The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-26
LABOR ON LOWER FARES
DEMANDS IMMEDIATE SETTLEMENT
OF STREET-CAR QUESTION.
some of Commercial Club Committee
DenOunced-Mass Meeting at
Plymouth Church.

Organized labor expressed itself strongly
on the street-car situation at a largely at
tended meeting ct a hall at SO East Wash
ington street last night. where C. II. Brill
had called a meeting of laboring men to
discuss the situation. Resolutions were
adopted favoring an immediate settlement
Of the street-car situation upon a basis of
lower fares, with universal transfers, the
Immediate betterment and extension of the
lines into remote parts of the city, and lib
eral treatment Of employees Of the company.
Some pretty radical speeches were made, in
which criticisms of the committee appointed
at the meeting at the Commercial Club the
other night were INDUCED in. About ali the
speakers had something forcible to say
about the vote Of mo confidence that had
been expressed in the present administra-
ton by this committee, and more than one
Oh the speaker expressed the opinion that
the present administration is better able 10
settle the situation than any member of the
m with political ambitions. All of
these who spoke expressed a view favorable
10 lower fares, but no one was heard to ask
FOR Scent fares save j. G. Brill. who had
called the meeting to order. Mr.. Brill was
in favor Of postponing all action for some
time to core After he was unanimously
voted down by those present Mr.. Brill had
nothing to say. %remarking that he needed
time to consider the subject
Resolutions f~avoring an immediate settle
ment of the question were introduced by
a committee consisting of Thomas Black
burn, president Of the entra Labor Union:
t. M. Gruelle, of the Printers Union; Will
liam Richie, of the Molders' Union; Thomas
H.. Scott, of the Transfers, and D. l.. Stod-
dard, of the Carpenters Union. H. C. Deck
er. Of the Carpenters Union, was the chair
man Of the meeting, and A. E. Haines, Of the
same union, was secretary. Speeches were
made by Percy Tall, Thomas Blackburn,
p. A. Perkins and e. A. Brown.
II find" said the latter, that the labor
Ing man knows more about his situation
than Mr.. Parry or Mr.. Smith knows. I have
never heard it said before that the present
Board of Public Works is a board Of thieves,
nor that the mayor did not know his bus
fness. Mr.. Parry poses as a friend of labor.
He pays from So cents to 50 cents for his
labor. Street car men now average So a
DAY and don't want it cut down. 1 am a Re-
publican, myself, but / like Taggart and
l don't believe he would do a dishonest
thing"
Mr.. Brown was loudly applauded, as was
F.. A Perkins, president of the State Fed
Grafton Of Labor, when HI expressed the
sentiment that the present administration
is as capable Of settling this street-car
question as any other body would be. 9th
ers who expressed confidence in the present
Administration being able to look after the
interests Of the city were loudly applauded,
as was Mr.. Perkins, when he said that the
bills presented by the Legislature were only
discretionary, simply giving the administra-
ton an optional right to make a settlement.
His opinion that the interests of the city
had been carefully safeguarded, met with
loud. applause. The resolutions, presented
by the committee headed by Thomas Black
burn, president of the Central Labor Union,
as amended above, were as follows:
Resolved, That it is the sense of this
meeting that a settlement OF the pending
railroad company, for the best interests of
the public generally and laboring men in
particular, should be made at once, and,
Resolved, That we suggest as a basis
for such settlement the following:
Il. We favor over fares, with universal
transfers, so that the people may have a
direct and tangible benefit from such set
tlement, instead of beneflting Only the larg-
er taxpayers, as the payment Of a large
do.
e. We favor the immediate betterment
of the equipment of said company, and by
this we mean more cars, good lighting and
heating facilities and such other improve
ments as have received the approval Of
modern experts on the subject.
20. We Favor the extension of the lines
into the remote parts of the city, enabling
the small home owner to obtain the benefit
OF quick transportation, ana
-, Lastly, we favor liberal treatment
and good wages to employees Of such COM
pany."
Hugh ]. MCGOWAN, representing the stock
holders of the new company, when informed
OF the contents Of the resolutions adopted
and asked what the attitude of the company
would be on the questions discussed by the
leaders of the labor meeting, said: 1.-The
Yono4incr d~c+ ovpra0ca1 t4ca1f IN foxror oP
lower fares. We offer to make a Accent fare.
All those who desire it can secure this by
buying twenty-five tickets for 81, and those
who do not can get six tickets for rs cents.
The system Of universal transfers is to ex-
ist. as is asked. The next idea advanced
by the resolutions, as l understand from
your information, is that the meeting faVors
the best heating, lighting and other modern
improvements. 1t is the intention of the
company 10 meet all these propositions, and
we have promised to expend $1,0GO,0W in
this direction. If we are able to conclude
the negotiations that are pending a large
portion of this money will be paid out this
year. 1t is our purpose to adopt a liberal
attitude toward our employees. There will
not be a disposition TO impose upon them in
any respect. The last idea we would have
In mind would be to in any way display an
unfair or unkind attitude toward them. An
other word: 1t seems to be the idea of the
resolutions that a large sum of money is to
be paid to the city in bulk. In this connec-
ton it is but fair to say that we expect that
the $4,000 we are to pay the city shall be
distributed over a number of years-say
100000 one year and smaller sums In subse-
quent years, as the city may require. While
1t is not in our province to say how this
money shall be expended, for my own part 1
would like to see the city incorporate In its
franchise with the company a specific clause
indicating how this money should be paid
and to what purpose it shall be applied
say, for instance, to identifying the parks.
The city has park lands. They must the
improved. Say that the new park board re-
quired $4,000 a year; that will mean that
amount must be raised by taxation. Sup
pose it is provided that the money the
street car company pays shall be devoted to
that purpose-does that not mean that that
much less will have to be raised by taxa
ton, and that thereby the taxpayers will
be saved that much each year? AS said,
it is no part Of our province to Indicate how
the money the company pays the city shall
be expended. and this is but thrown out as
my own personal suggestion. 1t may be
we'll for the citizens to consider the idea"