The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-03-16
Mediation Will Likely Put a Stop to
the Strike of $4,000 Firemen
Which Had Been
Voted for
TROUBLES SMOOTHED
Mediators From Government viii go
to Chicago and Satisfactory
Decision Will End the
Controversy.

CHICAGO, March 16.-The commit
tees representing the Brotherhood OF
Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen
and forty-nine southern and western
railroads are marking time today,
pending the arrival of Chairman
Knapp OF the interstate commerce
committee and Labor Commissioner
Neill, who will make an effort to bring
the two sides to settlement and avert
a disastrous railroad strike. Knapp
and Neill will reach Chicago tomor
row morning and at once go into con-
ference with the two committees. The
two government officials are acting un
der the Erdman act, designed to pre-,
vent disastrous labor controversies.
CHICAGO, March i6.--The danger
of an immense strike OF $1,000 FIRE.
men, and the throwing out OF employ
ment of more than 125,000 other EN-.
ployes and temporary suspension OF
business on practically every railroad
system between Chicago and the Pa
/ cific coast was averted through the ac
ceptance of offers of mediation from
the federal authorities at Washington.
At their request, the general managers
of forty-seven railroads involved, Chair
man Knapp of the interstate com
merce commission and Commissioner
of Labor Neill telegraphed an offer
of federal mediation to the union Of
ficials. This was accepted. w. S.
/ Carter. president of the brotherhood
s. Of Locomotive Firemen and Engineers,
, stipulated. however, that the action
must begin without delay
The appeal to Washington was tax
ell as An eleventh-hour move to pre-.
, vent walkout which it was declarst!
| threatened the greatest railroad strike
since 1894. Thirty-seven members OF
the western federated board of the
. brotherhood formally voted for q
$ strike, the hour set for the strike be-
: ing next Monday morning, and the
, members were prepared to start foi
| home. some of them as far as the Pa
: cific coast, to put the strike into ac
tion, when mediation steps We're
!. taken.
/, 1t is stipulated that the mediator:
S will come to Chicago. According tt
j. Carter, their foundation will not be
!. to arbitrate matters in dispute, bu
s to determine what shall be arbitrated
V The questions involve wages which
e both sides have agreed upon as arbi
:. trable and whether technical points
involving promotion and representa-
ton in the union which the brother
hood contends are. but which the rail
roads assert are not, arbitrable.
!. IF the mediation falls through, tn,
strike will go right on as planned,
: said Carter.
Conditions Like 1908.
MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi. March 16.-
There is danger of the firemen goin
: on strike, and general strike i
what is needed to set this countr.
= right" is the opinion expressed toda
by A. B. Stickney, former president o
u the Great Western railroad He re
turned yesterday from a trip throug,
= the east Conditions are the sam
as they were just before the strike @
y 1903" he said q think it would b
HI fair to give the railroad employees
III increase of wages in view of the hig
III cost of living, but the railroads are III
III able to grant the demands made bc
III cause they cannot raise the rates.
HI If Commissioners Knapp and Nei
HI hope to avert a strike of 2T,000 men
III bers of the Brotherhood Of Iocomotiy
III F'iremen and Enginemen, they wi
III have to act quickly when they arriv
III here tomorrow.
III This was made clear here this afte
III noon, when President Carter of tn
III brotherhood. in statement to th
Ill United Press declared his organic
III ton would not stand for any dillyda
HI lying.
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