The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-04-23
NO STRIKE YET
BY ENGINEERS
Railway Managers Have Decided to
Accept Offer Of Government
Mediation to Prevent
Trouble.
NELL AND KNAPP BUSY
"There VIII Be No strlke- Said on,
Railway Official Who Said an
Agreement VIII Be
Reached.
NELL AND KNAPP BUSY

L united ITeSS Leased wire S0TVC6. |
NEW YORK, April 23.-That the
railway managers had decided to ac-
cept the offer of governmental media
tion to prevent q general strike Of en-
gineers was considered absolutely
certain at their headquarters today.
One of the officials who refused to
permit the use Of his name, said:
There will be no strike. We will
accept the offer and there will event
ually be an amicable agreement"
The committee promised definite
answer to Messrs. Neill and Knapp
this afternoon. Both of the govern
ment officials said they expected this
answer to be favorable.
pN j
NelIl and Knapp.
NEW YORK, April 23.-When the
committee of the railroad managers
association went into session at head
quarters today. on its action depended
peace or war in the railroad world.
The committee of the engineers. in
pursuance with its historic attitude Of
rreferring arbitration to strikes, had
accepted the offer of mediation on be-
half of the federal government by
Commissioner Neill and Judge Knapp,
Of the court of commerce, without a
seconds delay. But the railroad man
ayers are in no hurry. Even when
they went into session today they
j were inclined to he defiant although 1t
was recognized that they could hard
ly afford to ignore the offer.
The railroads, it is generally be
they believed only in that way would
] they be able to persuade the inter
state commerce commission to let
them increase freight rates. This was
Indicated when Jefferson Levy, who
represents rich New York district
in congress, tried to persuade Grand
Chief Stone to join with the railroads
in an appeal to congress to enact leg
;. islation which would nullify the actor
A of the commission in compelling the
railroads to refrain from advancing
rates. Stone was told by the congress
man that II he would take this actor
, there was no question but that the
/, railroads would be able to grant ev
cry demand Of the men.
i When the general managers wen
| into session today several Of then
, privately said they did not see how
arbitration could help because thu
roads simply could not pay any highe
wages. To do SO, they said, woult
mean that interest on outstanding
. bonds would have to be defaulted.
!. ANY proposition that means the e1
penditure OF more money on our pay
rolls is foolish and cannot be accept
9 ed by u.s. declared one of the man
. ayers.
Despite this fact, however, ther
: was a general belief when the meei
: ing began that the managers woul
:, accept the offer of the governmen
= simply because they could not affor
: to have the public believe that th
railroads would stand in the way c
anything that would make for peace.
The engineers sent formal lette
I. to Messrs. Neill and Knapp, express
y ing great confidence in them and 81
: serting that they considered their Il
. terests safe in the hands of the go
y ernmental representatives. They cal
q ed attention to the fact that any awar
that might be made should bear t.
: days date and also insist that tt
railroad presidents observe an arr
istice during the progress of the n
gotiations The engineers cited tt
action of the recent negotiations ar
\ said that such action would not |
: tolerated in the present instance.