Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-03
ANOTHER STRIKE DECLARED.
Philadelphia Street-Cnr Employees
Go Ont This Morning.

PHILADELPHIA, PA. January D.
Another strike Of the employees OF the
Union Traction Company is now SEEM
ingly inevitable All efforts at com
promise between the company and the
men are ended. and 1t now rests with the
men. At 10 o'clock the men began
mass-meeting. and as the poll of the road
taken to-day showed large majority In
favor Of striking, the result of the mass
meeting seems foregone conclusion.
To-day. when another strike seemed
proba bility, the Toynbee Society. the Uni
yersal Peace Union and number of
other gentlemen who are interested in
the welfare of the city, visited and wrote
to the headquarters Of the Amalgamated
Association, counselLng moderation, 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 II abrogate 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. directly or indi-
rectly with any labor organization. This
clause the company has firmly declined
to eliminate. After the poll OF the road
to-day was known another committee OF
the men called upor General-Manager
Beetem to make a last appeal to him to
eliminate the Objectionable clause. For
over two hours Mr.. Beetem and the COM
mittee discussed the matter together. The
discussion was made amicaby, but both
t.4 10
the men that the company would dis
charge gone of its present employ ees lvr
belonging TO the Amalgamated Associa-
ton Of Railway Employees; that IT would
hear any grievances Of the men, and that
IL woulu zeal equltably with them, but
that II was unalteraby determined not to
allow it's employees to dictate to II in the
matter under discussion.
He warned the committee that If an
other 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 thrt
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 families 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 per-
suade the men not 10 strike but that they
had very little hope OF success. They
asked Mr.. Beetem 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
be only too glad TO go among his men,
but that If he went his presence would be
misconstrued and that he would be.
thought TO be there as the general mana
ger of the company. and that therefore
he could not agree to address the mass
meeting. Before the committee departed
Mr.. Beetem told them that he would wait
at his office until / o'clock tomorrow
morning to learn the result OF the mass
meeting The committee was accom-
panied on its visit to Mr.. Beetem by ex-
Postmaster John Field. who ende? vored
to act as a peacemaker, and who ad-
yised the men TO accept Mr.. Pestem's
terms and trust TO his honor TO adjust all
their grievances.
]. Levering Jones a large stocknolder
I'm the coml ns. ard leading lawyer OF
the Philadelphia bar. also addressed the
committee amt po!n led out TO them that
capital had rsh's as we'll az labor, which
labor was bound TO respect
How many men the employers VIII be
takes places II is hard to say The Off
cers of the Amalgamatcd Association are
strongly opposed to agother strike, and
there is a good minority of the employees
who are also against IT, 1t Is possible,
however, that every man belonging TO the
Amalgamated Association will strike, as
many of the minority. while opposed TO
strike, consider themselves bound In
honor to svpport their associates ana
there are many other men who VIII re-
fuse 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 told the
men that within the past three days the
company had refused applications from
500 new men.
STRIKE DECLARED.
PHILADELPHIA, PA, January "a
strike has been declared on the lires or
the Union Traction Company, TO go on
this morning.