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VOL. XXXIX-XO. 1:0.
OMAHA, WEDNESDAY MORNING, DECEM
1!)09 TWELVE PAGES.
SIXdLE COPY TWO CENTS.
!
UEIt 1,
9 1
WILL REFUSE TO
BE THjE "GOAT"
Superintendent for Sugar Company
Will Go on Stand and Tell
Whole Story.
HE v SAYS HE OBEYED ORDERS
Men Higher Up Responsible for the
Corruption.
PAYMENTS TO CUST""
MEN
Clerk Says Bendernagel - nk
TNotes to Uncle Sam's 1 Vi
DEAL WITH SUGAR EJ,
Mm In Service of Corporation
Paid fa a Week to Be (rookrt "
Aiuonn Placed In Fay .
Uavelope.
NEW YORK, Nov. 30. James F. Bender
nagle declines to be mads the "goat" by
the American Sugar Refining company, the
so-called trust, and If the word of hid
counsel Is correctly Interpreted, he may
testify fur the government before his trial,
together with five erstwhile employes of
the company, all charged with defrauding
the government by underweighing sugar,
Is concluded in the United States' circuit
court.
This development 1 one of the many
legal phase involving the corporation now
under federal fire, and came today when
a wltnesa testified that $15-sometlmes a
little more, was what employes of the
American Sugar Refining company were
paid to Le crooked. And the man who had
In aome Instance! paid this alleged corrup
tion money, according t the testimony,
was Bendernagle, one-time superintendent
of the company's plant in Williamsburg
(Brooklyn).
In the face of this testimony, Bender
nagel conferred with his lawyer, George
W. Beattle, who in turn made this an
nouncement: .
"Mr. Bendernagle is my client. He will
not be the 'goat' in this case. He was an.
employe, and what hp did he did under or
ders. An he will not shield anyone,
"The idea that has gone forth that the
Sugar trust Is putting up for his defense is
wrong. The company Is not contributing a
cent for It. He did not receive a salary of
XTM per year, as has been said. He got a
few thousands, muCh less thnn the figures
plven. When he takes the stand he will
conceal nothing."
The evidence which brought this turn In
the en.'e was given by Andrew J. Mallen,
who up to 107, was employed In the eash
lit's oTflee of the Havemeyer & Elder re
ft u ry In Williamsburg. Bendernagel, he
fu'iI. was In charge of the office.
"Dirt you ever see Bendernagel pay cash
to men In the uniform of the custom house,
who came to his office?" asked Winifred
T ri nnison of consul for the government.
' Vcs.". was the answer.'
" hat form was this money In?"
it nas in nanicnotes taken rrom the
Fife In the office. I never saw vouchers for
it nor heard o fany," Mallen replied.
Mallen testified further that John R.
Coyle, Edward A,, Boyle, pat K. Hennesy
and Jean oelker, weighers and checker,
among the men accused, were paid In en
velopes marked .111 for the week. But
their envelopes contained 15. Later, when
the salaries of this cUihs of men were
ruined to $15. they got 118 in their en
velopes, though the regular pay for their
positions was marked on the outside of
the envelope at $15.
The government sought to show that this
unexplained Increase In salary was a re
ward for manipulating the scales to show
false weights on sugar. Bendernagell's
counsel maintained, on the other hand,
that if there was anything lregular about
the payments the defendant was not re
sponsible. ftM. SEGELKE IS FOUND DEAD
Resident of Omahn for More Than
Forty Years Expires Saddenly
from Heart Failure.
William Segelke, for forty years a resi
dent of Omaha, was found dead at his
lorne Tuesday afternoon of heart failure.
Mr. Segelke, who was 63 years of age,
was at his office until Tuesday noon. He
went home for lunch, and, as was his
custom, lay down for a short nap. Some
t of the members of the household heard
' him gasping for breath about I o'clock
nd before any assistance could be rend
ered he was dead. His health has been
apparently as good as usual.
Mr. Segelke was born In Hanover. Ger
many, and came to Omaha more than forty
years ago. He has been president of the
Omaha Bottling company, formerly Fomy
A Segelke, and was active in Its affairs
to the last. He Is survived by his wife
and two daughters, Mrs. Albert Krug and
Mrs. Howard Gouldlng. The local lodge
. of Elks will have charge of the funeral.
