The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1913-02-12
KNAPP TO MEDIATE
. FIREMEN'S STRIKE
commerce Court Judge Will BE-
Here To-day With tOmmi>-
missioner Hangar.
ROADS GET NOTICE or VOTE.
Officials and Employers Fail in
Final Attempt to Get
Together.

" uuS' Nlii Nlii ~ iNIdDp VI l'l' ''il
mercc Court and actlng Commissioner
Of I.abor Hanger left Washington al
midnight for New Norh in response to
the request of President W =. carter
of the Fircmens brotherhood. which
has voted To strik" unics the nfjy -four
railroads operating in the East acccd"
To their demands for increased wages
ana new working conditions They were
asked to serve as ncdlaturs under the
Erdman aot and will PROBABLY meet
representatives. Of the hrom"n Il. tn"
Hotel Manhattan tomorrow morning
The two mrdiatorS will then formally
communicate with the representatives.
of the railroads asking II they desire to
submit the matter first to mediation and
then 10 arbitration as provided by IN"
Erdman act
The calling Of the STRIKE Of iur 81
oou iircmen. who have voted tn quit nu
the iifty-four Eastern railroads, IL To- bc
held up pending action by Judge Martin
\. Knapp of the Interstate Commerce
Court and acting United States Labor
Commissioner II W Hangar. AZ media.
tors.
This was decided on a. iasi resor,
by President W. :. Garter nf the Broth.
erhuod of Locomotive Firemcn and En-
ginemen, when the final atten>pt 10 so'.
tie the differences wita he railroads
failed yesterday.
When the conference committee ~
the railroad was notified that IN. two
Government officials had hecn sent fur
by the other side tho news came as a
surprise.
The conference committee OF the rail-
roads was formally notified at the
Engineering Societies Building that IN"
firemen have voted To strike
The announcement ~ the vote was
made by President w. s. Carter Of tn.
Brotherhood Of Locomotive Firom.n and
Enginemen. the total vote being 32.1lS.
or a5.6 for. and LBS against IA strike.
There was "a long conference over
the point in dispute. which was the
method by which the demands Of the
hremen should he aroltrated, the dead
lock on which caused the strike vote To
be taken, and the -wo committees
separated after handshaking all round
in sorrowful way.
During the conference the members
of the conference committee of the rail
roads reiterated their offer to arhitratc
the demands by a fair and impartial
committee after informing tho hrcm"n
that they could not grant tn" demands
These demands. Chairman Lee of the
managers committee said. indicated an
incr.as, If 81 COO 900. or 81 per cent ON
present wages.
Mr.. Carter declared tnat the public
will believe that the railroads forced
the firemen into n strike and then said
that when the strike took place III. pub
lie would believe that it had been forced
To show the time had com" when the
American people should be taught that
the railroads must have an increased
freight rate and that the railroads had
set out To secure compulsory arbitration
under the gu'se 81 n wage commission
under the Federal law which would
have the right to raise the wages 10 per
cent and to raise the rates 10 per cent
Mr.. Lee said with great emphasis
that there was absolutely no grounds
other than Cartcrs staten nj. fo, the
public thinking that way.
Asked how the Government officers
could be expected To bring about media
ion now when they could not bring
il about before. Mr. Lee replied
The situation Is changed SOM The
StIik. hos now been voted for