The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-16

ployed on other lines who did not quiz
| work. The latter were largely MADE
| up of men who have been broken IL
| since the strike was first threatened
ten days ago. On many lines tners
| was no attempt made to run cars
| early today, although later an occasion
| al car was manned and sent out from
| the barn. There cars were greeted gen.
orally by boots and yells from the
| throngs of work people who were
ment.
Train Crew Pulled OFF.
At the corner of Superior avenue and
East 105th street a large crowd col
lected early this morning when a car
bound down town appeared. The non
union motorman and conductors were
pulled off and half of the car windows
smashed. The police rescued the mo-
torman and conductor and prevented
further trouble.
A large crowd gathered at the
Lakewood barns this morning when
an attempt was made to start out sew
eral cars. Strike sympathizers at
tackled the nonunion crews and
sharp melee followed in which a score
Of men were reported to have been
dubbed Chief Kohler and num-
Der of officers rushed to the scene and
dispersed the crowd. Chief Kohler
was hurt.
Leaders of the street car mems I'M
ion claim that while negotiations
have been under way looking to ar
bitration of the difference between the
employees and the company, the COM
pany has Systematically laid on the
old union men, reduced them to the
extra list supplanted them with For
est City men, and had given every in
dication that it was the purpose of the
traction company to force the union
men out Of the service and use ar
bitration only as a cloak for delay.
President Behner of the union IN
commenting on the strike situation
today said:
81 am pleased with the outlook.
All the men are loyal to the union and
we expect them to stick by the union
until we win. There is no doubt that
we will win in the end.
'I believe that the public is on our
side and realize that our men have
been treated unfairly by the traction
company.
1--WE have stationed pickets at every
barn. These men will try to persuade
any who shall attempt to run cars out
of the barn to quit work. Ihey VIII
do this by persuasion, by peaceful
methods and not by violence"
"Rioting will not be tolerated" de-
clared Chief of Police Kohler today.
"Any outbreaks on the part of street
railway men or any attempt to inter-
1ere WIN cars TuIlHliS w III n.y. ~
permitted and will be dealt with Sc
verely."
An attempt to run cars on the
Payne avenue line early today was
frustrated by a crowd of strike SYM
pathizers. They took away the con
troller lever of car pulled down the
trolley and cut off the trolley rope.
The motorman and conductor left
the car standing in the street. Later
it was hauled back to the barns.
At the junction of the Collinwood
and Euclid Beach lines in the eastern
suburb, switch point was broken OH
and a telephone pole was thrown
UP the progress of cars in that sec
ton for the time being.
President DupOnt's Statement.
President Dupont of the Municipal
gave out the following state
ment today:
1--WE have been ready from the begin
ming of the trouble to arbitrate all diff
ferences between the employees and the
company.
LAS to the men who have been dis
charged that was rendered inevitable
by the merging of the two systems.
We laid off old Cleveland Electric and
Forest City men impartially. From the
time the Municipal Traction company
took charge there was a spirit of dis
loyalty and INSTRUMENTATION on the part
of some of the old employees making
their service inefficient and subject1ng
patrons of the road to intolerable dis
courtesy and inconvenience.
THE Municipal not only raised the
wages of the men one cent an hour
when it took over the system, but it
gave them free uniforms. This made.
the maximum pay in Cleveland % cents
an hour. There are olly three or four
street railway systems in America that
pay as high as this
In Lakewood a big suburb, the troll
ley wires of the Municipal Traction
company were cut this morning. Off
Gals of the company claimed that the
police of the suburb made no attempt
to prevent destruction of its property
and called upon County Sheriff Nc
Gray for protection. A number of dep
uties were at once sent to Lakewood.
While numerous disturbances and in
cipient riots have occurred throughout
the city. there has been thus far no dis
position on the part of the local au-
thorities to call on the militia for as
sistance. 1t is stated, however, that
Cleveland militia organizations have
been asked to be prepared in the event
that they are needed.