The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-06-04
GEORGIA. STRIKERS
LIKELY TO RESORT
TO ARBITRATION
NO OTHER METHOD or SETTLING
TROUBLES is NOW IN
SIGHT.
ALL CONFERENCES FAILURES
Terminal Company Objected After
Railroad Had Given in-EmPloy-
ment And Promotion Of Negroes
Caused Row.

|
ATLANTA, Ga, June Unable u
agree upon the terms Of settlement
the officials of the Georgia Railroad
and OF the Brotherhood of Firemel
have invoked arbitration under tn
Erdman law 1t was nearly o'clocl
Monday night when Commissioner o
Labor Neill and Chairman Knapp, o
the Interstate Commerce Commission
reluctantly gave up the battle to bring
the warning elements together.
! Commissioner Neil notified both
parties to the dispute to select an arbi
traitor within FIVE days. These two
men will select third. The Erdman
act provides that should the two arbi
traitors be unable to agree upon the
third member of the commission, he
will be named by Knapp and Neil
The decision of the arbitrators is
made binding upon both parties by
law.
AS expected, the disagreement came
over the retention of negroes. The
fremen first demanded the dismissal
of all negroes. This was refused fat
ly by the railroad After considera-
BILE labor on the part of Messrs. Neil
and Knapp, the firemen submitted an
other proposition. They agreed that
those negroes now employed, or who
were employed prior to April 10,
should be retained on their present
footing. Recent promotions Of ne
groes had been cancelled before the
men returned to work They demand
ed that all white firement should have
seniority over all negroes. That is, il
a white fireman was employed today
he would rank ahead of all negroes,
no matter how long they were in the
service, when it come to promotion to
better runs. In addition, they asked
that at no time should the total num-
Der of negroes employed exceed 25
per cent OF the white fremen on the
pay roll. II at any time
he number of negroes employed |
lropped below rs per cent, no more to |
,e employed. 1t is said that the Geor- |
yia Railroad might have consented to
his were it not for the opposition OF |
he Terminal Company. When 1t was
cen that agreement was Impossible,
he Federal oficials gave up the fight
nd ordered that the dispute go to ar.
itration.
When the men returned to work
afternoon the road agreed
hat the status of April 10 should be
1t was upon that date that
he trouble began. The company had
hen promoted several negroes to good
lns and removed white f1remen to
lake room for them. Already the
ompany has restored the white fire.
len to the runs they held upon April
}. All other disputed points and de-
ands were conceded except the SEMI ,
'ity of white men and the limita-
on as to the number of negroes en-
Dyed
The white firemen claim that negro
'emen are not held to as strict en-
rcement of the rules as are the ,
hites, and they intimate that the :
'licy of the road seemed to be to dis ;.
arge whites at every opportunity
d replace them with blacks, who get
IS wages. General Manager Scott :,
MES this, and declares his willing =
IS to agree to a strict enforcement
all rules against the negroes. !,
The failure of the parties to the dis
tie to settle it themselves will not
ect the status quo. The men will =,
1tinue at work and say they are =
lfident they will win in the end.