SEEKING TIP0N VIADUCTS
lies Moines llelesratlon Itrre to
leiril How Din a ha Tat
" Them I'p.
, j impi ury ximuaiii in noiuiiig a con
ference with a delegation from Des Moines,
composed of seven leading citlxens of the
Iowa capital. They are here for the pur
pose of ascertaining the procedure followed
in Omaha In the building of public via
ducts. The present sheriff of Polk county,
Ben J. Ne, heads the visitors, because
f 'n Iowa the sheriff appoints appraisers for
such work. The other members of the del
egation are James Maine, A. 8. Wllcoxen,
Oeorne V. Wright. John C. Loper, B. P.
Rt Inking.
The delegation arrived In Omaha late
Monday evening and appeared at the city
hall bright and early Tuesday morning.
After a short conference with Mr. Burnam
they proceeded on a tour of exmulnatlon
of the viaducts of Omaha preparatory to
the aftei noon meeting.
EIGHTY H0URSJN OPEN BOAT
Mill drift In Caribbean Hen
" - - " ntirq
From.
W ASHINGTON. Nov. S0.-Adrlft la the
Caribbean ea for more than eighty hours,
tlu f.ve men who were lost Friday night
in the hale boat of the gunboat Marietta,
pok at Port Llmon, Cos la Hica, still arj
unreported. It Is believed at the Navy de
partment that they had enough food and
J Vater In the bi to sustain life for
I several days. The danger most feared Is
swamping of the fcerf
Sick Insurance
to Be Extended
in Germany
Government Prepares Measures to
Protect Working Classes and
for Dependent Relatives.
BERLIN, Nov. SO. Emperor William
opened the Reichstag today by personally
reading the speech from the throne. The
speech dealt laigely with domestic legisla
tion and contained the Important announce
ment that the government had prepared a
measure extending the sick benefit Insur
ance to the working classes not heretofore
protected and creating a system of Insur
ance for the d"pendent relatives of de
ceased workers. The Imperial insurance
organization will be modified In some par
ticulars. One of the tasks of the government, the
mperor said, was to fortify the financial
sitlon of the empire with the means pro
ed by the finance bill of the last ses
...on and this task would be accomplished
through the appropriation bill for 1910,
which would be laid before the house.
"Our possessions over seas In Africa and
in the south seas," said the emperor, "are
developing well. The growth of their own
incomes will relieve the empire Consid
erably of colonial expenses."
The opening of the Reichstag today was
as brilliant as usual. The members as
sembled In the White hall of the palace.
those not having the right to wear uni
forms appearing In evening dress. None
of the socialist members was present.
Roosevelt Sees
NativesJCill Lions
Ex-President Witnesses Execution by
Spear Work Delighted by
Success of Hunt.
LONDIANA, British East Africa, Nov.
SO. Colonel Roosevelt, Kermlt Roosevelt,
Edmund Heller and Leslie A. Tarlton, ar
rived here today from Uuas Inghisu
plateau. All are in splendid health.
Colonel Roosevelt expressed himself at
delighted at again meeting R. J. Cunning
liame and members of the American party
who awaited him here. The former presi
dent is greatly elated over the success of
the hunt on the plateau.
Among the sights wltnesssed was a dis
play of Hon killing with spears by Mandl
warriors. The exhibition Was a thrilling
one.
This evening the party . will proceed to
NJoro, where they will be the guests of
I Ai id Dolamere on the latter's ranch until
December 10, when they will proceed to
Nairobi.
Many Bodies
Washed Ashore
Fierce Storm Sweeps Japan and Ves
sels Are Reported Wrecked
on Coast.
TOKIO, Nov. 30. A fierce storm sw:'pt
over the vicinity of Shlmonosekl yesterday
and last night. The Kisagata Maru, a
Japanese vessel of 2,773 tons, foundered, and
11 is feared that all on board were lost.
Twenty-five bodies have been washed
ashore. Many fishing boats are also be
lieved to have been wrecked.
The piers and embankments at Shlmono
sekl have been badly damaged by the high
seas.
DAIREN, Manchuria, Nov. 30. A storm
hat raged over Korea bay since Sunday.
