Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1910-07-19
MAY ARB|TRATE
STRIKE BEGUN
ON GRAND TRUNK
Minister of Labor at Ottawa
Makes Offer in Behalf
of Government.
SOME TRAINS ARE RUN;
FEW PASSENGERS ABOARD
About 5000 Men Are Out and
Closing of Shops Makes
Thousands More Idle.

MONTREAL, July ia new turn
was given to the situation in the strike
of the Grand Trunk railway conductors
and trainmen here shortly after noon
by the receipt of a dispatch from the
minister of labor at Ottawa, Offering on
behalf of the government to appoint
board of arbitration on the trouble be-
tween the company and its employees.
the finding to be binding on both and
the government to bear all expenses in
connection Herewith. The offer was
submitted in the form OF a Letter to
President Hays, of the Grand Trunk,
and to the head officials of the unions
involved, and is now under considera-
tlon by them.
While there Is no intimation as to
how they will act upon the offer, 1t is
known that strong pressure Is being
brought to bear upon both sides to ac-
cept. 1t Is thought that from the fact
that President Hays had already made
an offer to arbitrate the difficulty the
company at least will accede to the
proposal.
Hard-to Move Trains.
Advices from all divisional points of
the Grand Trunk in Canada and from
Port Huron and Detroit indicate the
company is having greater difficulty In
keeping its trains moving than was at
first apparent. At some points no
tickets are being sold. because OF the
inability Of the company to guarantee
complete journey. Thus the train
which left Stratford, Ont. for Buffalo
at 10:45 this morning, carried no passen-
A II .tx-a <,f t4-ar n
union interest, trouble is feared as
soon as, strike-breakers begin to appear,
and the police precautions have been
redoubled.
Freight jams are reported at Toronto,
Hamilton and other points, while the
yards at Montreal are lined with freight
which the company is unable to move
An official of the company predicts
that the entire train service viii be re-
sumed within forty eight hours. basipz
his prediction, he said, upon the cQ<h-
Z panys apparent ability 10 secures 3all
the new men 1t wants. Manx<of the
men shut out of the shops hive taken
train service, and the u1fyn officials
bitterly denounce the Company for
closing the shops at this tine and
thereby forcing 10000 men into Idle
ness.
The International limited .sfrom Mon
treal to Chicago. the company's most
= important day train, left Bonaventure
station here as usual at o'clock this
morning, in charge Of a non-union
crew.
The company expects to replace many
Of the men who are on strike by re-
cruits from their shops.
The strike embraces all of the COM
iany's lines from Portland, Me-, to
Chicago. 1t involves nearly 5000 train
men and conductors
Succeed I'm Tying Up Freight.
The strikers say they are less con-
cerned in the stopping of passenger
traffic than in tying up the freight
traffic, important in crop-carrying.
This, they say. they have succeeded in
doing completely.
Both sides appear to be out for de-
terInined struggle The union officials
say they will accept nothing less than
the wages and conditions prescribed in
the Standardization rules. The COM
pany says 1t cannot meet any such con-
ditions.
The company is congratulating itself
upon the eleventh hour settlement
IndQ6 Will L5lcSfdPn OpcIdtOIS yes
terday, which removes that branch of
the service from participation in the
trouble.
The principal points involved in the
strike are, in addition to Montreal,
London and Stratford, Ontario and
Port Huron and Battle Creek, Mich,
in all of which places the company
has work shops. Dispatches received
at the company's headquarters from
all of these places this morning report
that no violence or trouble has de-
veloped at any point.
The Grand Trunk early posted no.
tees at Bonaventure station that all
local trains had been Cancelled. An
other notice warned all persons not
having business on the premises to
leave.
Song details Of police were posted
about the station in expectation of
trouble. and these kept the stations
clear Of all but bonafide passengers
and employees.