The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-12-28
TO SETTLE
At ANY TIME
RAILROAD AND STRIKERS ARE
BOTH CONFIDENT THAT THE
END is NEAR.

settled at any moment and without
any preliminary noise is the general
opinion expressed by both the railroad
officials and the strikers yesterday.
The two parties are in conference in
St Paul and settlement is expected
at any moment. The following tele-
gram. sent out yesterday by General
Manager George r. Slade. is dupli-
cate of the letter written yesterday
By representatives of the Is affected
railroads to Governor Eberhart of
Minnesota and explains the situation
clearly:
Hon A. o. Eberhart, state capitol, st.
Paul. MINI.
My dear sir: In response to the in
vitation from your excellency, repre-
sentatives of the IS Twin City lines.
whose switchmen are now on strike.
attended a meeting at the capitol
building on Thursday. December %. In
opening the meeting your excellency
recommended to the representatives Of
the railways and to the representatives
of the switchmen, a basis of settle
ment as follows:
That it had been brought to your
attention that a conference between
representatives of certain railways in
Chicago and representatives of their
switchmen now being held to consider
proposals for increase in wages and
changes i'm working conditions. and
that the matters under consideration
were similar to these presented to the
representatives of the Twin City lines
and that in the opinion of your ex-
cellency, if the representatives of the
Twin City lines would agree to apply
the provisions of whatever settlement,
might be reached through the Chi
cago conference to the switchmen en-
ployes upon the Twin City lines and
re-employ as far as possible the men
who left the service of these lines on
November 80, such IA settlement would
be fair and equitable. The represent
atives of the railways then withdrew
to consider your excellency's proposal.
and accepted it in a written statement.
which was handed to you and which,
is here quoted:
"A conference between representa-
tives of the railways in the Chicago
district and representatives of their
switchmen is now in progress for the
purpose of determining scale of
wages and the establishment of work
ing conditions for that district. The
rates of wages in the Chicago district
and i'm the Minnesota cities for switch
men have been identical and the work
ing conditions similar. The represent
atives of the Twin City lines. in con-
ference this date. have confirmed, by.
ySln nj h. -
eNcellency., that these roads represent
ed VIII agree to re-employ such of
their former yard employees as the
roads may have places for, at the rates
of pay and under the working condi-
| lions in effect November /. 1909, and
that at the termination of the Chi
eago conference, the lines here repre-
scented will meet any additions in rates
of pay or working conditions that may
! be granted by the Chicago lines to
their switchmen and stsat as hereto
] fore announced the differential of :
cents per hour in the wages of
switehmen will apply i'm the territory
Billings and west on the Northern Pa =
cific railway, and in the territory
Havre and west on the Great Northern
railway. 1t is the understanding or
the representatives of the Twin City
lines that the matter of accomplishing
the switchmen who voluntarily left the
service of the Twin City lines on No
Sember 80, requires further explana-
tons. With every wish to meet any
suggestions made by your sxcellency
about the natural desire of employers
to help worthy men who gave up their
positions and who should he NJ wnrL
for the support of their families and
themselves. the representatives of the
Twin City lines submit that no hard
ship should be imposed, nor any in
justice permitted to the large amount
of present employees in yard service,
who are in no way responsible FOR
the present situation.
When the former yard employees of
the. railways voluntarily gave up their
positions on November 80. after refus
ing the offer of the railroads to arbi-