The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-11-28


two hundred employees Of the Scranton
Railway company met early this morn
ing at the Gaiety 'theater and there
organized the Scranton branch of the
Street Car Employees association of
America and Canada. Organizer Fred
erick Dilcher, of the United Mine
Workers association Of America, who
arrived in the city last week, was in
charge of the work of enrolment and
formation. and In the course of the
proceedings made an address in which
he thoroughly eXpounded the principles
which should govern the association
You are organized not for Il strike
but to prevent one was one Of his
remarks, which voiced the sentiment
of the meeting.
Officers of the associa ton were elect
ed by the meeting at about 3 o'clock,
which was too late for publication
The national association of street car
men will today receive official notice OF
the effecting of an organization.
The conductors, inotormen, ct al,
who thronged the theater at Las
o'clock, when the gathering was called
to order by Chairman Dilcher, ap-
peared to be thoroughly impressed
with the Importance of the step for
mutual protection which they We're
making, and declared that they had
certain grievances which they believed
were deserving of redress. A change is
desired in the present hours, and man.
ner of alloting the days work.
ASKED TO TAKE CHARGE
Organizer Dilcher remarked this
morning to a Tribune man that he was
in no way instrumental in the forma-
ton of the local union and received his
nOticatfon yesterday afternoon, when
requested to take charge Of the for
NAL work. District Secretary John
Dempsey and District Organizer Rob-
ert a. Courtright. of the United Mine
Workers association. acted as the Sec
retaries of the meeting, and several
other men prominent in the labor
world were present. OF these. Prest-
dent Martin Flaherty, of the Central
Labor union, was one.
The street car men began coming
in at o'clock this morning, men who
covered the lines all the way from
Forest City to Duryea. Secretaries
Dempsey and Courtright We're kept
busy enrolling the men as they en-
tered. and already at 1.3O o'clock sew
entytive men We're enrolled.
Promptly at las o'clock Chairman
Dilcher called the meeting to order
and gave a sound straight from the
shoulder speech, which called forth
hearty applause from his hearers.
"You men do not want to have any
strike" he said earnestly. "What you
:.,~,l
be able to elect committees of repre-
sentative men, good. sensible fellows,
who can confer with your officials, in
case of any difficulty. and endeavor to
thus settle the trouble. And if all ef-
forts to thus remedy the defects are in
vain, leave it to arbitration.
SELECTION OF OFFICERS.
"And now, in regard to electing your
officers. BE careful there also in choos-
ing competent and painstaking men.
conservative men for these RESPONSE
bic positions. Elect officers who will
be able to demonstrate to the street
railway officials that you have griav-
ances and want them recognized.
'"rhey should be able to show the
officials that when they present their
complaints they wish to be accorded
the privileges of employees of the COM
pany and be met half way"
Mr.. Dilcher then spoke in a general
manner of the progress of labor Or
sanizations during the last few years
in this country. He told of the friend
ly conditions existing between capital
and labor at present, and said that
the practically universal friendly rcla-
tons We're u source of qualification
throughout the country. Can griev-
ances between the coal operators and
miners are now at an end in these
regions" he remarked, "and in the for
nation of a branch association here
among the street car men we aim at
effecting Il mutual understanding be
tween employer and employe of the
same power, as that now existing be-
tween the coal miners and the coal su-
perintendents.
He then mentioned that during the
balance of the week he would organize
local unions of the BARRIERS and brew
ers, of the same nature as the recently
organized Barkeepers' association.
At the end of his address speeches
We're made by President Martin D.
Flaherty, of the Central Labor union
and others of those present, and about
4 o'clock the meeting adjourned, after
the serving of lunch by Mr.. Durkin, of
the Grand Central hotel.
MINE WORKERS OFFICIALS.