Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-25
WILL NOT REcEDE FROM STAND.
Senator Platt Says Express Companies
to IGNORE Strikers

NEW YORK. May 25.-That the express
companies will not recede from the posi-
ton they have taken in connection with
the teamsters strike in Chicago was the
statement made today by United States
Senator Thomas c. Platt, president of the
United States Express Company. The SEN
ator explained at length the attitude OF
the affected companies, and concluded with
the positive statement that the striking
drivers in Chicago would not De re-eH-
ployed.
..The wagon men in Chicago left the ex-
press companies service at the demand
of the teamsterS' union, said the sena-
tor, "and in so doing they not only Vio-
lated the union contract with the express
company but, what is of more Importance,
they violated their signed agreements with
the express company to obey It's rules anu
regula tions Their action materially al
fected the ability of the express company
TO discharge it's public duties and caused
serious loss and damage. Such men can
not in the very nature of things, be taken
back into the express companies service,
nor is it at all possible for the express
companies to discharge their public duties
by employing any men in their places VINO
would act in the same manner.
..It must be understood that the express
companies occupy the position of public
servants and they consider themselves un-
der legal obligations to transport the prop
erty which is offered them for transporta-
M.
tions to deliver it at points where they have
delivery service. The consequences of in
terrupton in the express service ana OF I'M
pairment of it's ability 70 safely ana
promptly discharge its obligations are OF
the most serious character, since any such
interruption of service is highly injurious
to the public welfare. The express COM
panies cannot discharge their public duties
without the aid of efficient and trustworthy
emnloyes and among these employees the
Wagonmen occupy a most important posi-
ton.
nendent upon their prompt and efficient
service to deliver shipments to the pubic,
to collect the shipments the pubic desires
to make. to sign receipts for shipments,
thereby imposing a legal contract upon the
EXPRESS company to collect large sums of
money and to discharge other and impor-
tant duties. Manifestly, the express COM
pany cannot entrust its business to men
who are liable at the demand of a union to
break their agreements with the express
company and refuse to discharge their du-
ties.
"Any such condition of affairs would SIM
ply produce chaos The public character of
the express company cannot be ignored or
set aside by specious arguments and ap-
peals to prejudice. nor is it possible to
place its wagonmen upon parity with the
wagonmen employed by coal dealers, lum-
ber dealers any other private enterprise.
The express companies cannot by virtue of
their public character take part in disa-
greements in other lines of labor any more
than the police force of city or the fire.
men of city or the soldiers of the United
States army could take part in, or be in
1uenced by, quarreis or disagreementS in
the labor world. The express companies
must maintain purely neutral attitude in
all such matters and discharge their pub
lie duties without fear or favor