The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-20
STREET GAR MEN
GO OUT ON STRIKE
Philadelphia Now Facing Another
Tie-Up of All Surface
Lines.
MOVE IS UNiE#xPiE cTED.
Neither Company nor Employees
Ready for Order Prcnla-
ttlrcly Brought About.
Especial to The Times-pispatcb.1

Especial to The Times- Dispatch1
Philadelphia. February 80. q
Pratt. national organizer OF the Troll.
ley Mems Union, ordered out the en-.
ployes of the Philadelphia Rapid Tran.
sit Company here at l o'clock this af-
ternoon. Immediately following the
order through the executive commit
tee of the union, after a short con-
ference of tho chief officers, tho men
began turning in their cars at the
trolley barns at the end of their trips.
and an almost complete tic-up of the
surface lines has been effected.
The officers OF the union charge that
the Rapid Transit Company precipi-
Etated the strike. which is tho culmina-
ton of a dispute over union recogni-
ton which has been in progress be-
tween the company and it's men for
over a mouth. The union and the
company had had horns locked over
the question of the recognition of the
union, but the order issued to-day by
Pratt's executive committee says that
tho men will stay out till their or
sanization is recognized and will not
return to work except on basis of
25 cents an hour.
The strike was unlocked for at the
present time, and followed almost i'm
mediately the discharge of 125 union
mon by the company officers this morn
ing.
A call for a meeting of the executive
committee was at once issued by
Pratt Tho men who were laid off
without notice are said to have been
all active members of the Amalgamated
Association of Electric Street Railway
Employees, tho union for which Pratt,
who has been active in this field for
a year, is the national organizer. They
left their cars and hurried to the union
in the Llppincott Build
Ing and reported that they had been
informed that their discharge was "for
the good of tho service"
Call Quickly Issued.
a call for a general strike OF the
association was at once issued, and
the men began turning In their cars
Tho union includes about two
asks for unqualified recognition by tho
company and for precedence over other
organization demands which have been
refused by the company.
Mr.. Pratt, leader OF the trolley men,
said in an interview immediately fol-
lowing the strike order that the com
pany had discharged the union men to
force u lockout, and claimed that alto.
Sether 500 members OF the Trolley
Mems Association had been laid or
since last night.
Pratt claims that the company is
directing It's efforts to weaken the
union before tho general strike or any
concerted movement could DO made
at tho next meeting
The transit company officials nut
the number OF discharged men at $50,
but SO far have given no reasons for
the wholesale discharge They are
making the usual, claims that the SER
vice will be kept in pretty good shape,
and that they will find new men as
fast as the old ones go out. One of
tho transit oniclalss made the asssr-
ton that the men discharged to-day
We're agitators.
1t Is understood that neither the
union men nor the company was ready
for strike at this time, and that in
some fashion or other the move was
prematurely,
Cars Arc Attacked.
Tonight the policemen and firemenl
we're busy handling turbulent crowds
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