The record-union., 1895-12-24

lasting seven days the ruinous strike of
the motormen and conductors of the
Union Traction Company came to an
end tonight by the employees accept
ing the terms of the company The men
struck for a working day of ten hours,
So per day and the recognition of the
Amalgamated Association of Street
Railway Employees. The terms of the
agreement are as follows;
PHILADELPHIA, December 23d.
''To the committee of employees of the
Union Traction Company-Gentlemen:
Considering your proposition seriatim,
would say:
'FirSt-We do not propose to govern
the membership or connection of any
employe with any lawful association,
but such connection with such associa-
ton must not enter into the relations
between employees and the company,
and cannot be recognized in the busi-
ness conducted between US.
''Second-That any grievance of what
ever character that any man or men
may have will always be considered
fairly and promptly before such men
and the officers of the company, and the
company will afford such men an op-
such employees to their entire satisfac-
ton.
"Third-We accept your statement
that all men discharged since December
10, 1895, Except those discharged for
just cause), will be reinstated upon ex-
animation of the records of such en-
ployes, the committee representing the
employees to furnish the list of names of
those they believe to have been un-
justly discharged, and the men allowed
to divide the runs, other than the runs
laid out for the present employees, mean
ing those who have entered our SER
vices since the evening Of December
18th
THE above proposition, I think,
should be accepted by the employees,
and will be cheerfully accorded by the
management. Yours very truly.
y. r. BEETEM,
General Manager"
The settlement of the strike is the
result of numerous conferences during
last night and to-day between the Ex-
ecutive Committee of the strikers and
the Union Traction Company officials.
Propositions and counter propositions
were made by each side, when the
agreement decided upon was finally
adopted. Throughout all the confer
ences the Union Traction Company res
olutely refused to recognize any one
in the negotiations but its own en-
ployes, and the officers of the Amalga-
mated Association were not permitted
to be present at any time.
The victory is with the company. The
IL f1I1
was the unofficial recognition On the
other points for which they struck
they have gained nothing, and are
worse of by a weeks salary and the
occupation of the places of 1000 of
them. These 1000 new employees will
have the preference in the runs of the
cars, and the old men will have to act
as 'trippers" extra men). All of the
1900 new men will not remain here, as
a ma jority of them were specially sup
piled during the strike by contractors.
Still, some two or three hundred of the
new men will remain here permanently
At a mass meeting of the strikers to-
night the agreement entered into by
their Executive Committee with the
Traction Company officials was rati-
fed.
The conclusion of the strike will be
greeted with joy by citizens of all
classes. The disturbances in the streets,
the danger of riding in the cars, the
Inconvenience of walking long dis
tances, and the enormous financial loss
to the city has made the strike the most
disastrous ever known in Philadel-
phia The Christmas shopping trade
lii nd 1u nd ind
it is a fair estimate that the seven
days strike cost the company, it's en-
ployes and the merchants of Philadel-
phia $2,000000.
Aside from the satisfaction caused
by the settlement of the strike from
a business point of view, it is most for
tunate that it has come to an end, as
lawIessness and outbursts were on the |
increase, and were each day that the
strike continued becoming more seri-
Gus
The disturbances in the streets to-
day were worse than at any time since
the strike began. The company started
out more cars on its various lines this
morning than at any time since the
start of the strike. With the exception
of the Market and Chestnut lines, thre
was hardly a car on any of the other
streets that started out that did not |
return to the car house in a shattered |
condition. In every section of the city
the cars were stoned, and the motor |
rlen and conductors and the policemen
guarding them cut and bruised by |
bricks and other missiles.
The various squads of policemen sta
toned at central points were kept busy |
hurrying 70 and fro to disperse the |
mobs The most serious disturbance
of the day occurred at Seventeenth and |
Girard avenue. Here a big crowd at |
tackled a car guarded only by two po- |
licemen. The assault by the mob upon |
the car was vigorous and determined, |
and it seemed as if the motorman and /
policemen would be killed.
Finally, when Policeman Usherback |
had had his head cut open with a brick |
and his wrist broken, he drew his re-
volver and fired into the crowd Will |
lam II. Matthews, striking motor |
man, was shot in the head and Samuel |
G. Crossley was shot in the knee.
AS soon as the policemen opened fire |
the crowd scattered and trampled each |
other under foot in their effort to get |
out of range of the bullets. Matthews |
and Crossley were taken to the hospital. |
The former has only a scalp wound, |
but the latter was shot in the knee, and |
T. =. :. Y-l-