Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-28
.CARM EN-
REFUSE
OFFERS
San FranciScanS Are
Compelled to
Walk
Employees Receive Offer
of Compromise
to Return
Union Issues Statement In Which
Company's Officials Are Ac-
cused Of Dodeing Issue
Involved

| BY Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 27.-In a bull
letin made public tonight and which
will tomorrow morning be posted upon
all the car barns of the United Rail-
roads, the directors of the corporal ton
urge that the striking employees return
to work, promising that they will be
treated as literally and justly as if they
had not gone on strike.
The bulletin is in the form Of COM
munication directed to the employees
and signed by President Patrick Cal
houn, who was for several hours in con-
sultation with the board of directors.
The men are notified that wheneAhey
have returned to work the company will
be prepared to consider a modification
of the contract that existed between the
union and the United Railroads.
President Calhoun states that he came
to this city prepared to meet the re-
quests of the carmen in spirit of kind
ness and liberality. The bulletin also
significantly says that It is the duty of
the company to operate it's lines, and
| that 1t Will do so.
| Up to a late hour tonight the strikers
were not prepared to make an an
nouncement regarding the action of the
board of directors.
| President Calhoun laid before the
board of directors a letter from Mayor
| Schmitz, who urged that the company
harbor no resentment against the en-
bloyes, as he said they had acted under
unfortunate and unwise advice.
In q lengthy reply to the mayor
President Calhoun. on behalf OF the d.
rectors, expressed his regret and aston
ishment that the men should have re-
fused to defer action for a few hours
before tying up the general transporta-
tion of the city.
Referring to the other portions of the
mayors letter, he writes that the EN-
ployes are paid the highest wages for
like service of any important city. of
| teh world
AS the result of an expert examina-
tion President Calhoun contends that
the increase in the cost of living has
| been exaggerated in some of the circu-
lated reports, and that the increase over
one year ago is not more than per
cent.
The position of the company is defined
in the reply to the mayor as follows:
Regrets Hasty Action
"While the United Railroads regrets
that the Garments union, by breaking
its contract and ordering this unfor-
| tunate strike in the manner which 1t
did, has placed itself in such a gitua-
tion that this company cannot deal
with it, the board of directors requests
me to assure you that both 1t and the
Officials entertain only sentiments of
friendship for the former employees of
this company.
THE company recognizes that it's
former employees had been misled and
misguided into their hasty and incon-
siderate action. But, for the city's
good, for the good of the men them
selves, and for the good of this COM
pany, it will take up the requests of
| the men in the same fair and friendly
spirit that was felt before the strike and
consider the changed conditions now
existing here with a view of modify
ing the existing contracts with the
| union"
officials of the company announced
tonight that cars will be operated, but
will not state when the service will be
| resumed.
This course they say has been de-
termined upon regardless of the ac-
tion which was taken by the strikers in
response to the invitation to return to
work.
Thousands of people were obliged to
go afoot today from one end of the
city to the other as a result of the tie
up. The Geary and California street
lines, which were in operation, were a
| convenience to a comparatively small
portion of the population and through
out the day and evening men and
women were conveyed to different Sec
tions of the city in automobiles, car
riages and vehicles of every descrip-
tion that had been hastily adjusted to
passenger traffic by the addition of
chairs, boxes or boards as seats.
The discomfort was increased tonight
when the California line broke down.
Union pickets, many of them in the
uniform of conductors and motormen,
| are stationed about all of the COM
pany's carhouses. Up to this time there
has been no disorder resulting from
the strike.
Union Issues Statement
The executive committee of the car
mems union tonight issued a statement
directed to President Calhoun in which
mention is made of the bulletin issued
by the company. Mention Is also made
that the employees have received no
official notice of the fact that they are
urged to return to work upon a promise
of future consideration of the de-
mands The statement contains the
following:
This offer is somewhat different
from giving us SO pay for an 8-hour
day and does not bear out your sug-
sestion OF a definite concession. We
hope that the information to this effect
is misleading and that you have de-
hned what concessions you are willing
to make"
In reply to that portion Of Mr.. Cal
/ =