The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-05-27
Georgians viii Not Let Negroes
Fire Engines.
AUTOMOBILES IN SERVICE
Government Officials Concerned ovei
the Transportation of Mails and
the Federal Courts May
Take a Hand.

| ihllSS WluS 10 lie huOlty pIOUlSui
which United States Commissioner OF
Labor Neill faces.
AS 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 Geor'
gians settle this question by arbitra'
ton, and, third, the necessity Of NOV
ing the United States mails imme.
diately.
| Within two hours after his arrival
Mr.. Neill was in private conference
with General Manager Scott of the
Georgia railroad, with no intimation
as to when the negotiations might
bring results.
| Rely on Automobiles.
| What a remarkable feat this hand
full of union flremen accomplished and
what power was behind them became
apparent when considerable section
of this state was compelled to rely on
automobiles for passenger, mail and
express service, and when the trans
| portation of such necessities of life
as food dropped back to the methods
of former degree of civilization,
namely, to wagons and even pack ami
mails.
The four-score firemen alone did not
produce this situation. 1t was the
communities which the railroad
served that stopped every wheel of
the system during the past three
days; not the officials of these COM
munities, but a few men who are
said to have fighting blood in their
veins, who came forward and an
nounced that negro firemen should
not be given seniority over white fire.
men. From some hidden source of
public opinion these men have up to
now made good this racial ultimatum.
| Few Of these men were flremen,
some did not even claim to be &C.
quainted with striking firemen. They
accomplished the tie-up without seri
Gus acts of violence, with few cases
of throwing stones. which appear to
have been accomplished as warnings
of what might happen if trains contin.
ued to run.
| Demands OF the Firemen.
A settlement by arbitration should
not be difficult so far as the strikers
demands are concerned, Vice-Presi-
dent Ball Of the firemens' organiza-
ton said, because the firemen are not
trying to exact a hard and fast set
Element. They struck because ten
white firemen were replaced by negro
firemen. The railroad officials declare
that the negroes were put in these
positions as rewards for faithful serv,
Ice and that they are within their
legal rights in such action. Upon this
one crucial point of the controversy
there has as yet been no sign :.
agreement.
The officials of the road were - s.
most continual conference and 4 @&S
reported that some of the ,;&r..ct:.yS
strongly favored Gov. Smiths ,,rGsH2.:
ton for each side to s>;l&< RS
Georgians as arbitrat"~~ ing;
Manager Scott would not yaS S'6
this offer would be accepted.
Hand cars, automobiles end - ur
ban cars made little ar. essica !Eop
the 5000 pounds - 70 Gyes m lis n
the Atlanta pjst AcL. .tgI and
there in the Vt, - Sis' &C. rural
postmaster shoulder ~ of out
going mail and after hw.Ss of hard
work riding and walksrk managed to
reach an unaffected railroad station.
Federal Courts May Act.
Reports were current that the fed
eral courts might interfere and place
guards on trains to get the mails
through, No such action, however, de
lyeleped locally. ..N.
United States District Attorney Ir
win Is making a quiet investigation Of
the strike. Judge Pardee OF the
United States circuit court of appeal:
said he had not seen Mr.. Irwin and
that he has heard of no attempt tc
secure a federal order to facilitate
United States mail service
The strikers have announced thai
they are willing to fire engines tc
carry mails, but that such engines
must carry mails only and not pas
sengers.
Reports that the necessities OF life
were lacking in some communities
caused Gov Smith to telegraph alons
the line of the Georgia railroad inquir
ing whether there was any food short
age. No replies indicating such 8
condition We're received. Bushes:
men, however, complained of seriou!