The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-07-13
Strike ORDER
COMING TODAY
OR TOMORROW
President of Conductors
Brotherhood Expresses the
Sentiments Of Executive
Members of Order.
SETH LOW PLEADS
FOR FURTHER TIME
Railroads Preparing for the
Struggle; Only Hope Now
Rests With Conference
!, With President Wilson.

NEW YORK, July 12.-Unless some
thing akin to a miracle happens, q
strike will be ordered tomorrow or at
least on Monday, op the forty-two east
ern railroads which have refused the
demands of the conductors and train.
men for an increase in wages
This statement was made to the In
ternational News Service by A. B. Gar
retson, president OF the Conductors
Brotherhood at the close Of today g
meetings in Webster hall, and seemed
to express the sentiment of the 900
executive members in whose hands the
fight now rests.
The union leaders expect to settle
the question of how soon the strike
viii be called at a meeting tomorro
morning.
Seth Low, president of the National
Civic Federation, with Marcus NJ.
Marks and Ralph NJ. Easily, OF the
same organization, appeared uneXpecJ-
edly at Webster hall during the after
noon, and were at first refused admit
tance.
Mr.. Low sent word that he desired
only TO address the meeting and would
not expect to take any part in their
deliberations He was then admitted,
and urged the men TO mark time at
least until after the Washington con-
ference in which President Wilson will
participate, on Monday,
Opposed To Delay.
The address of the great labor advo-
cate was received with friendly
spirit, but within an hour after he had
left the hall it was learned from
dozen sources within the union ranks
that the men were unalterably opposed
TO delay Of any sort.
If an order to strike, such as now
contemplated, is issued, approximately
100000 conductors, switchmen, bag
gagemen and brakemen will be thrown
out of employment, and the railroads
will be paralyZed The railroad mana
gers admit they are now confronted
with the most serious situation which
has arisen In a decade.
The union men are taking every
precautlon to keep their proceedings Sc
cret. The convention was first called
hotel This was only strategic move,
however, to avoid possible dictagrapI
planters. Within an hour the delegates
filed out under the leadership OF W
@. Lee and A B. Garretson. Only
Lee and Garretson knew that Webster
hall had been engaged as the meeting
place.
Born of Experience.
This precaution was born Of bitter
experience said one of the committee,
:" On. the occasion OF two different
meetings In Chicago we learned that
fdictagraphs had been planted in the
halls used and that our every remark
had been recorded 1t happens, how,
ever, that we captured the dictagraphs
and have them yet -
The great railroads Of the east have
ALREADY begun preparations TO guard
their property and prevent. if possible
complete interruption of traffic. At
harrisburg. where there is much vain.
able property stored the Pennsylvania
system has stationed q train which is
EQUIPPED with everything that guards
and sleeping cars make up the train.
water pipes have been run from the
mains into the cars. The idea of the
otrlcials is 10 have everything at hand
so The guards Will not find it necessary
10 leave the train. Similar precautions
are said to have been taken by the
other roads.
Object of Conference.
a. B. Garrettson said tonight the
union men would probably not send
personal representatives to take part
In the White house conference. but
would authorize the delegates from the
National Civic federation to represent
them. The object of this conference is
70 smooth out the differences between
the committee of managers and the
union men pending amendments to the
Erdman arbitration act.
The amendment offered by Senator
Newlands is said to be satisfactory to
ever, that the railroads have already
Tefused to arbitrate and that new legis
!ation Will not aid tho present situa.
ton.
A Joint statement was issued by
Garretson and Lee attacking the sin
cerity OF the statements issued by the
railroads II follows in part;
Az time like this. when public
opinion is sitting in Judgment upon the
merits of contention between The rail
way, companies and their employees, il
mlght be well to contrast which OF
those two interests have really shown
consideration for the public.
When the railway companies at th.
tIme OF the engineers disagreement re
fused to arbitrate under the provision
OF the Erdman Act, we at once an
nounced our willingness to aid in uodi
iylng that act to meet these objection
IN the Interests Of general industria
peace, anc have consistently aided il
sucn enorts in concert with the presi
During our early wage neootiation
we offered to leave the entire spbiec
matter TO arbitration under the Unite,
States law: The offer was absoIuteI,
unquahhedly refused by tho compa