The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-03-09
Employees of Traction Company TAKE,
Decisive Action-Wait on Presi-
dent Benliss To-Morrow.
Another Night Meeting.

The situation in street car circles IN
Richmond is grave. u
Tho car men of the eityrwere in session
more than three hours last night and az
the end OF that time the employees Of tha,
Richmond Traction Company decided, o5
unanimous vote. not to accept the bond
ing system which that company has prof.
roscd and already put into effect.
The meeting was attended by 1i0 NOM
bers Of the Amalgamated Association ol'
Street Railway Employees. and while quite
a number of the employees of the Rich
1nond Passenger and Power Company
v ere present, the steps taken were votc't .
upon solely by the Traction men Trey,
also conducted most OF Tie Discussion.
It was stated by the Press Comnitte's
1T the Gloss, of the meeting that four
ncths of the attendance were traction
men. Nearly every main had some oPlfl-s
ion to express all opposing the bertl-s
ing srsterrr. Only four Passenger ana
Power Company men spoke at all. ana
these merely expressed Individual views.
LEFT WITH THE MEN.
The committee appointed to wait on
President Beuiss. of the Traction COM
many and get his explanation or the pro-
Icsgth bend made its report L hey siitee, siie.
ply told of what occurred in the CONFER
ence between Mr.. Bcniss and themselves
,rhev declined TO express an opinion citizen
in favor of or opposed 70 the bond, say
ing that this was question which .ils
association had to deal with
The extended deliberations followed.
with the outcome that committee OF
five will wait on Mr. Bemiss tomorrow
and will convey 10 Kim a resolution
passed by the Traction men. which StateS
that they consider the bond a hardship
and firmly decline to work under 1t.
There will he no conference at this time
and none at all Monday unless Mr. Be-
miss desires it.
MEET TOMORROW AT adIDNIGHT.
The men meet again tomorrow night
at r o'clock, when they expect to receive
q reply from Mr.. Bemiss. The men say
they do not want to strike and will noe
unless the company insists in forcing the
bond on them.
President Ecruiss said yesterday that
there was no trouble on his lines and ho
did not anticipate any Both sides are
disposed to he friendly, to be fair Tho,
bond proposed here is Identical with that
proposed III Norfolk, and if the Richmond
company takes the stand the Norfolk
company did, the. action of the men will.
it would seem be the same as that OF
the Norfolk men. The meeting last night
was held at Smiths Hall. It began at 8
o'clock and was not adjourned until a
few minutes past II. President Simmons
was in the chair. The first action was to
receive seventeen new members. fourteen
OF whom were Traction men. The report
of the special committee to confer with
Mr. Bemiss was next heard and the result
= tina IIvS taken as iDfyic;f al ho.-o
NATURE OF THE BOND.
! he bond is furnished by the National
Ssitety Company, OF New York. repre-
sented in this city by Thomas a. Bran
Ger & Son The amount OF the bond re-
Gs:ired by the Traction Company IS sos.s5
II costs IS u year. and the first year t,s-
Company gives it to the ,.tl. It Is ufI-a
&c: stood that the bond was first SUBJ
! mstted to- a committee from the Assorta
tion of Street-car Men end by them ap-
; I:nved But the men seneraIig sas they
d,d not know nything about i.. and sev-
.cral stated last night that though thSt
bond had pcea i'll opera tjo:f. ard they.
| Themselves have been horde, since March
EIst. they did not kl.ow a rkius abous IT
sl,ltif Friday night. 'sbenf't MIS- Sroug.iEs
tot,f in a meeting of tie ass.i.ia ton.
Mr. Lessis .rander.sos 'fi,fes..ss sss {. Bran <
{ der s. Son stated yes. g, - swsitrs
their bonding proposition s,ts,ess pre-
scr ted 10 tne Fffreiofi sspr.,i-s
1iIa1 feature which coir,i.yeeaasi !iseif 30
them mas its mai essss and pre-
i tecticn to. the employ hey had no
ard had no wish or intention 10 shovs IT.
Gown their throats. Mr.. Eraader salsI
fnrthcr that wherever he had explained
lits:#oEeratio to strset-car men or otherA5
It,,sy had expressed the utmost satisfae.
| ticn with 1t $. -