The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-28
Georgia Railroad Strike
Grows Tense.
EXPECTED DEVELOPMENTS
CAUSE GRAvEST CONCERN
Twelve Trains VIII Be Started To-
day for Mails.
Commissioner NeilI Has Notified Rail-
road That It Must Make Final
Decision Today ON Arbitra-
ton Question.

Atlanta. Ca. May 27--when IL be-
came definitely known here that me-
gro hremen are to be sent out with
some Of the mail trains tomorrow on
the Georgia Railroad, messages were
sent to the most important points
along the railroad, asking the author.
tiles to use thei rinfiuence to see that
no demonstrations are made against
the trains.
Atlanta. Ga. May 27.--A double
crisis will be reached tomorrow morn
ing In the Georgia Railroad strike.
First Will be the starting Of twelve
trains carrying mail only, through q
community quivering with intense in
terest as to whether white or black
hremen will feed the engines. and an
to what differences are to be drawn
from the make up of the crews re-
CARELESS of whether they are white Or
black. The gravest concern in this
breaking OF the ice by the first train
running in Ave days In a community
which en- nasse has supported the
racial contention of the strikers. ID
felt here tonight among the men wha
for forty eight hours have been con-
tinually working for some solution OF
the difficulty. Hopefuiness that tho
mall trains will be harbingera of peace
prevails but fears of complications ara
not concealeJI
The second crisis IL the fate of ar
bitration. BY noon tomorrow IL may
be known. No offlciai announcement
have been made but the assertion that
United States Commissioner of Labor
Neiil has notified Mr.. Scott of the rail-
road that he must make fiual decision
whether he will accept arbitration. haa
been repeatedly made In authoritative
sources throughout the day. II Is sig
nificant that tomorrow morning for the
first time complete conference on ar
Filtration will be possible The Ge0r~
gia joint terminal company controls
the tracks on which the Georgia Rail-
road enters Atlanta and the switchmen
insist that any agreement they arhi-
trate must include the terminal COM
pany. Three directors control this
company ana up 10 today, there has
| not been q ma tority Of them present
| In Atlanta to act In concurrence with
the Georgia Railroad. Tomorrow how.
ever, George r.. Evans, fourth vics
| president and general manassr 81 the
Louisville and Nashville. will arrive
here from Nashville and plans hava
heen made to call him into cot Terence
with General Manager Scott OF the
Georgia Railroad who Is also a direo.
tor Of the terminal company. II Is
known that the lack OF such quorum
IS these two directors will make. has
helped TO block q definite understands
Ing as to arbitration
The determination to run the mail
trains has reduced the problem OF get
Element to two issues: First, In what
manner the negro shall be allowed to
work, and, second, the interference
with interstate commerce and its pos
sible result in Federal Intervention.
The conferees believe that a great
gain has been made In eliminating the
poatodice departments dilemma and
leaving the Federal part of the prob
lem for the Interstate Commerce Come
mission only
The race issue tonight. however was
apparently as powerful as at the be-
ginning of the strike and the repre-
sentatives of moral support by the res-
idents of the strike district of white
firemen against negroes were even
more unanimous then at the start OF
the strike.
Postoffice inspectors win accompany
each of the trains. This announcement
was made tonight following confer
ence between George NJ Sutton, in-
spector in charge of the Atlanta diYis-
ion, and United States District Attor-
ney Taft
This action Is not taken because
we are appreh ensive OF trouble" said
Mr.. Sutton. but II was deemed visa
TO have experienced inspectors accom-
pany each OF the trains for the pur-
pose OF making observations and as
pertaining the sentiment of the peo-
ple along the line OF the Georgia Rail-
road as concerns the strike situation.
Should there be any trouble exDe-
rienced in operating the mail trains
the presence OF inspectors win not be
amiss. / want II understood, however
that we are not expecting trouble Of
any kind"
Won't Answer Questions.
General Manager Scott, of the Gsor-
gia Railroad. in announcing the re-
sumption of mail service. refused to
answer questions about the personnel
whether the road would accept the
services OF the brotherhood hreman as
proffered indirectly yesterday by Vice
President Ball. The announcement was
made, following a conference with As
sistant Grand Chief Burgess, OF the
Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers.
who said that he understood that the
government assures adequate protect
lon for the engineers.
II consider this a great concession
for the road to make" was Mr.. SCOTS
only comment after announcing She
mali trains,
These trains viii put out about 7.ao
y. NAAG main bOAeh6 G0NEAGQ DX
q train from Atlanta to Augusta, and
by an Augusta train travelling stimuli
taneously over the route in the oppo-
site direction. The branch lines VIII
be similarly covered by two traiua
each daily.
Reports today from the strike dis
trict brought news OF an interesting
economic development. the product Of
American resourcefulness and fair
play. Where three days ago eommn-
mites were sending out appeals FOR rho
necessities OF life. there now exists r
wagon and automobile service so well
developed that the last vesttge or want
has disappeared. This service Is uni
form ana governed by well-defaned
regulations. though without the scope
of state or interstate commissions.
Not a complaint Of unfairness or Of
extortionats prices was among the
reports coming In today. This general
content IL particularly noteworthy hs-
cause the mAke-shift Transportation
service ts nat the result OF communal
sort but Of private enterprise.
At Thomson Ga. today. every mee-
chant was running a line OF wagons