Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1900-1903, 1902-08-11
AGAINST ARBITRATION.
Senator Bree Wants Mr. Ives Put or
the Board.

the Board.
New Haven, Aug 11.--An aftermath
of the trolley strike came last night in
the shape Of letter forwarded to Act
Ing Governor Keller by State Senator
James r. Bree. The letter follows:
Hartford, Conn.
"Dear Sir: In the belief that such
action as may seem to your excellency
to be necessary will promptly be taken,
III beg to direct your attention to the
published utterances of Franklin a..
Ives of Meriden, q member Of the state
board of mediation and arbitration.
Although the board did not proceed to
the scene of the recent trouble on the
trolley lines In this city and put itself
in communication with both parties to
the controversy, it Is alleged that Mr.
Ives said to representative of the
Meriden Journal:
My sympathies are entirely with
the company. The men have absolute
ly no grievance whatsoever. AS un-
derstand it the members of the board
looked into the matter thoroughly, the
company discharged some men who
spent their time, for which the COM
pany was paying. in electioneering and
trying to help along union affairs. The
company officials say that they were
perfectly willing that man should do
this kind of work on Sundays and
nights in the week, but they objected
to it in business hours. When the
strikers representative spoke they said
that the men had been discharged be-
cause they said they belonged to the
union, but + am satisfied that this was
not so. The trouble was that the men
while on duty went into saloons and
Ger x,Jn &.
union. They wished, as they say, that
their union be recognized. IT seems to
me as though they were asking that
every man on the road be a Catholic or
Protestant, or they would not work
with him. There are other members
of the board who are disgusted with
the action of the strikers. They do not
think that they have an atom of JUS
tice on their side. One of them. who
is a strong labor man. told me himself
that he was Disguised with the whole
business, especially the part in which
the strikers were engaged. The mer-
chants and the people are not in SYM
pathy with the strikers, but, rather,
many Of them believe that their actions
Were much too hasty, and then. again,
that they did not have sufficient cause
/ to strike
III lily OplHlOu THESE STATEMENTS, II
made as alleged by a member of the
state board Of mediation and arbitra.
ton. show his utter unfitness for the
position and Indicate a tendency to pre-
judge the attitude of one Of the parties
to the controversy without q hearing.
A continuance Of Mr. Ivess member
ship on the board would shake the con-
fidence heretofore held by the public
u In the impartiality Of that tribunal. and
would absolutely destroy its usefulness
as mediator.
Il beg. therefore. as citizen inter-
ested solely in securing for state law
and state boards the fullest measure
of respect and public confidence to thus
bring to your notice the alleged state
ments Of the arbitrator heretofore
named with the request that speedy
investigation of the matter be had. and
that should it appear to your excellen-
CIV that Mr. Ives has given expression
under the existing circumstances to the
words quoted. his resignation be Inn
mediately requested. have the honor
to he
Every respectfully yours
JAMES P. BREE."