The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-03
another STRIKE PROBABLE
The Union Traction Company and
Employees Cannot Agree.
BEETEM'S EFFORTS At PEACE
lie Wins the Committee BY His EiOqucnce
but Refuses: TO Address the Strikers.
The Amalgamsted Association viii
Probably Quit Work Today.

Philadelphia, Jan. 2.--AnOther strike
of the employees Of the Union Traction
company Is now, seemingly inevitable.
All efforts at Il compromise between the
company and It's men have failed and
the question now rests with the men
themselves. At II o'clock tonight the
men are holding a mass meeting and
as the poll of the road taken today
showed a large majority i'm favor OF
striking, the result of the mass meeting
seems u foregone conclusion.
Today when another strike seemed
probable the Toynbee society, the Uni
versal Peace Union and a number of
other gentlemen who are interested In
the welfare of the city, visited and
wrote to the headquarters of the Anal
gamated association, counseling. mod
Grating and advising the men against
another strike. As far as is apparent
these efforts have been thrown away.
The men demand of the company that
it abrogates the clause in its latest
agreement submitted to them that In
the future all new men who are taken
on the road shall be In no way affiliated
or connected with, directly or indirectly.
any labor organization. This clause
the company has firmly declined to
eliminate. After the poll of the road
this afternoon was wn.another COM
mittee of the men called upon General
Manager Beetem tonight to make last
appeal to him to eliminate the obJec-
tionable clause. For over two hours
Mr. Beetem and the committee dis
cussed the matter together. The dis
cussion was conducted amicably but
both sides remained firm
At the conclusion of the meeting Mr.
Beetem stated to the men that the COM
pany would discharge none of its pres
ent employees for belonging to the ANAL
gamated association of street railway
employees; that 1t would hear any griev-
ances of the men and 1t would deal
equitably with them, but that 1t was
unalterably determined not to allow it's
employees to dictate to 1t I'm the matter
under discussion. He warned the COM
mittee that If another strike took place
the burden of any disturbances and
trouble that would follow would be upon
the men, and that the company would
fight them to the death. no matter what
the cost and that not man who struck
would ever be given employment on the
road again. He begged the committee
for the sake of the men and their fam
lilies TO do all in their power to avert a
strike.
The committee was impressed by Mr..
Beetem's words and they promised him
that they would use every argument
they could to persuade the men not to
strike, but that they had very little
hope of success. They asked Mr.. Bee
TEN to come with them to the mass
meeting and talk to the men as he had
talked to the committee. Mr.. Beetem
said that personally he would only be
too glad to go among his men, but mat
II he went his presence would be mis-
construed and that he would be thought
to be there as the general manager of
the company. and that inerefOEe he
could not agree to address the mass
meeting. Before the committee depart
ed Mr.. Beetem told them that he would
wait ut his Office until o'clock tomor-
row morning to learn the result of the
mass meeting.
The committee was accompanied in
it's visit to Mr.. Beetem by IeX-Postmaster
John Field, who endeavored to act as Il
peacemaker and who advised the men
to accept Mr.. Beetem's terms and trust
to his honor to adjust all their griev-
ances. j. Levcring Jones. a large stock
holder of the company and a leading
lawyer of the Philadelphia bar. also ad-
dressed the committee and pointed out
to them that capital had rights as well
as labor which labor was bound to re-
Spect
How many men the employees will be
able to take out with them, II they
strike. is hard to say. The officers of
the Amalgamated Association are
strongly opposed to another strike and
there is a good minority of the en-
ployes who are also against it.
1t is possible, however. that every man
belonging to the Amalgamated Asso-
citation will strike. as many of the min
ority. while opposed to the strike. con-
slider themselves bound in honor to sup
port their associates and there are
many other men who will refuse to
work for fear of mob. The company
believes that 1t will have no trouble in
getting men to fill the strikers places
and Mr. Beetem tonight told the COM
mittee that within the past three days
the company had refused applications
for situations from 500 men.
Strike Will Bc Declared orr.
Philadelphia. Jan. 3.-The strike Of
the employees of the Union Traction
company will be declared off this morn
ing. January 3.