The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-11
MAY BE A STRIKE
SERIOUS ASPECT OF THE METRO
POLITAN STREET RAILWAY
DIFFERENCES
COMMITTEES THAT CLASSIFIED

COmpany's Committee Prepared
Statement to the Eject That
the Employees Were Satisfied, and
HAD No Grievance at Present.
Fight Is Hinted At.
NEW YORK, July 10-Eighteen en-
pioyes OF the Metropolitan Street Railway
company called on President Vreeland. OF
the company, this morning They stated
10 MIN that the men on the road were
perfectly satisfied with the hours and
pay and the management, and in proof
| Oh the statement submitted document
| signed 1t Is claimed, by IS per cent of
| the employees Of the road Mr.. VreeIand
said that he was glad that they were sat-
isf1ed, but if they ever had grievance To
come to him at once and he would trv TO
adjust It.
just as the committee of eighteen de-
| parted committee Of four railway men
| called to see President Vreeland to Law
before him the grievance of the knights
OF Labor. Mr.. Vreeland called their at
tention to the statement signed by the
| employees Of the.road, refused to recognize
the four as representatives of the rail-
way employees, and dismissed them curt
~ Inc Knights of Labor committee re-
ported the result of their visit to the gem
eral committee of the knights of Labor
at meeting which begun at o'clock
at the Grand Central hotel, and at which
| John N. Parsons, grand master workman.
presided. The conference lasted over two
hours and at it's close a statement was
given out for publication The statement
in part follows:
In order to offset the efforts of the
men, petty officials and a few others cir
culated lists on all the roads for sigma
ture, certifying that the men were Salts
ned with the present conditions and that
no grievance existed. Our people were
warned on the first intimation of the COM
panys plans to sign this or any similar
document which might be presented to
them, as failure to sign would mean their
discharge.
Thus it was that the company came
into possession of a large list of names
OF employees who said they were salts
he'd They will endeavor to appear satiS-
fled until the opportunity arrives for a
proper adjustment Of the grievances UNI
der which they suffer
1.-The cause Of complaint among the
employees of the Metropolitan Street Rail-
way company, which prompted their ac-
ton in forming an organization. was due
to grievances of long standing and which
ere complained of as individuals with
out any attempt on the part of the COM
pany to furnish relief. The reception &C
corded the committee from the men by
Mr.. Vreeland this morning in refusing
to receive them q Of tho
employees. after he had invited them by q
public notice to send committees when
ever they wished to see him. caused no
surprise among the men, as they we'll
knew that when Mr.. Vreeland speaks of
| receiving or as being willing to receive
committees from his men, he only in
terds that to apply to committees Sc
lected by the officials of the board, who
can call upon him as that Satisfied COM
m1ttee did this morning. 1t was brought
to his Office in a special car of the COM
pany, in the personal charge of Chief
Inspector Parker and Assistant Chief In
spector Murphy, for fear any of them
would escape on the way. When the
committee called who had the authority,
voluntarily given them without any CO.
erclon, by their associates to repre-
sent them, Mr.. Vreeland did not consider
them worthy of a hearing.
Notwithstanding the action of either
VI lnese committees OF MI. NreelandS
treatment of them, the grievances still
exist, and as to the willingness of the
officials of the company to adjust them
the men have little hope, and will have
to rely upon try public for fair considera-
| ton of a matter in which every citizen
is Interested.
Mr.. Parsons said, after the meeting,
that while he could not say that strike
would be the outcome, he regarded the
trouble as most serious. and that it must
| be a fight to a finish.