The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-11-30

First Nice-President II. W. Clark
jr. of the Scranton Railway company,
who Is the acting head Of that corpora
| tion. came up from Philadelphia yes
terday and gave out the following
statement:
| 10 the Public:
II seems proper at this time that the Scranton
| Railway company should issue 10 the people of
| scranton a statement of its policy in regard to
the strike and boycott On its system. The issues
| which brought about the present trouble com.
| mcnccd at the termination Ut the strike last
January, when a contract was entered into by
| The company with the association OF It's EN-.
| ployes, covering scales OF wages, hours and cond
| tons OF employment.
| It was apparent to the company soon after the
| execution ot this agreement that ii would he i'm.
| possible for il to operate lis system and at The
same time enforce tile discipline absolutely neccs'
| sary to insure u proper attitude of III employees
TO the travelling public. lnsubordinltion. careless.
| ness and "A want Of proper attention to the COM
| tort Of Passengers increased notably, and The
pcculations OF conductors the s,ibeCt OF
| frequent comment by patrons of the road IN a
| number OF instances when discipline enforced
| the association demanded the reinstatement Of the
offenders. threatening u strike unless this was
DONE Many issues not covered by the agreement
we've conceded to the organization from time to
| time in the interests Of harmony, until Oe. !,
| when elimination was reached BY the action
of our men IN striking work, on account OF The
discharge of two men tor causes Which were dis
tinctly provided for in the contract.
The public is entirely familiar with the differ
ent phases of the strike up to the present time,
| and the company las never dcyiated from its
policy inaugurated at the commencement Of the
trouble. to continue to operate its road. At pres.
the city and the company has no trouble i'll
securing capable men to operate its cars. and
| now has in its employ large number OF compc.
tent notormcu and conductors. II will be our
policy to continue to employ good men until our
quota is full, and it is matter OF regret TO til"
management OF the company that Il large num-
Der OF our old employees, whom wc kno" TO be-
honest and capable men. should be restrained from
| returning to work by comparatively small num-
ber OF men who control their union.
The boycott which has been declared against
the street railway company is the most serious
phase oi the present situation, and reflects 10 an
even larger extent on the business interest, OF
the city of Scranton than on the company. This
boycott was inauguiatcd in order 10 enforce the
Scranton Railway company to employ the men,
bcrs of the union OF onr old employees, under
terms and conditions that are not acccdcd 10 by
any street railway company in the state The
experiences OF this company, under the contract
in force during the first nine months OF this year,
have been such that we have absolutely refused
TO be party 10 another agreement, and shall in
the future icselye TO ourselves the absolute right
to poy and 10 discharge men for reasons whi2i
seem good and sufficient to the management. 1t
has been suggested that tho company agree to
take the men back in body, neccssitating the
discharge of all the men at present in our cn-
plov. This we have also refused to do and shall
retain them in their present positions as long as
they continue to serve the company faithfully
and desire TO remain i'll its service. We are will!
ing to take back as many OF our former employees
as are suitable men and for whom VIC haze
places.
The company is not engaged in 4 warfare upon
organized labor and does not deny the right OF
its employees TO belong to labor organization.
These matters have been given most serious
consideration BY the directors of the company,
and they unanimously agree that their decision
is based sound business principles and that it
is the only position that can he maintained by
the company in Justice TO the public, its employees
and its stockholders,
Scranton Railway Company.
BY L. W. Clark Jr,.
Icc.rrcsident.
Mr.. Clark spent the afternoon and
early evening with General Manager
Silliman and Directors Timothy and
John Burke. He had nothing to say for
publication further than what was con-
tanned in the companys statement.
At . o'clock last night President p.
]. Shea and Executive Board Member
Fred Surine called at the Jermyn and
sent their names to Mr.. Silliman's
room. Their cards We're returned with
the statement that Mr.. Silliman was
out. When seen later President Shea
declined to discuss the object Of their
call
or the strikers who have applied for
reinstatement, six more We're yester-
day given places by Superintendent
Patterson. Two of their number, A.
NJ. Phinney and Emil Mason will start
to work today on the Green Ridge SUI
burhan line. Others will he put to
work tomorrow and still others on
Monday. Charles Keller. Il member of
the union, who it will be remembered,
refused to join in the former strike,
resigned at yesterdays meeting and
applied to the company for renstate-
ment.
Providence ears are now being run
until 10 o'clock p. m, the last car leav
ing the central city at Q o'clock. Su-
perintendent Patterson says the SER
vice will thus he gradually extended
until the cars on all the lines are run
ming as of old.
The executive board of the strikers
gave ont Il statement last night reiter-
ating the statement of the previous
night that the fight would be carried
on to finish, and that the deserters
from the strikers ranks only tended tn
strengthen their cause, us it weeds out
men who We're Il detriment to the
union, and who will do the strikers
cause less harm by being on the cars
than i'm the ranks Of the union.
Messrs. McGarragh, Collins, War
man and Campbell, of the sub-commit-
tee, engaged in endeavorine to effect
a settlement of the strike had another
session yesterday, IL is understood
they are trying to arrange IL conter-
ence between Vice-President Clark OF
the trolley company and National
President Mahon. Of the street railway
mems union, who will he here next
week to attend the American Fedora
ton of Labor convention.