The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-03
GREET CAR MEN TO STRIKE.
-,,r TROUBLE AT PHILADELPHIA
TO BE RENEWED.

,,.5ority of the Members of the
,,,,tgamated Association Refuse.
Accent the Clause in the Peace
,-reemeat which Prohibits New
an From Joining Any Labor Or
.-,nfzation-A strong Minority OPP
,osed TO striking.
pslradeiphia. Jan. Another strike Of
-. snployes Of the Union Traction Com
I'M, is now seemingly inevitable. All
lle,-rs at compromise between the com
,, and its men have failed, and the
l,,estion now rests with the men Them
80 At IL O'Clock tonight the men be-
--,n a mass meeting, and as the poll or
80 road taken to-day showed large ma
;o-irv in favor Of striking. the result of
he mass meeting seems foregone con-
clusion.
To-day when another strike seemed
,rohability. the Toynbee Society. the Uni
ysrssl Peace Union and number of other
Gentlemen who are interested in the wei
fsre of the city, visited and wrote TO the
headquarters of the Amalgamated Asso-
,aation. counseling moderation and advis-
ing the men against another strike. AS
ian as is apparent these efforts have been
thrown away. The men demand of the
romUdnE tndL IL aDTORdte the clause IN It's
latest agreement submitted to them thar
Ia the future all new men who are taken
an the road shall be in no way affiliated
or connected, directly or indirectly, with
any labor organization. This clause the
company has firmly declined TO eliminate.
After the poll of the road this after
noon was known another committee OF
the men called upon General Manager
Beetem tonight to make a last appeal to
him TO eliminate the objectionable clause
For over two hours Mr.. Beetem and the
fpn discussed tfacro f1ss-
The discussion was conducted amicably,
but both sides remained firm. At the con-
cusiOn of the meeting MIR. Beetem stated
10 the men that the company would dis
charge none of its present employees for
belonging to the Amalgamated Associa-
ton of Street Railway Employees; that it
would hear any grievances of the men and
that it would deal equitably with them,
but that it was unalterably determined
not TO allow its employees to dictate to it
in the matter under discussion. He
warned the committee that, if another
strike took place, the burden of any dis
urbances 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 beg
men and their families to do all i'm their
power to avert strike. The committee
and they promised him that they would
use every argument they could to per-
sUade the men not ~ 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 so among his men.
but that if he went his presence would
he miscOnstrued and that he would be
thought to be there as the general man
ager of the company and that, therefore,
he could not agree to address the mass
meeting Before the committee departed
Mr. Beetem told them he would wait at
his Office until / o'clock tomorrow morn
ing to learn the result of the mass meet
ing.
The committee was accompanied in its
visit to Mr.. Beetem by ex-Postmaster
John Field, who endeavored to act as a
peacemaker, and who advised the men
10 accept Mr.. Beetem's terms and trust
10 his honor to adjust all their grievances
J.. lowering Jones, a large stakeholder Of
me company and leading lawyer of the
Philadelphia bar also addressed the com
mlttee and pointed out to them that cap
i ish,,i haa rights as well as labor, which
how many men the employees will be
aaole to take out with them If they strike
is hard to say.
The officers of the Amalgamated Asso-
cation are strongly opposed to another
strike, and there is a good minority of
Inc employees who are also against it,
IL Is possible, however, that every man
belonging to the Amaleamated Associa-
non viii strike, as many of the minority
While opposed to the strike, consider them
selves bound in honor to support their
associates and there are many other
men VINO Will refuse ito work for fear
OF mob. The company believes that
It Will have no trouble in getting men
10 NIL the places of tho strikers, and Mr.
Beetem tonight told the committee that
within three days he had refused applica-
lions for situations from 500 men.
Philadelphia, Jan. 3, 2 a. ma strike
mas been declared on the lines of the
traction COmnanV
morning