The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-02-20
PHILADELPHIA IS
SCENE OF R|OT|NG
Street Car Strike That Ties Up
Traffic Leads to Violence
in City.
one CAR Is SEIZED BY
STRIKERS AND BURNED
Discharge of Men Who Wore
Union Buttons Said TO BE
Cause of Trouble.
rv 1.n,sod Wire to The Tribune.

Lee
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. l9'-"lCn
this city bound in thc throes OF street
car strike which has completely tied up
traffic and stagnated business, rlotlng
broke out tonight in three different sec
tions of the city, in which several per,
sons were hurt by flying sticks ana
stones. -
laration of a general strike at o CLOCK
this afternoon led to extraordinary po-
lice precautions. Tho officials OF the
Philadelphia Rapid Transit company at
femntcd TO resume traffic conditions to-
night.
One street car was seized by band
of strikers and the passengers ordered
out Then the car was set ON nfe anu
practically consumed
At the same time police headquarters
was notified that bands of strikers were
holding uD cars in the outer sections
of the city. The strike-breakers were
ordered to leave town and several who
showed reluctance 10 90 were beaten
and forcibly, placed upon trans.
Extra police patrols with armies OF
priyatc detectives were put about the
power houses and barns of the COM
pany.
Cause of the Strike.
The strike was precipitated by the
discharge Of several hundred employees
this morning. Immediately after the
crews left their cars. The strike prom
ises to be bitter, for the company has
been fighting the street railway men s
union, discharging employees IN patches
because they persisted IN wearing Ihe
insignia of the organization. The COM
pany claimed the men Were agitating
trouble. AS soon as c. 0. Pratt, ma
tion& organizer of the car men S UNION,
heard of the action by the company he
called a meeting of the executive com
mittec of the local union. While this
committee was in session scores of the
discharged men gathered about head
quarters demanding action. Even be.
fore the strike was ordered several
crews turned IN their ears and there
would have been general walkout
anyway.
Knots of strikers and dismissed en-
ployces gathered this afternoon but of
fered no violence. The company intimat-
ed that it would make a speedy attempt
to break the strike and the union both,
and this augured i'll.
Just before the strike was called the
following statement was made public by
Organizer Pratt:
Pratt Blames Company.
"The Traction company is responsi-
BILE for what may happen. The company
has been making wholesale discharges,
removing some of the very best men
in the service for no other reason what
ever than 'the good OF the service
and wearing the button of division No,
AZ
Negotiations for a new agreement TO
take the place of the one now in force
on June ! had been in progress for
some time, but were broken off this
week when the company refused to
agree 10 treat with the Amalgamated
right to meet committees from a rival
organization.
About 6O0O motormen and conductors
arc employed by the company. whic h
. controls every car line in the city. The
union claims an organization of 5000.
but company officials say that not more
than 1900 are affiliated with tho Anal.
gamated association.
The most serious disturbances were
III the. Kensington mill district III the
northeastern part of the city, Strike
svmpathizers and boys did the most of
the violence. Along Kensington avenue
piles of lumber and stones were placed
on the street car tracks. A second car
was burned here shortly before mid.
night.
Firemen and policemen hurried to the
scene and for 4 time bloodshed was i'm.
minent. but the fremen trained their
hose on the rioters and they were dis
persed- The car was entirely DESTROYED
Great crowds collected in the vicinity OF
both burned cars.
In West Philadelphia Germantown
and southern parts OF the city missiles
were thhown and passengers driven frou
the cars.