The Japanese vessel Jlnsen Maru found
ered off Yongampo, Korea, at the mouth
of the Yalu river. Reports of o'.tier
wrecks are reported.
No New Trial for
Inspector McCann
Chicago Officer Found Guilty of. Re
ceiving Bribes Will Ap
peal Case.
CHICAGO, Nov. 30. Police inspector
Edward McOann, recently found guilty
In the criminal court of accepting money
from Improper ptrsons fh his police dis
trict for alleged protection purposes, was
today dennled a new trial by Judge A. C.
Barnes. Sentence on the verdict of guilty,
which carries with it a penitentiary sen
tendce under the Indeterminate sentence
art, will probably be pronounced next
Thursday. It Is announced an appeal will
be taken.
EAGAN AT C00K HEARING
Hector Torp Invites American Min
ister to Attend North Pole
Investigation.
COPENHAGEN, Nov. 30 Rector Torp of
the I'nlverslty of Copenhagen today ex
tended an invitation to Dr. Miurlcf F.
I'gan, United States minister to Denmark,
to be present when the North polar rec
ords of Dr. Cook are examined. The Cook
records are expected to arrive here about
December S.
Acts on Judge's Advice to
Fight and Then Gets Fined
Two men faced the Judge In the police
court at Council Bluffs. Sam Martin had
been taken In tow on a charge of "drunk
enness and disorder" and Bill Martin had
been arrested on a charge of "disorder and
drunkenness." Police Judge 8. B. Snyder
gave Dunn five days and from Martin he
demanded $6. Thereby hangs a tale.
The men were arrested In the evening
for engaging In a three-round bout In
which the Marquis of Queensbury rules
were not followed. A few hours prior to
tha exhibition Martin approached Judge
Snyder with a lengthy tale of woe.
"What would you do, Judge?" he asked,
"if a man took $2 from you."
"I think I'd get the money back, even
though I had to smash him," replied the
court, laughing and attaching little Im
portance to the query. ,
HOUSE OF LORDS
REJECTS15UDGET
British Peers Adopt the Resolution
of Lord Lansdowne by Vote
of 350 to 75.
LAST DAY OF THE DEBATE
Attendance is the Largest for Many
Years.
ARCHBISHOP OF YORK SPEAKS
Says Budget is Not Bad Enough to
Justify Extreme Measure.
CABINET ON KING'S SPEECH
Government Has Not Yet Announced
Its PrOR-rnm, Which Was Outlined
Yeaterilnr A fternoon Speech
' Will Fie Read Friday.
BULLETIN.
LONDON, Nov. 30. The House of Lords
this evening adopted Lord Lansdowne's
motion to reject the budget oy a vote of
350 to 75. The attendance of peers was the
largest for many years. j
LONDON, Nov. 30 This was a day in
the history of the House of Lords long
to be remembered. The session was given
over to the concluding arguments and
division on the government's budget bill,
and the debate was the most interesting
that has been heard In the upper chamber
In many years.
The peers, whose presence, in view of a
probable division, was urgently requested
by party "whips," gathered In force. The
Episcopal benches were filled, a majority
of the bishops being present to hear their
colleague, the archbishop of York, who
was the first speaker of the afternoon.
Several peers who had never taken the
oath of the chamber, were sworn In In
order that they might vote at the evening
division.
The archbishop of York said that he
would have to take a petition somewhat
different from that of the primate and that
if he voted he would vote against Lord
Lansdowne's amendment. He Joined with
those, he said, who deplored the introduc
tion of the amendment and he had not
arguments sufficiently strong to prove to
him that the budget was bad enough to
Justify the unprecedented course proposed
by Lord Lansdowne.
The archbishop said it would be unprere
for the lords to reject a finance bill
passed by the House of Commons with
such a majority.
The constitutional question was one, the
speaker declared, which would profoundly
stir the people of the country and many
persons would prefer the passing of a bad
budget to tampering with the fundamental
principle of the constitution. It was
enough, lie snid, to prove that, the budget
was bad.
Cabinet Discusses Speech.
The cabinet met at noon today for
the purpose of discussing the form of
the king's speech proroguing Parlia
ment. All of the members with the
exception of Sir Edward Grey, secretary
of state for foreign affairs, were present
A crowd filled the street and mildly cheered
the ministers as they entered the building.
