The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-07
Union Officials Deny Infor- nation After Another
 All-Day Conference
OF A
 STRIKE LESSENED
kruttschnitt Arrives in Chicago and States There Is No Real Com nection Between Hartman
 Lines and I. C. Situation

| of the international committee represent | ing unions involved in the dispute with the Illinois Central Railroad company had refused today to sanction strike of the federated shop employees of the road. action was deferred until members of the executive board of the International Association of Machinists can meet in this city next Sunday.
 The international committee decided it would be unwise to grant the sanction of the international organization to the threatened strike and agreed to turn re- sponsibility over to the committee of the system federation of the Illinois Central shop workmen.
 l Later however, P J. Conin, vice pres ident of the International Association of Machinists, and a member of the con ference committee, protested against turning over responsibility to the sys- tenn federation representatives until the executive board of his organization could | be consulted.
 James O'Connell, president of the ma- chnists. and other members of the board were teegraphed for. and they will ar rive here Sunday. Meanwhile little change
 in the strike situation is expected, and n- dieations point toward strike. | The international committee was in 5es- sion again today, seeming anxious to sug- | gest some way to adjust the difficulties | without strike. At the close of the | days conference W F. Kramer, secre-
 tary of the International 3lacksmiths and Helpers, and chairman of the inter- national committee, said there was no | a Tha having been wrestling with the problem 1 for two days and having made no an- nouncement of the nature of it's delibera- tions, Chairman Kramer's statement was | taken as an indication that the commit
 tee was exerting every effort to bring about a peaceful settlement of the diffi- eulty.
 Late in the day ]. F. McCreery, presi- dent of the Federation of Shop Employee | of the Illinois Central who had not been l in the secret conference of the interna- tional officers, called Secretary Kramer | on the telephone. MT. Kramer Is said to have reported to him the opinion of in- ternational leaders. but what that was President McCreery could not reveal to- night.
 It was reported, however, that many of the international officers, after a careful | canvass of the industrial situation felt | that strike of the shop employees at this | time would be inadvisabe if not disas- | trous. For two days they have been lis- cussing the prospects and mindful of the expressed desire the part of the shop | men to strike If necessary to force the 1 railroad to recognize the federation as an l organization, were slow to refuse inter- national sanction of the strike.
 Refuse to Talk
 None of the system federation commt- l tee here would talk about the situation | tonight, but it was certain no strike orders had been issued at late hour
 For the shopmen to attempt the strug- gle without support of the internatiohals
 it was pointed out, would be folly. | C. H. Markham, president of the Illinois | Central, declined today to reply to the communication sent him yesterday by | Secretary Kramer. attempting to show that the unions had not. as he charged, violated the 30 day notice clause in ask | ing for conference.
 1 The arrival here today of Julius Krutt- schnitt, vice president and director of | maintenance of the Hartman lines, was expected to. develop bearing on the Illinois Central labor difficulties. l The Hartman executive. who rejected the demands of the railroad shopmen made at San Francisco last week, was believed to have conference with Pres l ident Markham of the Illinois Central | on his programme. MT. Markham on Mon- day declined to meet agents of the new | federation of the Illinois Central shop 1 workers just as Kruttschnitt did at San Francisco.
 The letter made public by the shopmen
 last night, in which MT. Markham is in-
 formed that he will be responsible should
 & strike develop, was received by the l Illinois Central head.
 | Kruttschnitt went direct to his offices.
 where he was in conference with his as- sistants for several hours
 Chairman W. F. Kramer. who is pre- | siding at the conference of labor chiefs. said today:
 Make no Progress | we are just where we were just at this time yesterday. We have reached
 no decision and don't know when we will.
 I do not expect a reply to our last let ter to President Markham of the 1lli- | nois Central
 When seen shortly before noon, Julius Kruttschnitt said:
 T am not interested in any official
 way in the Illinois Central railroad trou- ble. and know nothing about it except 1 what I have read in the newspapers The Hartman, lines and the Illinois Central are entirely independent, and don't see l now 1 COulu DC CdlicQ III SOuAcT0uCe Witn | President Markham. In regard to the situation on the Markham lines. there l have been no developments since I left | San Francisco last Friday. I have had no communication with the railroad, l and they have had none with me. We were compelled to deny the demand of l the men because of their unreasonable | ness.
 President McCreery of the Federation
 of Illinois Central Railroad Shop Elm | ployes, said: The men want to strike and are growing very restless at the delay 1 received word today that a .
 few shopmen employed at the Burn side shop took their tools with them when they went home from work last night and will not return until some definite action Is taken. I don't know how many men may have followed this course I think it is due the men that some decision be reached today"
 San Francisco. September 6.-Refusal of the officials of the Illinois Central to recognize the Federation of Shopmen of that system. will not affect the sit- | U .