The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-05-01

reduction in wages after the first OF
next month. The cause of the last lay.
off was the dissatisfaction felt by old
employees who had been working on
half time since last fall These have
been put on full time and the differ
ence made up by dlscharging newer
hands.
Chester Prefers to Walk.
Since the arrival of the state troops
at Chester, Pa. the local traction com
pany has been running cars at irreG,
ular intervals under guard. but very
few people have patronized them ow-
Those who did ride were jeered by
the crowds of spectators. The real
cause of the strike seems TO have been
obscured by earlier dispatches. The
men say that their wages were re-
duced about 2 cents an hour without
the slightest notice until they had
worked under the new scale one whole
day. They had no union. but the peo-
pie stood by their demand for arbitra-
ton Of the dispute. which the COM
pany refused. They were willing to
work under the reduced scale pending
the result.
Pensacola Riots Renewed.
After week Of quiet. during which
troops kept the striking street car men
in check at Pensacola, Fla. the city
again was in turmoil April Fl. when a
mob attacked a car and wounded the
conductor, perhaps MORALLY. Before
the troops reached the scene the mob
had dispersed. and no arrests were
made at the time.
Must Seat All Passengers.
The public service commission of
New York city issued an order requir-
ing street car companies to provide
sufficient cars and right conditions for
seating all of the passengers. An ex-
ception is made during rush hours.
on busy streets in each fifteen minutes
1t is thought will have to be twenty
five. The order will go into effect
April q.
Singer Tower OutrivaIed.
The tower of the Metropolitan Life
building at Madison square, New York
city. which was to have been 66S feet,
according to original plans, is now to
be stretched still little higher and
when completed will measure 700 feet
from sidewalk to top. The Singer tow
er is 612 feet high.
Dodgins of the Harvester Trust.
Golfers Weekly gives publicity to
the case Of Walter Merritt, who had
his right arm crushed while working
as an electric repairer in the factory of
the International Harvester company
at Chicago through the carelessness of
cheap and inexperienced operator of
q crane. After Merritt had come out of
the hospital the company's legal agent
offered him $50 to sign release of all
obligations. The crippled man refused
and sued for $4,000 damages. Not only
was this suit fought by the company
with crooked methods by paying wit
ness to go out of reach of the court,
but the head of the law firm which
handled the case, Roy o. West, who is
also one of the tax board of review for
Cook county. has been in position to
omit from assessment millions worth
of the property of the trust. This same
man is chairman of the Republican
state central committee of Illinois. Re-
Gently the Tax Reform association ask
ed the courts tos compel West and his
associates to assess the MeCormicks
and others who own most Of the Har-
vester stock. These two lawsuits TAX
en- together reveal the operations Of the
industrial system which "makes Grip
Piles and lodges taxes" Both suits are
still pending. The facts are used as an
argument for the liability law.