The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-30
Terms Of Agreement
Withheld.
KNAPP AND NELL
ISSUE A STATEMENT
IT'S Known That Both Sides Made
Concession.
-<-
E.s Comes After Mornins Of stirrias
Events in Town. of Georsta-
Me. Back 10
work.

Atlanta, May 29--Th strike OF tne
aremen on the Georgia Railroad was
officiaiiy declared on at o'clock TO-
day. An hour and q half later the hrst
train after the resumption Of service
was sent out OF Augusta with y negro
fireman In the cab.
The terms of the settlement were
not oficialfy given out, but IT was
learned that they are substantially as
follows:
condittons existing at the time the
strike began until nnaI adjustment IL
All negro fremen at the terminal
stations Will be dispensed with
All discharged Brotherhood hremen
will be reinstated.
Three other points are vet TO be de-
First, whether negro flremen shall
be eliminated from the road.
Second. IL not eliminated. what per
centage OF negroes there shall be.
Seniority. OF negro fremen over
white ffremen.
These other ahestions are TO be disl
cussed tonight and II they are not ad-
1usted they viii be settled by arbftrs-
ton under the Erdman act.
The settlement Of the strike was an-
nounced In statement signed by Mar
tin A Knapp. Chairman of the Inter-
state Commerce Commission. ana
Charles p. Neiil. United States Labor
Commissioner. It ssid:
"An amtcable adjustment OF the diff
ferences between the Georgia Rail-
road ana its employees who have been
on strike, has been reached on basis
emfnentiy satisfactory to both sides.
The strike has been called on and COM
pfete train service 10 to be resumed
immediately"
This statement was the result Of a
conference between Chairman Knapp.
Commissioner Neii General Manmses
scott. vice President Ball OF the Fire.
mems organisation, The conference
tasted from, ii !. nas uutil . D. M, ana
kvarv uoint OF Issue between the ROAD
ana It's employees was carefully din
T ctlssed. Commissioner Teiif said thar
both sides made eoncesslons. re ead-
Il e aInsd sfefsrisenl would IS made
Nefore next week 1t II generally be-
ikavad that the road agreed TO r6cuK-
nize the seniority of white firenen and
that the employment OF certain negro
nremen who have been with the roaa
they are retired. no other blacks viii
be permitted to IRE.
Had there not been a settlement OF
The strike this afternoon, Ht can be
stated that Federal interference was
Imminent It is reported that both
sides were notified that some adjust
ment must be reached by o'clock to-
day or the Federal courts would take
eo9nizance OF the situation. This prob
ably would have meant in5unctions,
which, in the present temper OF the
residents of the strike district almost
certainly meant resistance and possf-
Bile violation and speedily thereafter
the arrival of United States troops,
a5t Cause Of the Strike,
The strike commenced May II ana
lasted thirteen days. Il was caused
by the attempt of the company 70 put
negro fremen on the best trains IN
inferior runs or made substitutes the
men presented a new agreement to Gen.
eral Manager Scott, demanding that he
recognize the seniority OF white fire.
men over blacks ana thus practically
do away with the negro In the cabs.
Scott refused. claiming that he had no
authority to sign such an agreement.
ciAi who had authority and falling TO
fnd one. struck. General Manager
Scott retaliated by practically anuul.
ling ali trains and thus tieinR up
trafiic. After q few days, the situa.
ton became grave In some communi.
ties. Food supplies ran low ana no
new stocks could be secured. The nee.
essaries Of life were hauled in
wagons and automobiles. No mails
were sent or received and even funoe-
ais were prevented.
The sentiment Of the communities
was with the strikers because the
principle Of the race question was il.
volved In some places. mass meet.
ings were held. and IL was resolved TO
do without mails and 20 haul food In
wagons. rather than have the black
men in the cabs. They threatened to
do violence to any negro fireman founa
in a cab. The railroad oficiaIs final-
~ sent out mall trains with negroes az
the hrebox. These were permitted 10
move unmoiested, but when the at
tempt was made to move freiwhts
there were assaults and throwing OF
stones. Several fremen were injured
two or three negro firemen whipped
aud two engineers hurt.
The communities through which the
Georgia Railroad passed, are delighted
at the settlement, ana believe the Are
men have won all the disputed points.
They add 0owaRer, in many towns,
that whether thy hremen agreelor not,
TO the negroes In the cabs, the citizens