Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-07-25

Also Called at the Strike Headquarters
 and Consulted With the Men-Off
 cers of Business Mems Association and Others Interviewed Manager sewell Gives His Views of the Af- fair-Says There Is No Strike and There Will Be No Arbitration. The state board of arbitration, rep 1 resented by Hiram H. Fox of New Ha- 1 ven and Josiah M. Hurlburt of Middle | town, was in town to-day to open pre- l liminaries for settlement of the troll 1 ley strike. The board came in response l to an invitation and everybody hopes l that good will result.
 The gentlemen were callers at the Democrat office and from there they were taken to the office of Warren l..
 Hall to get the views of the Business | Mems association. They found that this was impossible, for the business l men would not enter into such mat ter collectively. Individually, however, | they heartily welcomed the board of ar bitration and felt like strewing flowers upon their way or do anything that
 would tend to tighten the burden that
 has been bearing down the public of this community for six months and driven the town into rut that it will take some time to get out of. Every body was apparently pleased to see l this board of the olive branch. l After obtaining the views of a num- k Der of the business people the board called upon Colonel Burpee, local cou sel for the trolley company. They ill formed the colonel of the object of the visit and the colonel said he was glad to see them, very glad, indeed. It was l a joy to him to see them and his feel I ings seemed to radiate all over him. The colonel told them that it has been so long since he took any part In the numerous discussions regarding the strike that he considered he had no power to discuss it officially now. But he would write the company immedi- ately to ascertain If that power he once yielding was still vested in him. This seemed to be a strange statement for Colonel Burpee to make, for 1t cannot fail to be recalled that at every con- ference he had with the members of the trolleymen's union he always said he had not the power to act officially. but he would transmit whatever they had to say to the directors. With this understanding Colonel Burpee and the board parted.
 ASaS:30 the board was in consulta- ton with the officers of the trolley mems union and officers of the Central Labor union The strikers stated their case in full and agreed to submit to the ruling of the board. The arbi- traitors listened to the story of the strike and promised to do ell in their power to brings things to a climax. The board will leave town to-day and return Monday, or else will make re port to their absent member, MT White of Hartford who Is enjoying himself at the shore.
 The board will endeavor to ascertain what it is that is prolonging the strike. The cause of the strike cuts no figure now, the board says. That Is too re- mote a matter to be discussed at this time They will endeavor to effect settlement if such is at all possible.
 General Manager Sewell of the Con- necticut Railway & Lighting Go was in town to-day looking radiant and happy and a Democrat reporter think ing that the general manager was bubbling over at the prospect of an inn mediate settlement of the strike of fered him the glad hand and congrat- ulated him; adding that he was pleas to see him in such good health after such long battle.
 Al, this talk about settlement of the strike" replied MT Sewell, lis the height of nonsense. There is no strike, nor Is there anything for us to arbitrate. told you this one day af- ter January II and I think have kept my word. These rumors abont the company offering to take twenty five or five men have no foundation whatever, and whoever Is putting them around don't know what they are talking about. We have no notion of receding from the position we took at the outset, but if we should I'll know it as soon as anybody, and I'll tell you We are satisfied with what patronage we have and if there are people who | do not like our methods and prefer to walk rather than ride on our cars that | is their privilege. We shall not | change our tactics so that anybody | who is waiting to see us bow our heads and take water is deceiving l himself. We're not trying to force people to ride and I am not aware | that we are running around after peo- pie to work for us. There are vacan- cies for such of our former employees |
 
 as we care to take back provided they | come around and ask for them. This | was so from the beginning, and the l order has not been changed and it is not likely to be changed or modified in any way.
 'No, didn't see the state board of | arbitration. They didn't see me and don't see why they should. have nothing to do with them. We are run ming our business to our own satisfac- ton, giving the public such service as it requires, and while we do this there is nothing for the state board of arbi- tration or anybody else to talk things over with us. Talk about settling things with men who wouldn't listen i to anybody Why didn't these fel- lows be guided by Father Slocum and the other ministers who waited upon them? No they wouldn't listen to