While the government has not announced
whether It proposes an adjournment or the
prorogation of Parliament, today's reports
are that the latter course Is certain. It is
believed Premier Asqutlh will see King
Edward tomorrow. Both chambers will
hold short sessions Friday for the reading
of the king's speech.
The cabinet remained in session until 2
o'clock. Meanwhile tha crowd waited out
side, cheering the ministers and at the
same time hoping for a suffragette out
break, which, however, failed to material
ise. The House of Lords convened at 4
o'clock.
"FRY" FOR CHADR0N CREEK
Senator Bnrkett Secures Promise that
Fish Commissioner Will Dis
tribute Some In Nebraska.
(From a Staff Correspondent.)
WASHINGTON. Nov. 30. (Special Tele
gramsSenator Burkett lias been a con
sistent and untiring advocate of the es
tablishment of a fish cultural station at
Gretna. Thus far he has failed to secure
an appropriation, but nevertheless the dm
clples of Izaak Walton will be enabled to
tempt the lurking trout in streams in
Dawes county next spring. Mr. Burkett
was today advised by the United States
fish commissioner that he had arranged
for the deposit of 160,000 rainbow trout in
Chadron creek. These trout "fry" will be
df posited In Chadron creek this fall, and
should be large enough to rise to the al
luring "fly" by midsummer of next year.
0MAHAN GETS CREDENTIALS
John H. Brooks Admitted to Prac
tice Before the Interior
Department.
(From a Staff Correspondent.)
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (Special Tele
gram.) John H. Brooks of Omaha, Frank
F. Betty of Davenport la., and James H.
Burgess and Charles A. Kutcher of Sher
idan, Wyo.. have been admitted to prac
tice before the Interior department.
Evidently taking the Judge's advice as
permission to disturb the quietness of the
community, Martin hunted up his foe, and
then the trouble began. Both Martin and
Dunn are expressmen and are husky men.
Biff," went Martin's trusty right Then
It went "bang" and back to "biff" again.
When he got through It la said Dunn had
taken the count.
Then the police came.
Judge Snyder was clearly In the clouds
when he saw Martin and Dunn In court
The former claimed be was advised by the
Judge to beat up his adversary and he
simply followed Instructions. The Judge
insists that both men are guilty of breach
of law as he accuses both of disorderly
conduct and drunkenness. He claims his
advice to Martin was given unwittingly.
Hence his decision of five days for Dunn
and $5 for Mar'V
From the St. Paul Dispatch.
CORN IS UNCHALLENGED KING
Takes Place at Head of Battalions of
Great Crops.
COTTON SECOND, WHEAT THIRD
Secretary Wilson's Annnn Report la
Long Re rv of Flgotis tfctstnsr
Forth A mas Inst Wealth ...v
of Karma,
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30.-Motft prosper
ous of all years is the place to whioh
1909 Is entitled In agriculture, declares thi
secretary of agriculture in his thirteenth
annual report, made public today. Tho
value of farm products Is so lncomprehens -bly
large that It has become merely a row
of figures. For this year It Is ts.700.000.000,
a gain of JSti9.000.000 over 1908. The value
of the products has nearly doubled in ten
years. The report says:
"Klevcn years of agriculture, 'beginning
with a production of S4.417,000.0f0 and end
ing with $8,760,000,000! A sufn of 170,000.900,000
for the period! It has paid off mortgages.
It has established' banks.lt has made bet
ter homes, It has helped to make the
farmer a citizen of the world, and It has
provided him with means for Improving
his soil and making it more productive."
The most striking fact in the world's
agriculture is the value of the corn crop
for 1909, which is about $1,720,000 000. It
nearly equals the value of the clothing and
personal adornment of 76,000.000 people ac
cording to the census of 1900. The gold
and sliver coin and bullion of the United
States are not of greater value. It has
grown up from the soil and out of the
air in 120 days $15,000,000 a day for one
crop, nearly enough for two dreadnoughts
daily for peace or war. This crop exceeds
In value the average of the crops of the
five preceding years by 36 per cent.
Cotton Second, - Wheat Third.
