The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-02
Kruttschnitt Refuses to Recognize Federation
 of Unions
DECLARED STRIKE e IS NOT PROBABLE
Unions Inform President Markham of Thirty Days Time to Alter Con- tracts and They May Gain
 Recognition This Way

San Francisco, September 1.-The iSouthern Pacific Railroad company, through Julius Kruttschnitt, vice pres ident and director of maintenance and operation of the Hartman lines, abso- lutely rejected today a demand for rec ognition of the Federation of Shop Elm ployes. comprising five shop craft unions and 25,0o0 men.
 That such recognition. with it's im- pllcations, would hamper the company in performing its duty to the public was the position taken by its offi- cials. Union leaders asked for 1t on grounds of economy and expedition and admittedly because of feeling that greater centralization of capital and power made corresponding centraliza- tion among various unions desirable. The unions involved had asked their general officers for permission to strike i9 the event of refusal to grant the ~ federation recognition.
 A conference lasting three hours and twenty minutes was terminated by Mr. Kruttschnitt's final answer and follow ing it the union representatives, sober faced, went into session by themselves to consider the strike vote. which they may accept as binding or may reject. refusing to sanction strike.
 Those who conferred today were, for the railroad, Julius Kruttschnitt, k. E. Calvin, vice president and general man ager of the Southern Pacific; w. R. Scott, assistant general manager; H. J. Small, superintendent of motive power R. R. Cleary, assistant to the general oh inf n the bureau of economies.
 For the unions appeared J. W. Kline, International president of the Black smiths union, and spokesman for his col leagues: M F. Ryan, general president of the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen, J. A. Franklin, international president Of the Boiermakers' union: J. D. Backalew, vice president of the International Asso- citation of Machinists, and J. D. Crane, ex-president of the Sheet Metal Workers ,nicr who represented hlssscraft in the absence of President Michael O'Suilivan . of the international union
 Today's meeting began at II o'clock in the local offices Of the Southern Pacific. President Kline, it was learned tonight, presented the case for the unions and re- piled to questions put to him by the rail- read officials, who acted without for nal spokesman during the discussion. MT.
 
 grounds, and one of the officials said to- right .'held his own in the question from his angle of the case. Once or twice the discussion became lively, but it never ranged beyond cooheaded argu- raent. The railroad officials in their turn took the position already publicly an- xounced by Mir. Kruttschntt
 Issues Statement
 At the end of the conference MT. Krutt- echnitt issued the following statement:
 "A conference was held between the na- tional officers of the shop employees and Southern Pacific officials (Here he enumerated those present. and contin- ued):
 Tn the conference the question of bene- fits to accrue to both the companies and the men from a federation were fully presented by the international officers and the officers of the railroad company explained at length the embarrassment that the company would experience in performing it's public functions if ham pered by a committee vested with suf- ficient power to control or partially con- trol it's operations.
 .The discussion lasted from Il a. m. un- til nearly 2:30 D. m. without altering the <. situation
 Some seeming ambiguity in the final phrase without altering the situation was cleared up tonight by a railroad of ficial who said authoritatively 1t was in- tended to mean that there was no change from MT Kruttschnitt's previous posi- tion.
 "We have not refused to see the men further, however" said this official. But our position is fixed
 Union leaders have made no secret of their anxiety to avert a strike and means to that end were canvassed freely In their meeting tonight
 Our meeting with MT. Kruttschnitt today was without result" said J. ". Kline tonight Neither side would concede anything. The demand that he recognize the federation was presented to MT. Kruttschnitt. but he refused to grant it. However, we still have hopes of averting a strike"
 Liter continuing in session for some time the labor leaders adjourned for supper and then renewed their delib- erations. They announced during the recess that no decision had been reach cd relative to the action to be taken in view of the failure of today's ne- gotiations, but that they probably would have statement to give out later.
 of the International unions committee composing the federal and shop employees of the Illinois Central employees who have been refused recognition by President Markham or that road, today gave go days formal notice to the railroad that they desire alterations iii their contracts This move followed the communication Of President Markham to the union rep resentatives in which he refused to rec ognize any organizations except those with which the railroad has contracts, and called attention to the clause re- auiring 90 days notice to abrogate the contracts.
 Ask Another Conference
 The union representatives also forward ed communication to the railorad ask ing for another conference with Presi- dent Markham on Tuesday He received i the communication late in the day and said he would wait until tomorrow to an swer. He refused to say what his answer would be. The union leaders are confi- dent he will receive them and while awaiting the expiration Of the 30-day period to change the existing contracts. they inteps to know their efforts to gain 2 .fecosnitid flor the federation
 The notices sent to the railroad by the union are rot cancellation Of contracts. They were sent in an effort formally to comply with the letter of the contracts and union leaders say they Will not delay further negotiations during the so-day fl period.
 ssvsrh secret conierenoss among the