The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-10-31

| SUITS against tUe street car SliNeis
for the recovery of property of the
company which they have in their pos
session are among the probabilities.
| shortly after the strike was inaugur-
ated the company published notice
| calling on the men to return whatever
| OF the company's property they had
in their possession, such as punches
| transfers, switch turner's and the like
| The men paid no heed to the notice
| Yesterday the company sent its special
| agent, Morgan Sweeney. among the
| men to serve them personally with cop
| les of this notice, as the first step IN
legal proceedings to recover the prop
erty. The first man who received one
| of the notices spread the word as to
| their contents and as a consequence
| the other men refused to accept them
| when they were preferred.
This refusal is in line with a reso-
| luton, adopted by the strikers early
| in the strike, which was that none OF
| the men should go to the Office to
draw their pay and that whatever
property Of the company the men had
possession of should be retained. This
was for the purpose Of preventing the
company from perfecting their dis
| charge, and thereby causing them to
forfeit their interest in mutual benefit
association.
General Manager Silliman said yes
terday that reasonable time would be
allowed the men to return the property
and If it was not returned in a rea-
sonable time legal steps would be taxi
en- to compel them to return it.
STATEMENT OF MEN.
The following statement was given
out from strike headquarters 1ast night.
it deals mainly with the reason the
men are refusing 20 give up the COM
pany property:
Outside indications are very encouraging. 81
far as patronage OF the CmS Is concerned the
situation remains unchanged. The empty ears
gives evidence that Tie sympathy of the people
Tor labor's interest is unwaverng and should
be conclusive proc; to the directors ci the com.
panr that the citizens Of scranton purpose TO
stcadiastly resent the Iue or ruin and dis.
iuptivc policy OF the management.
At their regular meeting today the mon showed
no lack OF enthusiasm and oppressed absolute
ti,nlncss in their faith TO win.
An agent OF the company stood on the corner
OF Wyoming avenue and Spruce street with
notices to serve on tire men 10 surrender the
company. This property consists OF badges,
punches and Transfers
There is a relief association connected with
the Traction company, of which its Old employees
are all members. The treasury of this a>socia-
iion las been built up by monthly dcductio
from The wages Of the men, and now amounts
10 5000. The laws governing the society are
such That ii they surrender their badges. etc.
the company can declare the men 10 lonscr
members and thus be able TO contscate the funds
OF the society.
Many OF the men a. they came from Cdrpen-
te!s' lall would give the company official no cp-
porunty to serve the notices. whcreupon he
would call TO them at the top OF his voice, at
tracing much attention, demanding the sur
render of the property. The incident was n
novel one. and served to snow the official 10
he possessed OF qualification more Characteristic
of a common street soap ,cnder, rather than that
OF Traction official. Tie men will lake fur
iitcr action on the matter ~ their meeting to-
morrow.
HAD AN EFFECT.
1t is quite generally believed here
that the Scranton strike had an i'm
portant bearing on the failure Of the
Philadelphia street car men To carry
out their threat to strike. General
Manager Silliman said he felt assured
that it was the principal factor in pre-
venting the Philadelphia strike. "With
their remembrance of their defeat two
years ago and the i'll success of the
Scranton strike, the Philadelphia men
concluded they had better hold OFF,"
said Mr.. Silliman.
MI Silliman was asked if it Was true
lie had been supplied with Il $250,000
fund by other street railway companies
to help carry on the fight against the
strikers. lie declined to make answer
further than to say that his company
did not need any outside assistance
He then went ON TO tell of extensive
improvements ana repairs contem-
plated among them, the welding of all
the central city tracks by the new Lor-
raine method which oblterates
joints and makes a track contin-
uous. This latter Improvement was
decided upon yesterday. The company
is also to spend Sl5o,OOO for new cars
aud about as much more for relaying
tracks.
There are now tWenty-three buses
plying regularly between the central
city and the suburbs and their own
ers are fairly coming money. One
team earned 500 in week. The strk-
ers claim that the company is nperat-
ing only thrty-three cars and that it
now has less than 100 men in its en-
ploy
Resolutions endorsing the strike and
guaranteeing support to the strikers
We're received yesterday from Mine
Workers locals 1900, lG99 and 1898. Of
Forest city, GAL of Moosic, and 114O Of
scranton.