others nonunion white men
on the different mail trains that are oper-
ated over the Georgia railroad. II the
engineers have objected to the negroes be-
cause Of their color, there has not been
the slightest indication of 1t. Rather the
engineers are heard to speak with the
usual friendliness in ordering Bob" or
Dick to stoke 'er up and get a move on
you"
But out on the line the feeling is I'M
m~istakable and 1t is decidedly adverse to
the presence of negro firemen. People liv-
ing near the Georgia railroad between
Atlanta and Augusta are in sympathy with
the striking firemen, and their sympathies,
as has been demonstrated within the last
few days are apt TO get the better OF their
Judgment They have taken up the fight
for the white firemen and they are MAX
ing 1t a white mans fight, and a fight
they declare, to a finish.
Violence Fires Feeling.
The violence at Lithonia last night was
known within an hour In almost every
town along the Georgia railroad and It
served to add to the already embittered
feelings or resentment manifested against
the railroad for using negro firemen in
operating the mail trains yesterday. At
Union Point and Thomson excitement was
reported at high pitch near midnight
Every one of the mail trains sent out to-
day carried United States postoffice in
spectors, as was the case yesterday, and
II is realized that an overt act directed
against a member of the crew on one of
these trains might result is still further
and more serious complications. The
postal authorities state positively this
morning. however. that they do not an
ticipate the slightest trouble in the opera
ton of the mail trains.
The mail train on the Georgia railroad
which left for Augusta this morning had
for its fireman a nonunion white man. A
negro was used on this train vesterdav