Cotton is now the second crop in value,
and this year's cotton crop is easily the
most valuable one to the farmer that has
been produced. With cotton lint selling
at 13.7 cents on the farm November 1 and
with cotton seed selling for about $25 per
ton, the lint and seed of this crop are
worth about $830,000,000 to the farmer. No
cotton crop since 1873 has been sold by
farmers for as high a price per pound as
this one.
Third in value is wheat, worth about
$725,000,000 at the farm, and this largely
exceeds all previous values. The Novem
ber farm price was almost an even dollar
a bushel, a price which has not been
equaled since l.sSl. IThis is the third wheat
crop in point of size, with 723,001,000 bush
els. The hay crop Is valued at $665 000,000, oats
at $400,000,000, potatoes at $212,OC0.O0O and
tobacco at nearly $100,000,000. Beet and
cane sugar and molasses and syrup,yfrom
farm and factory, will reach the total of
about $95,000,000. The barley crop Is worth
(Continued on Fourth Page.)
A new heading on
the first Want-ad
page "Christmas
Hints."
This classification will run
froni now until Christmas.
Shoppers will find it most use
ful, as all sorts of pretty and
useful Christmas presents are
advertised. Look this column
over; it will help you solve
your Christmas problems.
Have you read the want ads
yet today J
Elastic Currency that "Would be Fopular
Eight Men Are
Caught in Mine:
Probably Alive
Mine Takes Fire,, but Flames Are
Brought Under Control Res
cue Party Working.
KNOXVILLE. Tenn.. Nov. 30.-Eight men
wore imprisoned by a cave-in and fire to
day in one of the copper mines of the Ten
nessee Coppert company at Copper Hill,
Tenn. Four oxygen helmets, two tanks of
oxygen and other mine rescue parapher
nalia were sent from here by special train.
Tho fire Is under control and the im
prisoned men are thought to be alivt.
Plan to Kill
John D. Rockefeller
Plot Tipped Off to Police and They
Guard Residence All
Night.
CLEVELAND, Nov. 30. Acting upon in
formation given by a man who said he
overheard a conversation in which plans to
assassinate John D. Rockefeller were dis
cussed. East Cleveland police guarded
Forest Hill, the oil magnate's home, all
night '
Their information was given by Sawyer
Smith of Minerva, O., who claims to have
heard the plot being discussed by two men
at Alliance, O., Sunday n!,-ht.
To Our Advertisers:
At Any
A Letter.
OMAHA, Neb., Nov. 29, 1909. The Omaha
Bee, Gentlemen:
This letter Is sent to each of the Omaha
papers.
We. the undersigned merchants, buy con
siderable space for advertising in the
Omaha papers, and we feel that consider
ing the cost of this space and the money
involved, we should like to know for our
Belves the character and amount of paid
circulation of each paper, so that we will
be able to use more Intelligence in placing
our advertising, a great part of which if
now placed only on the representations ot
the various solicitors of each paper.
For this purpose, we ask that you permit
ui to examine your circulation records,
including eath bouks, papur and freight
' invoices, postage receipts, route books,
mailing list, carrier boys and any other
ciiculanon records which may help us in
determining the exact standing of each
Paper.
We propose to appoint a committee
for this examination, consisting of two
Omaha' merchants who advertise, one
expert accountant, and, as merchants are
not familiar with the system of circula
tion accounting, we should also require
three members of the committee to be
newspaper men, each paper appointing
one.
We understand that newspaper ob
ject to competitors knowing the price they
pay for paper, and suggest that the dupli
cate Invoice showing the detail and aggre
gate weights of the rolls in each car (and
which, we understand, shows no prices)
would be sufficient fur our purpose.
We believe that you will agree with us
that it will be greatly to the benefit of
all concerned to have this examination
made as speedily as possible, and, there
fore, ask that you let us have an early
answer, answers to be mailed to C. L.
Vance, care Hayden Bros. Tours very
truly,
HOWELL DRUG. CO..
HERZOU TAILORING CO.,
THE SKIRT STORE,
GOODYEAR RAINCOAT CO.,
MILLER, STEWART A BEATON,
BEATON DRUO CO.,
ORKJN BROS., .
STRIKE NOT LIKELY HERE
Omaha Switchmen Mostly Belong to
Different Organization.
