Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-03-03
LOOK TO COUNCILS
AS ONLY HOPE OF
ENDING THE STRIKE
Philadelphia Anxiously Awaits
Outcome of Meeting of City
Lawmakers Today.
MAYORS FIRM STAND MAKES
RESULT PR0BLEMATICAI.
Central Labor Union Concludes
Final Preparations for Big
Sympathetic Strike.

PHILADELPHIA, March 3.-A1l
Philadelphia is waiting with anxiety
the outcome of the meeting of City
Councils which is, called for this after
noon to discuss ways and means of
bringing about a termination of the
strike Of the street car men, which
has been sitting trade and causing a
stagnation to business for the last
twelve days.
to accomplish. in view of the Mayors
unalterable stand against arbitration
of any character, is puobbenat1cai.
Resolutions will be offered and passed.
but just what they will accomplish
cannot be forecast. Arbitration has
been secuted by the Philadelphia
Rapid Transit Company officials, the
city's representatives ON the board Of
directors of the company. and, In fact,
by practically all persons whorare soon-
nected in an official capacity with the
Rapid Transit Company.
Tire action taken at thessmeeting of
the Central Labor Union last night,
when that organization made final
preparations to carry the. threatened
sympathetic strike order into execu-
tion. has been discounted by the COM
pany, which processes TO believe that
only a small percentage OF the 100000
or more union worknien who are ex-
pected to respond to the call Will obey
the strike order. AS it now stands,
the big strike Will be started at MIDI
night Friday.
AT a conference held last night be-
tween the business menfs represented
tives and Clarence o. Pratt, organizer
of the Arualgamated Association OF
Electric Railway Employees. Mr.. Pratt
said that he favored arbitration ana
would be willing to do almost any
thing In his power to prevent the
gigantic sympakhetic strlke> He eug-
gested that the BUSINESS mem name an
arbitrator. the Rapid Transit Company
name one and these two men select q
third, not necessarily q member OF the
street car mems union But from tho
position assumed by the company this
proposition stands very little chance
of even being considered by the'transit
company
The mayor is so strong. against any
interference by outside parties that he
has let it be known that he will risk
an open rupture with the Republican
organization rather than give In to the
men.
He affirms that his only duty as chief
executive of the city, so far as the
strike is concerned, is to maintain
order His position of representative
of the city on the transit company
board of directors Is ex-officio and not
elective, the other two city directors
being elected by councils. The mayor
therefore, says he is not bound by any
resolution adopted by councils.
That the mayor is Indifferent over
the prospect of a break with the
political leaders is shown in a state
ment he made in answer to a question
as to the result of a certain political
conference held yesterday. He said:
"They wanted me to change. and told
me they were getting kilograms from
the political leaders in Florida, and
that was committing political suicide
if I didn't change
Il told them I didn't care about State
4 Senator McNicholl. Recorder Ware or
Senator Penrose or ANYBODY else, or
whether was committing political sui
eide or not that / was going to stand
just where I was, no matter what the
result"
yFhe general opinion among persons
who ar thought to be in a position to
know the feelings of the officials of the
company is that there is little hope of
averting a sympathetic strike. Not
withstanding the obstinscy with which
the company treats any { Jertures look
ing to arbitration. Organizer Pratt is
still optimistic and still maintains that
he believes arbitration will be an ac-
complished fact.
An extra detail of policemen has been
ordered on duty at City Hail, in order to
prevent the friends of arbitration from
stor;ning the Council chamber, as was
done in 1905. when monster demon
stration was made against che obnox-
ious lease of the city gas works.
= There was little good to be said about
the street-car service today, although
the company claims about one thousand
ears in operation No schedule is main
tained and people are thoroughly dis
gusted with conditions: