The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-24
NOT LIKELY
TO ACCEDE
COMPANY WILL OPPOSE TRoL-
LEYMEN's DEMANDS.
Report That Can Be Accepted as Au-
thoritative Has It That the Man
agement will Not Acquiescc in the
Clause Which the Men Want In
serted in the Agreement Giving
Them Power to Say Who Shall and
Who Shall Not Be Hired by the
Company.


the headquarters of the scranton
Railway company, 1t can be said with
practical authoritatlveness that the
employees conference committee will
have i'll success in its efforts to con-
vince the management that II should
enter into an agreement to hire no
motormen, conductors or barn hands
who are not members OF the local
union Of the Amalgamated Association
of Street Car Employees OF America.
1t can be relied upon that the COM
pany will stand out firmly against
the demand that ii discharge Keller
and Seeley, the two mon who. out OF
all the three hundred employees, re-
mained faithful during the strike.
Those who know President Clarke say
he is a sticltler for fidelity and that
II would be a great surprise to them
if he permitted himself. at any cost,
to go back on one who had befriended
him.
1t Is safe to say that even with
Keller and Seeley out of the question
the company would be loath to sisn
the agreement. The management will
argue that the clause in question is
n preposterous proposition in that the
men are seeking to negotiate con-
tract which on their part Is impossible
of fulfillment. II will be contended
that the clause is nothing more or less
than demand that the employees
shall furnish the company with what
ever men il may demand, and as the''
union is in no position to give as
surance that 1t can do this, If the
company should acquiesce in it, the
company would by subscribing to TIL"
agreement enter into a contract where
they would be giving something with
out assurance of receiving anything In
return.
CAN'T REGULATE ADMISSION.
If there We're some means whereby
the company could regulate the admit
tance of men to the union, the thing
would be more reasonable, Ii VIII be
argued, but as the company Is with
out power TO compel q man to join the
union. or to secure admittance for a
man to the union, If he should be will
ing to Join, the company by signing
the agreement would leave itself liable
to the condition OF finding itself with
out employees.
Both in theory and practice, the
proposition Is an unreasonable one, The
company, it Is safe to say, Will aver,
and unless all signs are awry, Friday
mornings meeting of the union VIII
find itself called upon to consider Gem
eral Manager Sillimans refusal to sub
scribe to this clause.
Eerything else in the agreement. It
is thought will be readily acquesced
in. How far the employees will go in
insisting upon all their demands Is, of
course, conjectural
The conference between the EN-
ployes' committee and the manage
ment of the company will take place
today. President c. NJ. Clarke. who Is
spending the week in the city, will at
tend, and it is thought likely that
Director Timothy Burke will also be
present. The committee Of the men Is
composed oc p. J. Shea, Fred Surine,
George Kagler, NJ. J. Barrett and Wal
ter Evans.
President Clarke arrived early ves-
terday morning from Philadelphia and
spent the day i'm conference with Cen
eral Manager Silliman and Director
Burke at the latter's office or the com
pany's headquarters on Lackawanna
avenue.
President Clarke was seen by IA Trib-
une reporter at the Jermyn last even
ing, but he declined to discuss the COM
pany's probable action on the mems
new demand, further than to say that
the company was perfectly willing to
grant the fullest recognition to the
rDn1l hn fe1 ~
turn over to the men any essential
share in the direction of the company's
managerial affairs.
ABOUT UNION MEN.
When asked particularly regarding
the demand of the men that none hut
union men shall be employed by the
company. President Clarke said he had
not as yet had full discussion Of the
matter with Mr.. Silliman, and even
though he had, he would feel il IN.
cumbent upon himself out of courtesy
to the employees committee, to re-
frain from announcing the company''
conclusion until 1t was first announced
To the committee.
"At all events" Mr.. Clarke added,
I'VE will not come to final conclu-
sion until we have heard what argu-
ments our men have to make i'm sup
port of their demand"
Discussing the company's affairs in
general, President Clarke expressed
himself as greatly regretting the mo-
tive that was so generally impugned
to the companys action In the matter
OF the abolition of transfers and
passes.