Waterbury Democrat., 1902-08-08
ACTED QUICKLY
Trolley Strike at New Haven
Nearing a Settlement.
WORK OF CITIZENS COMMITTEE


ing the Cars Rolling Before Many
Hours This Is the Third Day of the
Strike and the Trolley Business Was
as Completely Tied Up as 1t Was the
First Day-City Very Quiet, and Peo-
pie are Learning to Walk Once More.
New Haven, Aug S.-The trolleyIess
city began its third day of inconveni-
ence in the hope that before nightfall
Its traffic paralysis would be sup
planted by normal conditions and that
the strike of the conductors and motor
men of the Fair Haven and Westville
Railroad company would end. Eleven
O'Clock this morning was the hour
when the crisis was to come The cit
izens' committee labored far into the
night in an effort to find some com
mon ground on which the strikers and
the trolley officials could meet and ad-
just difficulties. At midnight it was
thought that possible solution had
been reached and that formal action 4
merely was necessary from the com
pany and the men to bring the strike
to an end. The committee interpre-
ted the statement of the company is-
sued last night as satisfactory to the
strikers in all points except that in
volving the reinstatement of discharg
ed men. This statement recognized
the union to the extent of stating that
membership in % union would not be
considered cause for discharge and
that there would be no discrimination
against union men. The strikers halt
ed a trifie over the company's state
ment that union men and nonrunion
men would be treated alike, but the
committee finally for the moment
succeeded in diverting insistent de
mands on this line. The arbitrators
finally hit upon a plan to settle as
they thought the single remaining Vi
tai point of difference, namely that OF
the reinstatement or the discharged
men. 1t was decided to propose to
the company and to the men that
committee of three fair-minded en-
ployers OF labor hear in confidence
from the company the reasons for the
discharge of the score or more ean-
ployes and that it should remain for
this committee Of sthree to decide
whom Of the discharged men should
be ireinstated in the employ of the
company. 1t was agreed that the
answer to the proposition at III O'clock
this morning Later, however. the
strikers announced that they had not
Thoroughly understood the proposition.
and that it would not be fair to the
discharged men IL they were not Civ
en- full hearing themselves. Mean
while an effort was made to communi~
cate with the officials of the company
but they were inaccessible. The
strikers expressed to members Of the
committee at this point that there
was more than possibility the union
would not agree to this propositions
JAS result the members of the citi-
zens' committee We're not over sangu-
inc early to-day.
No cars were running this morning
and the city was very quiet.
The forenoon was one of suspense
Up to Ill o'clock the people spent the
time in speculation. 1t was after III
o'clock when the citizens committee
Of fifteen assembled in the hall OF the
chamber of commerce. After brief
discussion a subcommittee was APP
pointed and instructions were given
this committee to place before the dis
putting parties the peace proposition
The subcommittee went at once to
the offices of the Fair Haven and West
vile railroad company and was in con-
ference with the officials of the COM
pany for some time. AT the close OF
the conference the committee visited
the strikers At 1870 the members
of the subcommittee had not report
ed. At .1:45 it was announced by the
citizens committee that they regarded
the trolley strike as practically set
tied
The committee presented a, docu-
ment to the officials of the company
urging the officers to re-instare the
men. President Parmalee and the Of
ficials, while not attaching their sig
natures to this document, said it was
a possible solution of the difficulty if
the strikers acquiesced in the same.
The latter, represented by their
executive committee, expressed a will
ingness to recommend to the strikers
as body their acquiescence in the
settlement, providing the following
amendment was added:
9Will the committee of the employees
of the road be received by Mr. Parma
lee at future times.' 1t was promised
that if agreed to a meeting Of the
strikers would be called for the pur-
pose of ratification, and an effort
would at once be made to start the
cars.
Papers for the application for a re-
ceiver for the Fair Haven and Vest
vile trolley road were drawn up to-
day by five prominent attorneys aud
they were forwarded to the attorney
onnaraI