TROUBLE WOULD HAVE TO SPREAD
Men JKoins; Ont Members Of -Swltch-meWa
I'nton and Not Brother
! booil of KaJlivay Train-
Omaha will suffer no immediate effect
from tho strike order Issued by the Switch
men's Union of America. Although there
are about 1,000 switchmen employed in
the local railroad yards, most of them are
members of the Brotherhood of Railway
Trainmen and are In no manner affiliated
with the Switchmen's union.
Local railroad officials and trainmen
have, nevertheless, watched with keen In
terest the deliberations of the switchmen's
representatives and managers of the west
ern roads who hav been in session at St.
Paul. A. L. Mohler, vice president and
general manager of the Union Pacific rail
road, represented the Harrlman Interests
at the conference and is a member of the
advisory committee of the railroads.
There is a possibility thut the strike of
the Switchmen's union may spread to. the
Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen. In
this case all traffic mitfht be completely
tied up in the Omaha terminals. The
Union Pacific and the Burlington route
each employ SOO men, the Chicago &
Northwestern 100, the Missouri Pacific
sixty, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul,
the Rock Island, the Illinois Central and
(Continued on Second Page.)
Time"
A Reply.
OMAHA, Nov. 30. To All Bee Advertisers:
Replying to your letter, asking an op
portunity fo inquire into the character and
extent of The Bee circulation, we respect
fully call your attention to the fact, that
this opportunity has always been yours.
We also call your attention to the fact, that
The Bee has, for years, given dally, an
accurate sworn statement of its circulation
for the previous month, for the benefit of
its advertisers; that In limes past, whon
Omaha went backward and the circulation
uf The Bee followed, we have shown our
decrease as well as our growth.
The circulation books of The Bee have
always been and are today open to the
inspection of our patrons and we will
gladly give any advertiser access to all
records, books and bills bearing on circula
tion. We decline, however, to glvo repre
sentatives of other newspapers access to
information with regard to business with
reference to accounting methods and other
valuable Information, which Is none of
their business, Just as any business firm
would decline to Invite its competitors to
similar private and valuable Information.
Furthermore. The Bee Is the only paper
In Omaha that Keeps In its office complete
lists of its subscribers for the benefit of
its advertisers, which are open to inspec
tion at all times.
With reference to posting a forfeit. The
Bee declines to do this until the forfeit of
several hundred dollars, which Is still dus
us from Die World-Herald from a former
circulation investigation, has been pa.d
over.
We repeat that you have always had and
still have a standing Invitation.
THE BEE PUBLISHING CO.,
By C. C. ROSE WATER,
General Manager.
Piatt la Too 111 to Appear.
NEW YORK. Nov. SO.-Ex-Senator
Thomas C. Piatt's 111 health has again
caused a postponement of the trial of Ma
C. Wood, accused of forgery and perjury In
connection with her recent suit against the
former United States senatoc, whom she
claimed to bar married.
SWITCHMEN
(J0 0NSTJUKE
Twenty-Three Hundred Men Em
ployed on Northwestern Road
Quit Work Last Night.
STATEMENTS FROM BOTH SIDES
Men Demand Advance of Six Cents an
Hour and Other Conccssioni.
MANAGERS OFFER TWO CENTS
Charge Made that Employee Refused
10 Aroitrate Differences.
STRIKE BEGINS AT SIX 0"CL0CK
President Hley , Men Demand
nl- What I. ninht and Hearet
Inconvenience to Public-
Will Tie 1p Traffic.
ST. PAUL, Nov. 30-After fifteen rf.v.
negotiating between the Sltelm'.
of North America and the Joint Committee
or railroad managers representing thirteen
rnllrondp of the northwest, a strike involv. "
ing 2.300 switchmen became effentiv. .
o clock tonight. The men are employed
by the various railroads running west and
north of St. Paul from Lake Superior to
tho Pacific coast and unless speedily set
tled wll mean a serious interruption to
traffic.
The first effect of the strlk .v,..
'iilge In the price of wheat in the Chicago
grain market late today. As the rn.,i.
terlng the Twin Cities and Duluth and Su
perior are largely grain carriers from the
weFt the prospect of a long interruntion
this traffic will mean something.
