The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-15
Total of 25,OOO Men Will Stop Work At Some Spec
 ifd Time Today
NEGOTIATIONS WITH
 EMPLOYERS AT AN END
pre-idept Carter Calls the Strike After Demands Are Turned Down--RaiI- roads Will Appeal to Govern
 ment at Washington

Chicago, March 15.-At midnight W. s. Carter, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen an- bounced that strike of 25000 firemen on practically all the western railroads had been calle
 Mir. Carter said the decision to strike had been reached at a meeting of 43 members of the Western Federated Board of the Brotherhood each member repre- senting western road.
 The exact hour at which the men are to walk out, he said, would be decided upon tomorrow, and every member of the union between Chicago and the Pa ofic coast would be then informed by telegraph when to quit work.
 The railroads issued statement de- clarng that to prevent strike they would, if necessary. appeal to the au- thorities at Washington.
 ''The strike has been called-that much Is certain" said MT. Carter. Tt means that not only 2o,OOo fremen, members of our union, will go out, but perhaps that many more employees will be thu own out in consequence We gave our ultimatum to strike, and we were prepared to call che unless we were granted arbitration of all questions in dispute. The railroads refused to arbitrate anything but the wage question.
 ..At midnight tonight we decided 1t was useless to further barley with the rail- road managers. We adopted resoln- ton calling strike. Owing to the late. ness of the hour, and in order that the men would not go out in confusion, and not knowing the true state of affairs. we decided to wait until tomorrow before telegraphing the order.''
 "WiIl the men quit work tomorrow" MT. Carter was asked.
 ..The men will quit work within 24 hours after the order is issued" he re- piled.
 ..The controversy which has been un- der discussion for more than six weeks Involves 47 railroads operating west, northwest and southwest of Chicago, and embraces about 150pO0 miles of railroads"
 It has been previously stated by both sides that if strike were called it would tie up practically every freight and pas- renger train between Chicago and the Pacific coast
 Points i'll dispute are:
 Increase in wages demanded. which the union officials Say would amount to about 121s per cent, but which the rail- roads assert would amount to 221s per cent.
 The right of the union in questions of representation when fireman has been promoted to an engineman or to another capacity over which another union claims Jurisdiction.
 Question of seniority of the promotion of new men over the old-time employees.
 The railroad managers committee, com posed of ten of the general managers of Western roads and headed by w. C.. Nixon. general manager of the St. Louis and San Francisco railroad already had agreed to submit the wage question to arbitration under the Erdman act, but had declined to arbitrate the other two
 
 points on the ground that they were matters of official authority and dis cipline and could not be arbitrated
 To this attitude the union officials on Sunday sent what they called an ''ult- matum," declaring that if all three points were not submitted to settlement by arbitration a strike would be enevitable.
 Chairman w. c. Nixon. on behalf of the railroad managers, issued the fol- lowing statement:
 s'The railroads have not received the answer of the iremen's committee. Con sequently we hesitate to make comment. But 1t does not seem reasonable that strike will be called in the face of offered arbitration. The railroads offered to arbitrate the wage question Jan. P, and this offer still holds good. In case the Aremen's reply is to the effect that a strike will be called, the railroads will invoke the aid of the Erdman act through the chairman of the interstate commerce commission and the commissioner of labor in Washington to prevent their leaders from carrying out their threat"
 While many communications have passed between the union officials and the general managers. the latter assert they have not yet received direct an- swer to their offer to arbitrate the wage question. This is the answer referred to ln Mir Nixon's statement.
 The committee of general managers who have been conducting the negotia- tions with the firemen. and all of whom i are now in Chicago, consists of w c. Nixon chairman, St. Louis and San Francisco railroad; D. l.. Bush, Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad; F. ' Eward, Chicago. Burlington and Quincy ra ilroad; w. L. Park. Union Pacific rail- x aYoad; j. E. Hurley santa Fe system; Fl. M. Warner. Chicago Belt railroad, ". D. Cantillon, Chicago and North VI western railroad: F. H. Simmons, El 'fra5o 6hd South eastern railroad: W. 4. l$S6delG northetn FAcilc fatifeeG A A