The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-12-26
To an End This Creates Great
Excitement.
Evidently the Intention tC
Crush the Union.
TROUBLE is FEARED.
The Conductors and MOtormen
Discharged in DrOves.
Said to Be a Thousand AppIica-
tiOns for Their Places.

Boston, Dec. 26.-The strike of the
west end conductors and motormen
ended yesterday, but there are now
prospects of a worse and more serious
strike, for the officials of the road have
begun to discharge hundreds of those
who took part in the strike. This is
totally unexpected to the men, who
think they have been sold out"
The first official act of the West End
management Christmas day was to dis
charge 120 conductors and mOtOrmen of
division Charleston.
President Young of the Conductors,
Motormen and Drivers union headed
the list. More than 100 discharges were
also made on division >, and it is said
blacklist has been prepared by the
company which contains the name of
every e.nploye Of the company who
actively participated in the strike.
President Young says the strike is off
as far as the supreme council of the
union Is concerned. He admits that
some of the men, having disregarded
the action of conference committee, may
ignore the ultimatum OF the supreme
council and inaugurate another strike.
Tt is generally thought among the con-
ductOrS and mOIOrmen that the action
Of the supreme council means that the
managers have until next Monday to
sign an agreement submitted by the
men recognizing them as union in
stead of as individuals, out the whole
sale discharge of union men has put a
new complexion on things
The more radical of the men say that
the supreme council and the conference
committee have failed to represent the
sentiments of the union. One of the
men said that if the company refused TO
recognize its conductors and mOtOrmen
as a union. and If the present council
did not order q strike, a resignation of
the present members would be de
manded and a new council representing
the sentiments of the men would be in
stalled. The conservative members,
however. argue that a strike now would
be the height of folly In the event
a strike being ordered, many of these
men would refuse to go out.
Today and yesterday the recruiting
Office of the West End registered about
a thousand men who are supposed to be
competent, besides receiving hundreds
OF applications by mail.
An examination of the list of en-
plOyes dropped by the West End street
railway management as result Of
Thursdays strike shows that Pr -sident
Young and all of the other eight MEM
hers of the conference committee who
promised a delay OF the strike and
whose action in so doing prompted the
indignation among the men when re
suited in the strike, are among those
DISCHARGED When this fact became
known a wave of excitement equal to
that which precipitated the strike swept
over the nplOyes, ana II u 1GaAeN ALleAl
further trouble may result
INDIGNATION IS GREAT
There will be a special meeting of the
conductors and the motOrmens union
this afternoon to decide what shall be
done in the matter of the discharge Of
the committeeman by the West End
company
The Indignation is great among the
eInplOveS and protests were received at
union headquarters from every dlVislon
of the road together with promises OF a
united support in case a tie-up should
he ordered to force the reIns taternenl
Of the committeeman
A public meeting is called for this
evening in Fanueil hall to express IN
dignatiOn-
SEVEN HUNDRED TO GO
Later in the day it became known
that every officer of the union is includ-
ed i'm the list of discharged men. From
reports which are being received at the
headquarters of the union at the var
ious divisions. it is estimated that the
aegregate number of men discharged
will reach nearly 700.
Tt has also developed that there are
two factions among the men-one Who
sustains the action Of the conference
committee in agreeing to a postpone
nent of the strike until December 30,
and the other denouncing the supreme
council for calling the strike off after