Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-22
Strikers Offer to Arbitrate, WattleS
Says He Won't.
WE'VE NOTHING TO ARBITRATE"
Council Hears Report of Special Com
mittee at Night Session.
DAY SERVICE IS ALMOST NORMAL
More Cars Are Put on, hut No
wheels Turn After O'clock,
Company Fearing Disorder
After Dark.

Efforts put forth by the mayor and the
city council to bring about settlement
Of the street car strike have already begun
to bear fruit and members Of the council
stated last evening that they believed the
atmosphere is clearing and that a settle
ment is not far off
This is the result Of all-day conferences
held yesterday by the council W n repre-
sentatives of both sides in the fight private
conferences by the mayor with both sides.
then an executive meeting of the council
with the mayor. and finally another CON
ference with President wattes OF the street
car company. This last conference was
held between the president and Councilmen
Burmester, Berka and Funkhouser. MEM
bers OF a special committee appointed by
the whole body to wait on the head of
the company with a proposal for settle
ment.
Committee Has Faith,
This special committee reported to the
whole council in regular session last even
ing that they believed their mission had
not been in vain and that 1t is probable
that normal conditions will soon be re-
sumed. Several suggestions were made to
President Wattles and he agreed to take
them up with his directors this morning.
Another special meeting Of the committee
will be held some time during the day and
at this meeting Mr.. Wattes viii report
the action Of his directors.
The president promised the council com
mittee, according to Mr.. Funkhouser, that
the company would not import any more
men to run its cars and that If affairs
could be amicably settled all old en-
ployes, excepting those who may have
He made no promises regarding pay at
this time, but in the meeting of the coun-
ell in the morning he said that the COM
pany would raise the pay of It's employees
the minute it was able so to do and that
it would be only too glad TO change its
runs any way the street car men might
themselves suggest
Council Hears Both Sides.
Mayor Dahlman has held several con-
ferences both with Mr.. wattles and Of
.fcials representing the strikers. but falling
in accomplishing any desired result he
asked the council TO take a hand in the
hope it could do something. The council
invited officials of the company and a
committee from the employees to meet with
it, and this meeting was held I'm the coun-
ell chamber this morning 1t was attended
by hundreds Of sympathizers OF both sides,
Mayor Ddnlnldu was pItetNL anu Optneu
the discussion, but the councilmen took
little part other than to inject an occa-
sonal question.
The side of the street car men was heard
first, committee composed OF Charles o.
Lear, president of the local union, Dave
Turney and p j. Lehman being the spokes-
men They told Of the conferences held be-
fore the strike and their effort to do every
thing possible 10 avert a strike, asking
not so much for more pay as for more
agreeable runs and saying that the whole
question is that Of humane treatment
Lear and Lehman both declared they
would take their oath that President Wat
lies said, Had it not been for the hounds
and grafters in the city hall would have
raised the pay OF the men and would have
divided with them the 100000 assessed by
the city against the company by the new
occupation tax" This statement was de-
MED in toto by Wattles.
Rely on Published Record.
In his argument before the council, Wat.
ties referred repeatedly to the record of
the conference meeting, published in the
daily press, and when his turn came to
talk c. o. Pratt, at the head of tho
strikers movement, also urged people 10
read this published record
Wattles referred TO a number Of other
cities where the pay OF street car men Is
less than that in Omaha, the maximum
pay in these cities being, per hour. as fol-
lows: Kansas city, % cents ST. Joseph. 20
cents; Des Moines "a cents; the Twin
Cities, 25 cents; Milwaukee "a cents, and
st. Louis, % cents. The maximum In
Omaha IL 26 cents.
mo employe has to take a swing run
unless he wants to; the men have the pick
of the runs and the company will ac-
cept any change in the runs the men can
suggest" said Mr.. Wattles. THE company
owes the people Of the city good and oon-
tinued service and the authorities owe pro
lection to property and to employees. We
may have to come to a tragedy to settle
this matter right, but even though that
tragedy occurs and l wake up on the other
shore, l can feel happy that did what
was right"
MI Pratt replied to Mr.. Wattles and
asked why he Is afraid TO arbitrRte II no
wants to be fair. I'VE court arbitration"
he said and read an extract from President
Tafts speech in Chicago, where he went
on record being in sympathy with or
ganized labor Il came to Omaha on a
mission Of peace, and not until after the
men had voted 10 strike did / counsel or
said the head Of the strikers.
No Arbitration, Says WattIes.
In his talk TO the council In this first
meeting President Wattlss said that he
would not consent to arbitrats because the
had nothing TO Grbitrate, and,
further, advised the mayor and oouncilmen
that they were wasting time In talking
about the situation, as they could do moth
ng on the other side the committee rep
-esenting the strikers said they wanted
arbitration, that they we're Tor peace and
10 violence.
This last statement was In reply 20 a
statement by MI Wattles that his life
lad been frequently threatened
Il am here 10 tell you that there will he
ierlous difficulty this afternoon and that
here will be serious trouble II some action
3 not taken before then" Ar. Wattles told