Statement for Rallronds.
Tonight both sides to the disnute i.h
statements. The railway managers' com-
nmiee issued the following, addressed to
ine puonc: "The railroads of the north
west, recognizing that the public is an
interested but unrepresented third nnr i
tho controversy with their switchmen
through the committee which has been
conducting their negotiations, desire ...
place at the disposal o ftho public the
10noing racts in connection with the n.
gotlations:
"The switchmen in the northwest terri
tory made simultaneous demands on thir
teen railroad companies centering in the
Twin Cities for an Increase In wages and
certain changes in service conditions. At
the suggestion of F. T. Hawley, president
of the Switchmen's Union of North Amer
ica, the organization of which the switch
men of the northwest are members, ar
rangements were made to conduct th enego
tiations in one conference.
In the conference the railroads were
represented by a committee of ten man-
cr" no me switenmen by F. T. Hawley,.
and other offlcora of the Bwltchmen'a
Union of North America.
Demands of Men.
"The demands of the switchmen were
for double pay for Sundays, holidays and
overtime; an advance of 60 cents per day
of ten hours In the wages of switchmen,
switch tenders, towermen, engine herders
and assistant yardmasters; amodlflcatlon
of the rule providing for tho payment of
penalty !n case of failure to permit
switchmen to secure their meal in the
middle of their shift at a stated period,
which contemplates double pay In cases
where it became necessary to work a por-
tlon of the meal hour, and the elimina
tion of the physical examination and tho
age limit placed upon switchmen entering
the service,
"Five conferences were neld in St. Paul
In which the switchmen in no detail rel
ceded from their demands, which. If conl
ceded, would have entailed an additional
expense upon the railroads for switching
service of from 40 to 45 per cent.
Offer of Companies,
"The managers' committee offered the
iswitchmen un Increase of 20 cents per day
or ten nours in tne rules or pay oi switch
men employed In the territory west of
Havre, Mont., on the Great Northern rail
wny, and west of Billings, Mont., on the
Northern Pacific railway; the differential
In that territory for switchmen having
obtained for about two years.
"Further concession was declined for the
reason that the rales of pay of switchmen
uere Increased over 13 per cent In Novem
ber, lltOti, and because the rates at thut
time established had not been reduced dur
liig the period of business depression wuluh
followed.
"The attention of the switchmen was
called to the fact that in 1M8 the switchn.e.i
were grunted 'a larger percentage of In
crease than any other class of employes
in train service. At the present rates the
wages of the switchmen average over $100
per month.
"On November 23, 1909, In submitting Its
final answer to the switchmen, the man
agers' committee assuming that the
switchmen Joined in the desire for an anil
cable adjustment of the questions under
consideration, suggested that the demands
be submitted to arbitration under the pro
visions of the Enlman act. The switchmen
declined to accept this suggestion, and In
thelv final written answer to the manager'
coin ryit tee made the statemont that the
'committee begs leave to state that It will
not submit to arbitration under any cir
cumstances." "
Move Tovrard Arbitration,
The statement then recites that on No
vember S3, after a discussion' of the pro
posal to arbitrate under the terms of the
Erdmun act at the suggestion of President
Hawley, "a Joint teli gram was addressed
to M.irtln A. Knupp of the Interstate Com
merce commission, and Charles P. Nelll,
United StHtes cpmmlf sloner of labor, ask
ing them to aqt as mediators under the
Kidman law."
Continuing, the statement says:
i "Monday, November 29, was selected as
the day for conference between Messrs.
Kr.app and Nelll and the representatves of
the railroads and switchmen at St. Paul.
"About November 22 before the confer
ence with Messrs. Knapp and Nelll had
begun, despite the understanding reached
In the conferences thut mediation under
the Erdman art should be evoked and
without the knowledge of either the mana
gers, committee or mediators, a strike
order was issued by the switchmen's com
mittee directing the switchmen of the thir
teen northwstern railroads to cease work
at t p. m., November 80. In the event that
their full demnuds had not been concedd
"This violation of good faith so embar
rassed the negotiations that successful me
diation became Impohslblo and led to the
demand of Messrs. Knapp and O'nelll, ad
dressed to both the managers' aviuruiUs
