The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1909-12-30
Railroad Reply TO-
Gov. EbeIhaIt.
The Strike Situation as Shown
by The Railroads.
ST. Paul, 12.27-O9..

ST. faul, 11,AieVo.1
To The, Honorable A.C. Eberhart,
Governor, State of Minnesota.
My dear Sir: 5
In responce to an invitation from
your Excellency, representatives OF
the thirteen Twin City lines whose
switchmen, are on strike attended q
meeting at the Capitol Building on
Thursday, Dec. 23rd. In opening the.
meeting your Excellency recommended
to the representatives Of the Railways
and to the representatives of the
switchmen a basis of settlement as
follows.
That it had been brought to your
attention that a conference between re-
presentatives of certain railrays in
Chicago and representatives of their
switchmen was not being held to con-
slider proposals for increase in wages
and changes in working conditions
and that the matters under consider
alton were similar to those presented
to the representatives OF the Twin City
lines and that in the opinion OF your
Excellency if the representatives of the
Twin City lines would agree to. apply
the provisions OF whatever settlement
might be reachad through the Chicago
conference to the switchmen employed
upon the Twin City lines, re-employ as
far as possible the men who left the
services of those lines on November
Both, such settlement would be fair
equitable.
The representatives of the Railways
then withdrew to consider your Ex-
cellency's propositions and accepted
them in written statement, which was
handed to you and which is quoted
here.
A conference between the Railways
in the Chicago district and represent
atiyes of their switchmen is now in
progress for the purpose of determfn-
ing a scale of wages and the establish
ment Of working conditions for that
district
The rates OF wages in the Chicago
District and in the Minnesota cities
for switchmen have been identicle and
the working conditions similar. The
representatives of the Twin City lines
in conference this date have confirmed
by majority vote the report OF your
Excellency and that the roads repre-
sented will agree to re-employ such OF
their former employees as the roads
may have places for at the rates OF
paw and under the working conditions
in effect November 1st, 1909, and that
!. at that at the termination of the Chi
cago conference the Lines here repre-
sented will meet any additions in
rates of pay or working conditions
that may be granted by the Chicago
Lines to their switchmen and that as
heretofore announced the ditferential
OF two cents per hour in the wages O
switchmen will apply in the territory
of Billings and west on the Northern
Pacific Railway and in the territory o
Haver and west on the Great Northern
Railway.
It is the understanding OF the repre-
sentatives of the Twin City lines tina
the matter OF re.employing the switch
men who voluntarily left the service Q
the Twin City lines on November 3Oth
requires further explanation. Wit
every wish to meet any suggestion
made by your Excellency and with tn
natural desire of employers to he'll
men who gave up their positions an
who should be at work for the supper
of their families, the representative
ofthe Twin City Lines submit that n
hardship should be imposed or an
injustice permitted to the large nun
Der of present employees in yard SCI
vice who are in no way responsib
for the present situation.
When the former employees of tt
Railways voluntarily gave up the
positions on November Both, after r
fusjng the offer Of the Railroads
arbitrate and be bound by the arb
tration award without appeal, the r
fusal being made in the following IL
guage in a letter signed by Mr.. Ha,
ley and dated November 23rd. 1T
committee begs leave to state that
will not submit to arbitration und
any circumstances, Z it became ne
essary for the railroads to promo
many of the men who remained in 7
service, to transports from some 9th
branches and to employ many NJ
men in order to perform their duties
the public, the other employees and
the owners Of properties who are lar