Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-20
STREET CAR MEN ORGANIZE
Two Hundred and Fifty-Four Had Signed
the Roll Up to Midnight.
MEN ON LATE RUNS COME IN AFTERWARDS
No Trouble with Present Manage
ment, but Men Desire to Prepare
for Emergencies in Event of
Change of Ownership.

"Ninety-hve per cent OF the men will be
In the organization within a week." said
one of the leading factors last night in the
formation OF the street railway employees
union In Omaha. The street railway men
met at Labor temple and perfected a thor
cugh and permanent organization, afiliating
with the Amalgamated Order Of Street
Railway Employees, the international body.
Up to IL o'clock the roll Of members showed
254, but as the meeting was to be an all
night affair in order to give the men work.
Ing on the last shifts opportunities Of join
ing, 1t was said that 1t could be conserva-
lively stated that the membership would
reach, at this meeting, 400 and possibly
more.
A full set Of officers was elected last
night before IL O'Clock. but as the union
has not yet obtained a charter and its pro-
ceedings, while definitely defined so far as
the permaneney Of the organization is con-
cerned. are essentially embryonic, 1t was
decided to withhold the publication Of the
names Of the officers for the present. A
charter under the international organization
will be applied for at once and the local
union given the impetus of a full iedged
labor organization.
The formation of this union is the Gull
mination OF the plans and movement Of
the railway men as published in The Bee
Sunday, and the purpose is for future pro-
lection and in nowise the result of griev-
ances against the company. Said one OF
the men last night;
Have No Grievance.
at Is a notable fact that the Omaha
street railway men are about the best
treated by their employers Of any in the
country. We had no grievance whatever
nor did we anticipate any grievance aris-
ing from our relations with our present
employers"
The situation as was stated in The Bee
Sunday is simply that the men fear some
radical changes might ensue under the
change OF management and ownership in
the system which has been reported as a
pending probability. Their action is in an
ticipation Of anything detrimental to their
interests possible from such a contingency.
BY taking time by the forelock It is be-
teved the employees Of the street railway
company will be able to fortify themselves
against sudden or summary discharge by
any new management, and the men all af-
nrm that this object and this alone led to
them getting together"
1t will be remembered that when the head
Of the car mems international organization.
1Aeh q y aAAAhh II 9AAn~
mer with President Samuel Gompers, he
stated that the railway employees OF Omaha
were In excellent condition so far as their
treatment by their employers. their wages,
etc, were concerned. But It may also be
recalled that In his speech at Washington
hall President Mahon incidentally advised
the men to organize and become a part OF
the international body. Whether this ad-
vice has borne fruit In the organization
Of last night is not given out.
Out OF Town Representative.
President o'Hone. the local executive Of
the Philadelphia car mems organization. was
the only out-of-town representative present
last night and he did not take an active
part In the meeting. Union Pacific strike
leaders participated in a conservative way.
Vice President Wilson OF the mAohinists
making an address in which he advocated
the perfection Of the plan and pointed