The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-10-04
BATTLE IS ON IN EARNEST

| prior to the strike restored before We
viii treat with the men. They dis
turbed that condition on Tuesday
morning after had sent them prop
| osltion on Monday night and until
| they are back at work we will not out
| line what we propose to do.
The incident of the two discharged
conductors. we told them, is now
sealed book. 1t is closed These men
are discharged and they are not going
| to be rc-instated. We are not going
| to agree to have the question as TO
whether we had just cause for dis
| charging them arbitrated We were
willing to have 1t submitted to an ar
bitrator on Monday believing that no
far-minded man could do anything else
| but decide in our favor. but since the
men wouldn't accept this proposition
and went on strike we have with
| drawn it altogether and will positively
| refuse under any circumstances to put
these two discharged men back at
work.
ENTIRELY ENTRANEOtS.
you know this question of arbitra-
| tion Is entirely eXtraneous to the con-
tract. There's nothing in the contrac.
about arbitration. 1t says that the
company shall have the right to dis
charge men for incapacity or dishon"
esty. 1t does not say that as Il condl-
tion precedent to their discharge we
must prove their incapacity or dishon-
| cstE 10 the satisfaction of an arbitra-
tor. 1t was the men who suggested
the arbitration plan and we agreed to
it merely in the interests of harmony.
I'VE gave them to understand that in
the future we will refuse to submit the
question of mans honesty or inca
Dacity to an arbitrator. If We find that
he is incapable negligent of his duties,
or dishonest, we shall simply refuse
to consider his case any further.
That's simply business proposition.
It's simply what every business man
in the world does when he has cause
TO discharge an employe.'
Does the notice sent out today mean
that il the strikers don't report for
work tomorrow they will be dis
charged? asked the Tribune man.
mo, it doesn't mean that" replied
Mr.. Silliman, but it does mean that
the first applicants for positions will
be given the first places on the senior
ity list and that they'll stay there. 1t
means that If the men who have work.
ed for us for several years and who
now head the list don't send in their
applications at once they will find
themselves at the bottom of the list
or out of job altogether when the
strike is over The men who go to
work for us now will be kept at work
as long as they want to stay
NIGHT LIVE Up TO IT.
In response to an inquiry as to
whether the company considered the
contract made with the men abroSa-
ted by the strike and therefore not
binding on the company. Nh. Sillman
said that while this was undoubtedly
true, nevertheless the company would
probably agree to live up TO it until
the year ran out
I'VE won't promise to tell them so,
however" said he, "until they return
to work. When they are back at work
We will outline to them what we pro-
pose to do
Mr.. Clarke appeared to heartily con-
cur in all that Mr.. Silliman had said.
This strike was forced on the COM
pany.' said he. The men didn't have
sufficient grievance to warrant them
tying up the street car system OF this
city. They know that and the general
public knows il, too.
Ever since this contract was signed
last spring, the company has been
mixed up in trouble because the men
have sought to impose conditions upon
us that We're onerOuS. We have agreed
to do a great many things during the
past few months that there are very
few business men would ever agree to
do. We did this for the purpose of
maintaining harmony and the men
decided finally that they had us CONF
pletely in their power.
"They believed that. to use strong
expression, they had the bulge on lis,
and that we would willingly agree to
dance to their music. They have been
mistaken, however. They've got us
cornered now and we must and will
fight.
THE ONLY CONTRACT.
81 am interested in great many
street railway companies and this is
the only company in which we have
a contract with the men. We have
more trouble and more dissenson in
this city than in any other and the
reason for it, | believe, can be found
in the existence of this contract.
THE men tried to show me this
morning that the management has vio-
lated certain sections or provisions Of
the contract, but even admitting their
complaint to be true there was not
sufficient ground for the declaration of
a strike. These matters could have
been fixed up, all right IL the men had
not been so precipitous in declaring
strike.
'They are still complaining that we
are not paying them an honest wage.
They said that this morning at the
conference. Yet, as IA matter of fact
we are paying them more than the
street railway employees in Philadel-
phla and other big eastern cities are
receiving
Does your company propose TO OPP
crate its cars" asked The Tribune
man.
Eve certainly do replied Mr.
Clarke, I'VE shall make every effort
possible to run all the cars we can.
We will take back all the men now on
strike who may desire to come back
and will cndeavor to secure "A sufi-