The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-01-03
STRIKERS WEAKEN
Philadelphia Traction Men
Hurrying to Secure
Their Old Places.
PRINCIPAL LINES WORKING
Amalgamated Association and Cit
izens' Committee Urge the
Men to Return.

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 8, 1S9e.-The
strike of the motormen and conductors
or the Union Traction Company, which
was decided upon at mass meeting
of the members of the Analgamated
Association of Street Railway Employ
es. in Labor Lyceum, at o'clock thiA
morning, went into nominal effect at
o'clock. While few divisions are tied
up, cars were running on the main
thoroughfares during the morning with
noticeable regularity. The latter cars
were largely manned by union men, and
the absence of police officers on the
platforms was in striking contrast to
the protection thus afforded during the
recent strike. There was no disorder
reported during the early morning
The presence of union men on the
in the ranks of the Amalgamaded Asso-
second strike Many Of the men who
National President Mahon and other
conservative leaders of the association,
n1Sag IN S1pgPo;sing 81 sba the strike They were IN
at the mass meeting early this morning
when Chairman Hiram W Lutz. of the
put the question of Strike or no
strike" to the assemblage, and they are
the men who took out the cars today
to have the union men leave the cars.
and IN a number of instances this morn
lng aney Were I Ss Tel m phs psn
out the day by the strikers, particularly
at the several depots of the Union Trac-
The fact that National President Ma
hon of the Amalgamated Association
repudiated the. Strike ORDER" he going
sonally appeal to the men 20 take out
their cars this morning, shows that the
association in the present Struggle.
AS matters stand this morning the
Traction Company has luch the better
Before the final vote ha1 been taken at
the mass meeting this morning Mr..
Mahon addressed the gathering. He stat
its efforts by the American Federation
of Labor. and called the attention Of
the men to the fact that he, as well as
they, were bound by constitution. and
that they had taken an obligation which
they were bound to keep. He then read
from the constitution the laws governing
arbitration had failed, the matter must
be submitted to secret vote of the local
divisions: which, in this case. he con-
tinued, had not been done. A strike
called by this meeting he declared. would
not be binding upon the Amalgamated
Association.
P. ]. Mcclure, Vice President of the
American Federation of Labor. in strong
and vigorous language, condemned the
action of the men in trying to bring on
another strike, and said that the Amer
lean Federation would not stand by any
organization which did not observe its
own laws.
General Manager Beetem of the
Union Traction Company this morning
issued an order notifying the men who
refused to take out their oars this
morning and fail to report for duty
prior to 8 o'clock this afternoon that
they are discharged and will not be re-
instated.
At the same time the business mems
committee. which had been appointed
at the SOLICITATION of the men them-
with the Traction officials, sent out an
appeal to the men to return to work
The Amalgamated Association also is
sued an order requesting the strikers
to return to work.
These edicts proved effective in induc-
ing number of the men to assume their
old positions.
At noon it was announced that 1so
strikers returned to work at the Six
teenth and Jackson streets depot. It
1000 of the 5000 employees of the Union
Traction Company were on strike. Cars
continued running with regularity on the
principal divisions throughout the morn-