The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-10-02
ated when the company discharged

lated when the company discharged
them.
I'VE say that both sides should be
given hearing. but we do not even
insist on this. All we ask Is that the
whole matter be left In Bishop Hoban's
hands. Let him not only arbitrate the
main question, but also the question
OF how the main question shall be arbi-
trated. We do not demand that the
| company's sources of information be
disclosed. We do demand, though, that
II Bishop Hoban, for instance. should
find It expedient to the ends of justice
to have our attorney cross question
these or any other witnesses, that he
shall not be restrained from doing so
by any prescription from Mr.. Silliman
We don't want to dictate to the bishop
how the thing shall be done and we
don't want that Mr.. Silliman shall die
tate how II shall be done. Leave us
and Mr.. Silliman out of it, and let the
whole matter rest in the arbitrator's
hands"
REASONS FOR DISCHARGE.
Under the contract the company can
discharge a man for dishonesty or ne
glect Of duty. TO fail to register fare
or to issue one transfer in excess OF
the proper number can be charged up
to be dishonesty or neglect of duty. 1t
is also possible that these things can
happen accidentally, even with the
most honest and careful Of conductors
The men are asking that they he given
full and fair opportunity Of showing
| that the accused men have not been
dishonest orwilfully neglectful of duty.
1t may be that they missed n fare or
gave out transfer more than was
proper. They deny though, and are
willing to take oath to 1t, that they
have no knowledge of having done so
They feel that If "spotters' are allowed
to give evidence without being sub
jected to cross-examination they will
concoct false story. For this reason
| they are not content to be tried ac-
cording to the company's ideas Of a
| trial. They do not want to dictate
how they shall be tried. All they ask
| is that the arbitrator shall try them
| according to his own ideas Of what Is
| fair and just, and without any re-
straining conditions prescribed by one
side or the other.
| The company on the other hand, IL
willing to allow the accused men to
make answer before the arbitrator and
| take whatever means they may choose
Of combating the evidence the COM
pany will submit, but a condition
precedent, that must prevail, is that
the identity of the company's Sources
of information" must be kept secret
from everyone except the arbitrator.
There is nothing in the contract with
the men that calls upon the company
to allow any one other than the COM
pany to pass upon the question Of
whether or not an employe shall be
discharged. In this instance, however,
out of regard for the interests Of the
public, the company is willing to col
vince the employees executive com,ril
tee, through some third party, who can
be entrusted with a secret which the
company does not see fit to confide to
| the executive committee, that the dis
charge of the two men was proper
under the contract.
WHAT REEVES SAYS.
The following statement was fur
| nished the press last night by National
Board Member Reeves:
"As soon as I arrived on the scene
and observed the situation, I recon-
! mended the proposition submitted to
the company, which I regarded as a
most fair one, upon which an amicable
adjustment may be brought about. No
matter how much or by whom the pres
ent conditions may be regretted, the
fact remains that the strike exists,
which I deplore. and l trust that the
proposition for arbitration may be ac-
cepted by the company with as good
grace as 1t was agreed to on the part
of the executive committee. If the
proposition should meet with the ap-
proval of the company I am confident
that the strike will be of short dura-
tion. \ speedy adjustment of the diff
ficulty by the parties concerned is due
to the public"
Bishop Hoban is out of the city and
may not return for number of days.
He has not as yet been consulted as to
his acting as arbitrator There Is some
speculation as to whether or not he
will consent to sit in an arbitrat ton
where he will be called to pass upon
the question of whether or not two
men are guilty of felony.
A new difficulty arises from the fact
that the company claims the men, by
going on strike, left the cOmpany's
employ, and thereby abrogated the con-
tract made at the close of the strike
last fall Mr.. Silliman does not say
that if the men return to work the
contract will not be renewed, but he
holds now that the Scranton Railway
company has no knowledge of any or
ganization known as Division 16S,
Amalgamated Association of Street
Car Employees, and that it has no con-
tract with any body of employees.
THEY FOREsAW IT.
That the men foresaw the liability of
this new complication is evidenced by
the fact that at the end of their letter,
| delivered to Mr.. Silliman yesterday af-
ternoon. they added, LET it be under
| stood that the contract now existing
between the company and the associ-
alton be rigidly adhered to by both
parties until the expiration of the
same"
| There was no turbulence or any SEM
blance of it yesterday. Most of the
men spent the greater part of the day
in bed, having been up all night at
Carpenters hall At 3 o'clock yester-
day afternoon they assembled in the
hall and had a meeting, The execu-
| tive committee told of it's visit and
counter-proposition to Mr.. Silliman
and the men unanimously ratified their
action. r. l.. Reeves, of Pittsburg, a
member of the national executive board
of the street car mems union, was
present at the meeting,
Mr.. Silliman stated to a Tribune re-
porter yesterday afternoon that the
company will operate cars today either
with the old men or imported men.