The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-06-02
MAILS TIED UP
By The Firemen's Strike on the
Georgia Road
NOT A WHEEL STIRS

Along the Entire System and
Crisis Has Been Reached-Chief
of the Federal Bureau Of Labor
Reaches Scene Of Strike-Towns
Feeling the Strike.
How kss than a hundred striking
Georgia Railroad fremen were able
10 stop practically all train service
in territory ITO miles long and
from twenty-five to hundred miles
wide was the knotty problem into
which United States Commissioner
of Labor Chas. P. Neill plunged I'M
:nediately after his arrival at Allan
ia, Ca, on Tuesday night. An
amissary of conciliation he faced hrst
the race problem, the force behind
the strike; second, an announced
wish OF many persons in this Sec
ton to have Georgians settle this
question by arbitration, and third,
the necessity of moving the United
States mail Immediately. Within
two hours after his arrival Mr.. Neill
was in private conference with Cen
eral Manager Scott Of the Georgia
Railroad.
A dispatch from Atlanta says what
a remarkable feat this handful OF
union dremen accomplished and what
power was behind them became ap-
parent Tuesday when a considerable
section of Georgia was compelled to
RELY on automobiles for passenger,
mail and express service; and when
the transportation Of such necessl-
ties Of life as food dropped back to
the methods of former degree of
civilization, namely, to wagons and
even pack animals.
The four score fremen alone did
not produce this situation. 1t was
tho 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 thei1
veins, VINO came forward and an
nounced that negro fremen should
not be given seniority over white
fremen. From some hidden source
Of public opinion these men have uI
| to now made good this racial ulti.
matum. Few of these men were fire
men, some did not even claim to bs
acquainted with striking fremen, anG
a dozen or more are said to have
come from counties lying some dis
tance from the railroad. They &C
omplished the tie-up without seriou:
acts of violence, with few cases O.
throwing stones, which appear tx
have been accepted as warnings O.
what might happen if trains contin
ued to run.
A settlement by arbitration shoult
not be difficult so far as the strikers
demands are concerned, Vice Presi
dent Ball, of the fremen's organiza
ton, said Tuesday, because the fire
men are not trying to exact hare
and fast settlement. They strucl
because ten white firemen were re
placed by negro fremen. The rail
road officials declare that the ne
groes were put Ia these position
as rewards for faithful service, anc
that they are within their lega
rights in such action. Upon thi:
one crucial point Of the controvers!
there has as yet been no sign o.
agreement.
The directors Of the road, the
general manager and other official:
were in almost continual conference
Tuesday, and it was reported thai
some Of the directors strongly IA
vored Governor Smiths proposition
for each side to select three Geor.
: gians as arbitrators. Mr.. Scott would
not say whether these offers would
be accepted. The directors include
men with local business interests
which are liable to be affected un.
favorably by long tie-up.
|
Hand cars, automobiles and in.
terurban cars made little Impression
upon the 5000 pounds of delayed
mails in the Atlanta postofice Here
and there in the strike district a ru-
raj postmaster shouldered sack OF
| outgoing mail, and after hours OF
hard work, riding and walking,
managed to reach railroad station
not affected by the strike Reports
were current that the Federal courts
might interfere and place guards
on trains in order to get the mails
through. No such action, however,
developed. The strikers have an
nounced that they are willing tc
nre engines to carry mails, but that
such engines must carry mails only,
and not passengers.
Reports that the necessities of life
were lacking in some communities
caused Governor Smith to telegraph
along the line of the Georgia Rail
road inquiring whether there was
any food shortage. No replies in
dicating such condition were re-
ceived, and numerous reports stated
that there was plenty to eat every
where. Business men, however, COM
planned of serious financial loss.
For the first time since the be-
girD'-s Of the strike General Man
az Scott conferred with Governor
18th Tuesday evening. Afterward
The Governor said:
I'VE discussed the situation fully,
and am now very hopeful that some
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