The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1903-04-08
Issus s Jolned

&
/ The representative Of ths union
F Ffsssntsa - tes board a statement
~ the case - the employees whtcn
had air~adF been served u.un the
f COMPANY, ard the latter Med So
reply. A sharp isnue Was presented
+ BY the twa statements. The union
demanded that u b. allowed 81
+ show that the company had disfmp'
tsh three previous strestcar men =
anluua that the employees actively
engaged Ia ufS niAing these unions
had eaeh time been subjected 90 =
series % petty prosecutions b. the
! subordinate offinvfH % the cumps ~
wilh the ronuiWaner n not az ths
direct instiEafiou - The corporation,
I Further. that the late strike had
been ipltafsd - the action n
[ fhs company IN sending men % Ia
eama 70 take the places % the stris-
- there and that the conduct n
+ ne company bad alwayz been such
fsat Il the strike had not been
sprung a. u vas on short notice
/, L could by no means have been sue
rrasfui and that the company would
F have taken measures 1T once to de-
struF the uniox and 90 punish the
nee engaged IN leading e ~ dis
charging them.
TIE company replied insisting that
the ufa.tsrs suggested Nsfe not Errs
nakus ~ the uaaie issues submitted
70 tbs beard - the agreement Tor
arbitration. The company claimed
that the only facts suhfect 40 IN
uuiFy - the board ssre the de-
mand served uper the company b.
The union prior 50 the NgnkT. the
action q the men In going out the
xseuus steps In the settlement. aud
the terms % agreement 10 arbl-
trafe
Thsse issues we're asbatei for two
hours Sir. pouwarth OPENING the
discussion and arguing upon the
basis of the companys statement.
Mr. Rust and NJ i$srrsuu replied
ia turn. All three members u thf
beard interrupted with may ques-
tsaaa. The merits - TIE whole enn-
trogsfHy were brought ia Incidental
IS Among other matters the ques-
ton whether the company should
emp oy only union men was Raised.
An Awkward Point.
Mr. Harmon suddenly sprung an
award point upon the opposition
~ exhibiting copy ~ an agree
~ent betwses the Seattle Electric
Company and lfa electrical workers
IN 10 electrical 1obhinG business. by
which II agrees 20 employ only
urfon men ~ that department 30
teas aa xauffieisni supply q union
fa huf can - obtained To this Afr.
Bouwarth replied that the agree
mrnt ffected not more tha y 20 men.
zHf that st @sH made 81 Pursuance
q : aausrs3 agreement Of all the
B.Yussa enga Eed IN the business Of
electrical supplies with the cleo
frleal workers union.
lie said that the arrangement was
not precedent for the company
sfreefrar operations. employing
many hundreds ~ men.
Mr.. Powell asked Mr. Harmon N
he thought the company should re-
fuse 10 employ any but UNION men.
After some argument ~ 10 the pre-
else nature N the Information de-
sired Mr. Harmon anHw cred that he
tkeuehf the company could AFFORD
to adopt that rule as matter ~
policy
The merits Of the strike Itself
we're argued considerably. The
labor representatives asserted that
n tbev should be allowed 60 ufsr
| testimony on the point. they could
show that any further notice Than
was given 20 the company would
NOT only have been useless but dis
astraus 20 the cause n the union
SIR. Dnnworth complained " me
sboflneaa ~ the notice and iutiuated
that the strike might have been
avoided II conference had been
+ held between the offIrerH ~ the
company and representative on inc
union. TO this hts opponents repied
/ that the camDan ny dld not deign in
more than ~ hours 20 signify ne Will
/ iiupueas e. meet the men that 10 had
/ il fact "snubbcd" them.
Were They Employees.
Another question raised wsf
"a neither or not the strikers were
employees Of the company while they
we're out on strike. Mr. Harmon
argued that they were. Mr.. kiefei
and Mr.. Powell questioned him az
10 what basis he had for that claim
hen the men had Quit work OF thsii
own motion Mr.. Harmon answers
t that the men had not abandoned
their employment bVt had We.ell
teuspeuded pending an adtuatueni e'
/ . disagreement: that they haa h'iH
e. quit nor been discharged.
/ Air Donwofth said ~ deny INA
/ fbs strihsrs were employees ~ th'
+ company while they were out but u
/ they we're they were the ""'1'
1 ing lot I ever saw
! Everybody laughed az tnlh
union men - loudly aa hnyn""g A.
After every body o0unectea ~.
the controversy had said efe'S"'"s