The San Francisco call., 1895-12-22
His Mediation Spoiled by the
Conduct of the Traction
Company's President.
THE SITUATION COMPLICATED.
Disturbances Occurred in Different
Sections of the City and Ar.
rests Were Made.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Dec, 21.-The
strike OF the motormen and conductors OF
the Union Traction Company is still on,
and from indications tonight there is no
probability of an early settlement of the
trouble. The day has been one of sur
prises, and the situation has become more
complex than ever.
An apparent settlement of the strike
early this morning was repudiated before
daybreak by President John Lowber
Welsh of the Traction Company issuing a
statement that the thousand men who
have been engaged since the Inauguration
OF the strike would not be dismissed. This
was an insurmountable obstacle, and it
has resulted in the president and the en-
ployes being further separated than ever.
The cause of an announcement by Mayor
Warwick at 2 o'clock this morning that
the strike was off, and the subsequent issu-
ance of orders by the heads OF the Anal
gamated Association of Street-Railway
mployes for the strikers to return to
work (the men were met with refusals
when they presented themselves at the
various depots at 80 A. NJ is best ex-
planned by an interview which the city
executive authorized this afternoon. The
Mayor says:
"When the proposition (arbitrationl was
submitted to me by DIR. George W. Baker,
president of the Christian League, and
George Griffiths, secretary Of the same or
ganization, | had it put in writing and
presented it at once to one of the directors
of the Union Traction Company, Thomas
Dolan, who was in my Office.
"After carefully reading it over he said:
That is our position exactly and on be-
half of the company | agree to its terms
asked him to be very careful and to be
sure that the company would ratify any
move that he made.
"Then l presented the agreement to the
gentlemen representing the strikers and
they returned in about an hours time with
the welcome statement that the strikers
had accepted it and the strike had been
declared off.
ssThen at 3 80 o'clock this morning was
visited by President Welsh and upon my
calling the matter to his attention ne told
me about the 1000 men he had in his en-
ploy and that he could not discharge them.
I am free to say that the agreement as
originally presented to Mr.. Dolah was
made by him in good faith and with no
disposition to bunco the men or any one
else. The reason it did not hold good was
just as l have explained about President
Welsh having 1000 men that he could not
summarily discharge"
Continuing, the Mayor said that he thor
oughly understood that the agreement
with Mr.. Dolan was to the effect that every
man should be taken back, and nothing
was said about the 1000 men recently en-
ployed by the company until Mr.. Welsh
appeared on the scene.
The Intellectual agreement to which
Mayor Warwick refers and which was rati-,
fed in his Office by Thomas Dolan on be-
half of the Traction Company and by the
executive committee of the strikers was
as follows:
"If the men come back and return to
their work, and peace is restored, the
Union Traction management will cor
daily and considerably receive any COM
mittee from the ranks of their own en-
ployes, and will respectfully and kindly
hear any complaints and grievances that
they may offer, and will remedy the same
within the range of fairness"
Thomas Dolan is one of the heaviest
stockholders of the Union Traction Com
pany, and the fact that his authorization
of a settlement plan was repudiated by the
president of the company, notwiths tand
ing that the influence of Mayor Warwick
was brought to bear in arriving at the ap-
parent agreement, has caused an unIim
tied amount of gossip. It is known that
strong efforts are being made tonight to
have the Mayor "stand up' for settle
ment of the strike upon an arbitration
basis, the men to return to work pending
the arbitration, but nothing definite had
been arrived at up to late hour.
All sorts of reports were current to-
night in relation to attempts at settling
the trouble. One of the most plausible
rumors was that on Monday prominent
soap manufacturer will apply to the court
for mandamus compelling the Union
Traction Company to operate its cars.
The contention of the complainant, SO it is
said, will be that the failure of the COM
pany to run full quota of cars is injuring
his business.
It was denied tonight at the strike
headquarters that either President Eugene
V. Debs of the A. r. q. or ex-President
Mcbride of the American Federation of
Labor will come TO Philadelphia to assist
in conducting the strike.
As has been the case since the beginning
OF the strike no cars were run tonight on
any of the divisions of the Union Traction
Company. The cars stop running each
day about 5 p NJ. The return of the strik-
ers to work this morning upon the receipt
of the order from their executive commit
tee was general, but in every instance the
respective superintendents declared that
they had received no instructions to allow
the men to 60 to work, and until they
should be SO ordered the men could not
resume their duties. 1t was not until late
IN the day that the strikers understood the
exact situation.
Several disturbances occurred during the
dayin different sections Of the city. A
number of arrests were made and in each
case the police quickly dispersed the crowd.