New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-04-24
Text OF the Railroad Reply.

The final draft Of the managers reply
TO Commissioner NELL was sent to the
Hotel Manhattan late in the afternoon
and given out for publication shortly
after II read as followsl
New York. April %. 1912.
Hon. Martin \. Knapp. Presiding Judge
United states Commerce court
Mr. Charles T. Neill. United states COM
missioner OF Labor.
Gentlemen: Your letter Of April = mas
been received IN which you advise that ne
gotiauOns between the brotherhood OF -
comotiva Engineers and the conference
committee Of managers of the Eastern rdlI,
ways have been definitely broken on an
that a grave situation has arisen wmGH
threatens most serious consequences 10 the
public. In the emergency you are inpeirn
by the sense OF duty 10 tender your trl-nl-
" offices 10 the contend ng parties IN me
hope that some means may 90 FOUND 70 cd
lust the matters in dispute without me
calamity of a general strike
Thoroughly approaching the value OF your
good Offices and in the nope that So1s
means of reaching settlement can be de-
yised that will spare tue pubic the grave
consequences that might follow the sv'
france Of relations, We viii be glad 10 meet
Won in conference. - -
THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE OF
By j. 9. STUART. Chairman.
Following I'D their action Of Monday
night when they voted 10 accept the
mediation offer. the engineers Yesterday
sent 70 Commissioner Neill and Judge
Knapp this formal letter, emphasizing
the points, first that they doubted
whether the managers would change
from their previous unyielding attitude,
and second, that both parties must
agree 10 a truce and not try TO use the
delay to strengthen their positions;
Your joint letter OF to-day offering your
friendly Offices 70 the contendlng parueS
I'm the present controversy has been placed
before the chairmen representing the MY
roads involved. and | am instructed 10
make the following reply:
In view Of the suffering ana loss IhdL
would he entailed BY a strike We feel that
every honorable effort should be made 20
avert H. We believe the unyieiding attl-
tude OF the conference committee ol man
ayers will operate against an dicaoIe
snttlement being reached. Vet we rrdlL|o
the nubIIc Interest demands We should make
this tiua, effort TO secure settIemeht ~
fore reSorting 20 "A measure that Wouid 50
seriously interfere with the business OF
the country. We therefore accept your
offar Of mediation, with the understanding
that anv settlement reached VIII be- eHec,
tive this date, and that botn sizes VIII
faithfully ana honestly IeedL" 'ttI' 49,.
a. an armistiCe and not employ the delay
for the purpose Of securing taCucal auFaH-
tage.
With the mediation offer formally ac'
cepted by both parties. the provisions Of
the Erdman act give to Judge knapp
and Commissioner Nell authority to or
der arbitration if mediation fails. The
act also provides that the arbitrator
shall be chosen, one from the employers
one from the employees and third by
these two. If the two fail TO agree on
A third within five days he shall be APP
pointed bv Commissioner NELL and Judge
Knapp. and finally the act provides that
once the parties voluntarily accept medl-
alton. even if that fails and arbitration
proceeds. neither side may serve an ulti-
nahum on the other for a space Of three
months.
Chief Stones mail was burdened yes
terday with scores of letters from per-
sons who prOfessed to have an interes.
in the situation, most Of them freely
giving advice on how TO handle the
containing warnings Of the trouble that
would come to him if he permitted the
engineers to strike.
one man, who announced himself ls
A business agent Of the Bartenders'
Union. called to lodge a protest with
Mr.. Stone against the engineers patron
i2ing a hotel in which, as he claimed,
the bartenders were not union men. He
was not allowed to see the head Of the
engineers organization.
Kansas City. Mo. April 23.-Decaring
that a strike Of moe than 10000 men EN-
ployed on all Western railroads will be
called unless the trouble Of The railway car
men who have been on strike on Western
railroad several months IS mediated. the
officers Of the Federation Of Federatlcns,
which was organized Yesterday, sent tee-
gram to President TAFT late last night adj
yising him OF their intentions. The presi
dents OF twelve unions signed the message.
The strike would affect forty-seyen rail-
roads west and south Of Chicago.
The message says that the federation has
made preparations TO extend the strike on
the Hartman lines and the Illinois Central
Railway TO all other Western lines. Unless
a favorable reply is received from the Pres
tdeut action will be taken al once, say the
officials OF the federation The organization
embraces five crafts connected with rail
reading and has 3DO.vO members.
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