Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1902-04-02
AND THEY WALKED
COTTON BELT SHOP NE N
MARCHED 300 STRONG.
Reasons of the Railroad for Oiscon.
tinuine the oodum"-Inter-
views With Employees.

Cotton Belt shop employees occurred
Tuesday afternoon as scheduled
Three hundred men, all wearing the
label. I'VE Walk, marched from the
shop yards up Second avenue with an
immense banner waving over them,
on which was discernible the same
Inscription in large letters. A big del
egatiOn of the body continued on and
TAINTED the banner in the very door
of the street railway power house, in
dicating their extreme displeasure TO-
ward the street car company and their
determination to fight it to the end.
The body OF workmen presented an
imposing spectacle and attracted the
attention of large numbers of people.
The street car people appear indif-
ferent to the action Of the shop men.
1t is generally expressed that the
shop men have no grievance against
the street railway people. The stock.
holders of that company assert that
the reduction of rates to 2h cents for
the benefit of the shop men was purely
voluntary with them and that they had
no understanding with the railroad
company.
The railroad company contends that
it is under no obligations to maintain
the "hoodlum' if they desire to dis
To- n
in the past purely as a convenience
for the shop men, and at big ex-
pense. A conservative estimate of the
expense attached to this accommoGa-
ton is $3.50 a month. One great
source of expense in maintaining the
"hoodlum' is the delay of the other
trains occasioned by it. The hood.
lum'' has right of way over all trains,
delayed for which the railroad COM
pany has to pay the train crew of the
delayed train.
It has been stated that the engineer
and fireman of the "hoodlum' train
were employed solely for the purpose
Of looking after that train and this is
borne out by the assertion that both
were discharged Tuesday when the
"hoodlum'' was taken off.
The Cotton Belt railroad officers
have been very desirous of abolishios
the "hoodlum" for several years. but
they refrained from doing so on ac-
count of the great inconvenience It
would cause the shop men living ia
parts of the city distant from the
shops. In addition they say it has
been source of dread for the officials
ever since its inauguration years ago.
1t has been used as conveyance for
sible boys, and the danger OF loss of
life and limb to them in particular is
great. This brings on liabilities Of
litigation.
It is asserted that when Mesars.
keyser and Wood were dickering for
the construction of street railway
line in this city. they had explicit un-
|derstandings with the Cotton Belt COLI
corning the abolishment Of the "'lcod-
lum.''
The action of the street car COM
pany in reducing their rates to 21s
cents is by many people, especially
the business public, considered liberal
on the part of the stockholders of the
company. They assert that it was
dine purely on their own volition TO
make things more bearable for the
shop men. street car would be &
great convenience. especially during
ciated later on.
It is to be hoped in the interest of
all parties concerned that some solu
ton of the trouble will be effected.
Interviews With Shop Men.
The following interviews with shop
employees sets forth the grounds of
their fight in the matter:
Mr. w. T. Duff stated: 1--WE all
marched from the shops to the post
Office. about two hundred strong; then
We disbanded and each man went his
way home. We are all in favor OF
union motormen on the street ears
and believe they should have conduc-
tors. The first shop man that rides
on street car will be 'kangarooed
We We're loudly cheered on our. way
up. We are opposed to scab labor
especially on the street cars"
Another shop man. who would not
consent to have his name nuhlishrd
spoke as follows: The hoodlum has
been running for many years and is
necessity to us men. Taking it
Off has kindled bitter feeling between