Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 78, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 June 1898 — IMPORTANT GATHERING. [ARTICLE]

IMPORTANT GATHERING.

Representatives of the Five Great Railroad Iniom Hold a Seasion in Philadelphia. » Philadelphia, June 6, —A union meeting of the representatives of the five great railroad unions covering Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey. Delaware, Maryland and the District of Columbia was held in this city Sunday. The unions represented were the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, Brotherhood of Railway Conductors and Order of Railroad Telegraphers. The meeting was held in the Walnut Street theater

and Henry Howerter, of the firemen, presided. Nearly 1,000 delegates were present. The morning session was a secret one and began at nine o’clock. At its conclusion it was announced that the delegates had ratified the federation between the firemen, conductors, telegraphers and trainmen. The engineers, it was stated, will continue to give their moral support to a federation. The meeting also indorsed a petition signed by 40,000 persons, which requests congress to frame some legislation whereby all future railroad disputes may be settled by’ arbitration and without recourse to strikes. The afternoon and closing session was a public one and was largely attended.