Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-06-01
All Efforts TO Bring f1rsnea and
Railway Officials Together
Prove Futile.
ROAD OPERATING As USUAL
Strikers Working Peaeeabiy Pending
Settlement Of Differences--seniority
Of White Men and Limiting of Mum.
Der of Negro Employees the Bones
of Contention.
fRy Associated Press.l

(By Associated Press.)
ATLANTA, GA, MAY 31.-Unable
to agree upon the terms of settlement
the officials of the Georgia Railroad
and OF the Brotherhood OF Firemen
have invoked arbitration under the
Erdman law. It was nearly o'clock
tonight when Commissioner of Labor
NeilI and Chairman Knapp o. the In
terstate Commerce Commission reluc-
tantly gave up the battle to bring
the warning elements together.
COMMISSIONER NELL notified both
parties to the dispute to select an
arbitrator within five days. These
two men will select third. The Erd-
man act provides that should the two
arbitrators be unable to agree upon
the third member of the commission
he Will be named. by Knapp and
Neir.
The decision OF the arbitrators Is
made binding upon both parties by
law.
AS expected the disagreement came
over the retention Of negroes.
The flremen first demanded the dis
missaI of all negroes.
Refuse to Dismiss Negroes.
This was refused fatty by the rail-
road. After considerable labor on tna
part OF Messrs. Neill and Knapp, the
firemen submitted another PROPOSE
ton. They agreed that those negroes
now employed or who were employed
previous to April 10 shall be retained
on their present footing.
Recent promotions OF negroes had
been cancelled before the men return-
ed to work. They demanded that all
white fremen should have seniority
over all negroes. That is, IL white
fireman was employed today. he would
rank ahead Of all negroes. no matter
how long they are in the service.
when 1t came to promotion TO better
runs
In addition, they asked that at no ,
time should the number Of negroes
employed exceed twenty per cent
OF the white firemeB on the COM
peny's payroll. X at any time the
number Of negroes employed dropped
below twenty-five per cent. no moro
were to be employed. 1t is said that
the Georgia Railroad might have con-
scented to this we're IL not for the OPP
position OF the terminal company.
Agreement Impossible.
When II was seen that agreement
was impossible the federal officials
gave up the fight and ordered that
the dispute go to arbitration
When the men returned to work
Saturday afternoon the road agreed
that the status OF April 10 should be
restored. Il was upon that date that
the trouble began. The company had
then promoted several negroes 20
good runs and removed white fire.
men to make room for them
Already the company has restored
held upon April 10
ALL other disputed points and de-
mands we're conceded except the
seniority Of white men and the ,imita-
ton as to the number OF negroes en-
pioyed.
The white fremcn claim that negro
fremen are not held to 4 strict en-
forcement OF the rules as are the
whites and they intimate that the
pclicy of the road seemed to be 10
discharge whites At every opportuni-
~ and replace them with blacks who
get less wages
General Manager Scott denies this
and declares his willingness to agree
to a strict enforcement OF all rules
against the negroes
Nen continuc 10 Work.
Tho failure Of the parties 20 the
dispute to settle u themselves. viz
not affect the status QUO. The men
viii continue at work. and say tbey
end.