Mr. Wickes, who represented the Pullman company, informed them that the company had nothing to arbitrate and wished to see no committee. The proposition they wished to submit to Mr. Wickes as the representative of the Pullman company was this: That Mr. Pullman had said there was nothing to arbitrate while the men contended that there was. Let the Pullman company appoint two men and the circuit court two men. Let these four select a fifth, if necessary, to determine if there was anything to arbitrate and in case there was, that would take care of itself later. If not, the strike would end just as soon as the decision was reached. Surely this proposition was fair and manly but speaking for the Pullman company Mr. Wickes flatly refused to entertain it for an instant. Alderman McGillen, who acted as spokesman, then made an eloquent plea for the Pullman company to take steps, which he considered would go far toward settling the strike. He said: "Mr. Wickes we received a request from the trades-unions--their representatives who are now here you have already met--to see if some means to settle this strike peaceably could not be found. "It has been demonstrated that your company had no subject for arbitration, that the request of the employes for arbitration could not be acceded to?" Mr. Wickes: "Yes, sir." Ald. McGillen: "We are here to suggest that it might be possible to obviate all differences between the company and the men--strikers, ex-employes, or whatever you wish to call them. We would suggest a committee to ascertain whether there is any matter needing arbitration as you are a quasi public." Mr. Wickes, interrupting: "Do you come as representatives of the city instructed by the mayor? We have nothing to arbitrate, the Pullman company cannot recede from its position." Ald. O'Brien: "There must be some trouble?" Mr. Wickes: "Our men made complaint, we promised to investigate, but before we had time to do so they struck." Ald. O'Brien: "But that will not settle the matter." Mr. Wickes: "Unfortunately not." Ald. McGillen: "We suggest that this committee be made up of representative men, the best men in Chicago, men who occupy positions of honor." Here attorney John S. Runnell appeared and was closeted with Mr. Wickes for a quarter of an hour. On his return to the room Mr. Wickes said that neither the Pullman company or the railway manager's association created the situation of to-day. When our men went out we told them that we could not do the work at the scale of wages we were paying. We had contracts to fill then, some of them we let out and some we retained. No men can arbitrate this, you, as business men would let no man say how that business should be conducted.