Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-12-27
STRIKE
At A STANDST|LL
FINAL COMPROMISE HAS BEEN
OFFERED At CHICAGO
CONFERENCE.
SITUATION LOOKS MORE CRITICAL
Peace or Gigantic War on Western
Railroads to be Outcome
Notable Concessions
Proposed.


peace had been virtually abandoned by
all concerned in the threatened strike
of engineers on 81 western roads, DR..
Neil, the government mediator, Of
fered final compromise and washed
his hands of the entire matter.
This compromise is said to make
notable concessions on both sides, but
the engineers are given the long end
of the bargain. If it is rejected DR..
Neill will formally offer arbitration
as required under the Erdman law
and Immediately take train for his
home in Washington. The indications
are that peace will prevail.
Exasperated at the attitude of the
general managers committee, which
has refused to take the strike threat
seriously, the engineers have reached
a point where they are ready to go
out on moments notice. If the order
is issued it will strike every railroad
west of Chicago at the same hour.
Only the yielding OF the railroads
and a further increase in the wages of
the engineers can prevent the clash.
Since Dec II Commissioner of Labor
Neill has worked day and night to
avert the strike and neither side has
yielded an inch.
Although the general managers have
professed to regard the strike vote of
the men to be mere bluff" the rep
resentatives of the engineers assert
that they never were 80 much in earn
est in their lives and that they are
ready to go the limit. They have
placed themselves deliberately in a
situation where, it is said, they can
not back down, unless they wish to
see their organization 90 to pieces.
The movement for wage increase
on western roads began in the con-
vention Of the engineers in Detroit
last May. In accordance with the con-
vention instructions the chairmen on
the various systems met and formu-
lated new wage schedules which were
substituted to the rank and file for
q vote last July.
When the demands were ratified by
the men they were presented to the
managers in August and negotiations
began Sept. rs last. The conference
lasted until Nov. when they
were broken off while the labor off,
Gals submitted the question of strike
to the men.
During the negotiations the original
demands had been scaled down to such
an extent that many of the men were
cd nd NH
whether they would agree to further
scaling down, or strike to enforce the
modified demands, the vote was 1888
per cent in favor of strike.
Now Way to Back Down.
Under the circumstances the lead
ers say there is no way for them to
back down without mourning the dis
pleasure of the members and making
the organization the laughing stock
among the other brotherhoods. 1t was
said Thursday that should the officers
attempt to settle on the basis offered
by the managers these men would
kick over the traces" and not &C.
cept the settlement
Asked regarding the carrying of
mails Chief Stone said that he did not
know of any law that would require
an engineer to houl train out of a
terminal if he did not want to do SO,
whether it carried mail or not. He
also asserted that the compulsory in
vestigation law in Canada would have
no effect on the situation and should
a strike be ordered it would tie up the
railroads in western Canada as well
as in the United States.