The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-05-20
LABOR LEADERS ARE
AFTER Scent FARE
Members of Trades and Labor
Assembly Plan a Deter.
mined Fight.

Several labor leaders are of the opin-
ion that during the legal contest be-
tween the city and the street railway
company will be good time in which
to renew the agitation for a 3-cent
fare, and it is likely that the question
will be urged at a nesting of the
Trades and Labor assembly in the near
future
1t has been held by Corporation At
torney Michael that if the company is
subjected to the provisions of the new
charter, and that he has every reason
to believe that such is the case, the
city council possesses the power to
make the reduction. Since the adop-
ton OF the new charter four years ago
there has been no concerted effort to
compel the company to grant a 3-cent
fare, although several unsuccessful at
tempts were made under the old char
ter, which was held 10 have no proyi-
sion giving the council the right to
make a reduction.
An additional reason given by the
labor men for agitating the question at
this time is that there will be a new
council and it will be q splendid on
portunity to place the members en- rec
crd on a subject of such great i'm
portance to the laboring people, It is
thought that at least it will be possible
to secure the enactment of an ordi-
nance that will reduce the fare to 3
cents during the hours when the work.
ing people are going to and from work,
and for children attending school.
Plans to Be Secret.
Having been through fights of this
KIND before and having become IA
mIlIar with the tactics used by the
street railway company in such fights
we have agreed that no person inter-
ested in the scheme will be mentioned
personally until the Trades and Labor
assembly stands committed said one
of the leaders in explanation of his re-
fusal to permit the use of his name.
IL the company was to be made aware
of the identity of the men who will
propose the reduction of the fare at
this time those mentioned would not
have any peace until official action had
been taken. They would be bounded
from employment if possible But aft
er the Labor Assembly has indorsed
the plan, as it has often done before
and doubtless will again, we can then
come out in the open, having the sup
port of all the labor unions in the city.
1T is the greatest opportunity the
labor people have ever had to secure a
reduction in the fare. The street rail-
way company has assumed an attitude
antagonistic to the city in the demand
for the imposition of the gross earn
ingS tax, and there will be no reason
for the members of the city council to
favor the company on such an issue.
No Let Up in Fight.
''The plan will be to continue the
agitation without intermisSion holding
public meetings to discuss the ques-
ton, until the 3-cent proposition is
adopted or the councilmen who vote
against it are retired to private life.
Upon previous occasions this has prov
ed a popular move with the people,
and even when it was known that the
| measure could not be enforced if it
was passed members of the city coun-
Gil who refused to vote for it were al
most invariably defeated at the polls.
with the almost certainty that it
could be enforced at this time, for
which we have an opinion from Cor
pOration Attorney Michael, this result
would be assured, and if the present
council refuses to pass it the one elect
ed two years from this time certainly
would, for the question of reduction
in fare would certainly become a po-
litical issue"
When questioned on this matter Cor
poration Attorney Michael admitted
that he had been consulted on the
question and stated:
1T is my opinion that the street
railway company is more fearful of
the possible reduction of the fare than
it is of the 5 per cent gross earnings
tax. But as I have stated before, / do
not care to enter into an extended dis
cussion of the questions that are in
volved between the city and the street
railway company at this time"