The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-16
CARS STOPPED.
Street Railway System of Cleve-
\ land Is Tied Up.
no Thousand Employees TO
Out on a Strike.
THREE CENT FARES
At the Bottom of the Existing
Disagreement.
Old Companies Had Promised
the Men an Advance.
THREE CENT FARES

violence, although not serious, marKeo
the early hours of the strike OF the
conductors and motormen on the lines
of the Municipal Traction company
here today. The strike order was
given at 3 o'clock this morning follow
ing a stormy all night meeting of the
car men. The order went into effect
at o'clock. From the beginning
there was trouble in gettin- the cars
out.
One of the first disturbances of any
consequence took place at the Lake
View car barns. where Chief of Police
kohler was struck bv a stone hurled
at the police by strike sympathizers.
An effort to move the cars from the
Lake View barns was opposed by the
strikers. The men on the cars re-
fused to leave and a crowd quickly
gathered. The police, headed by the
chief, were rushed to the barns. In
an EFFORT to drive the crowd back
stones and clubs were used. The po-
to control the mob. Many were slight
ly injured.
Cars are being stopped in all sections
of the city by the strikers and their
friends. A Payne car was derailed by
rail thrown across the tracks. The
crew on ST. Clair car was dragged
from the car and assaulted. The
motorman's scalp was laid open. On
a
tore up the car tracks and traffic was
stopped. During the earl hours
stones were freely hurled at many cars
and windows were broken in numerous
instances. Rotten eggs were thrown
at the motormen and conductors.
Hoots and Jeers.
The nonunion men also were hooted
and jeered- In many instances riding
upon the cars by regular patrons was
fraught with danger For the most
rH nya1n IL Ill H.
business this morning. During the
first hour or two after the Inaugural
ton of the strike there was little or no
trouble. The strikers appealed to the
the cars. Some of them did desert
after first deciding not to strike. Many
old employees remained with the COM
pany, however. These were the older
men in point of age. Practically all
of the young men went out.
1t was not until the majority of the
citizens arose and attempted to go to
their work that any semblance of
rioting occurred. This was after 7
O'Clock. The strike sympathizers
gathered around the car barns and
hooted and yelled with the strikers at
the men at work. The union men
were eSthused in some instances to
use force to stop the operation of cars.
For the most part, however, it is said,
the violence was instigated and car
ried out by outsiders.
The 800 motormen and conductors
formerly with the Forest City Railway
company, the original three cent fare
line and the one that later merged
with the old Cleveland Electric Rail-
way company, now being operated by
the Municipal Traction compar- re-
manned at work. While many cars are
running, yet thew form only a small
percentage of the usual quota. Some
lines are tied up entirely. The others
are running cars, irregularly. aver
q nj 1Ny
New Men Employed.
President Dupont of the Municipal
company stated today that new men
are being employed as rapidly as pos
sible. During the past week scores of
new men have been broken in while
scores Of old Cleveland Electric en-
ployes were discharged
Variously estimated between three
and four hundred thousand patrons of
the urban lines BEGAN this morning to
seek means of transportation.
Nominally the strike of the street
car men declared today involves 1000
men. The division is made as follows:
Cleveland Electric Railway COM
pany, LOO men; Forest Citv Railway
company. 800 men.
The strike had it's origin in the in
stitution of three cent fares subject
Of political contention in Cleveland,
during seven years past. Following
the municipal election last November
when the principal issue was the uues-
ton of municipal control of traction
companies and an ultimate rate of fare
of three cents within the city limits
q consolidation Of the street car lines
came about. At that moment it de-
veloped that the Cleveland Electrical
Railway company the major traction
corporation had signed contract with
the Amalgamated Association of Street
and Electric employees where it was
agreed that in the event of a con
tinuation" of their franchise or its
he
men would receive a specified increase
of two cents an hour and an adjust
ment of other minor alleged griev-
ances.
offered q Cent an Hour.
The merged properties having been
leased to the Municipal Traction com
pany, the traction infant took the
position that the contract was not
binding. The new company did, how
ever, offer an Increase of one cent an
hour in the pay of the men, to take
effect April %, upon which day three
cent fares was put into operation The
new company has also ordered that all
employees should pay car fare when rid
Ing upon the company's cars while not
at work. The company also proposed
to supply the men with uniforms, free
of charge. The propositions of the
new company in lieu of the previous
arrangements with the old company
were not satisfactory to the employees
President Dupont of the traction COM
pany would arbitrate only the legal
effect of the old contract and insisted
that all or none of the points be thus
submitted to a peaceful settlement
Both sides strove for strategetic DO
sitions.
About 300 motormen and conductors
formerly employed by the Forest City
company. the original three cent fare
line, did not join in the strike. There
was quite a large number of men EN-