The Washington herald., 1910-03-05
IN LABOR
WAR IS REACHED


10 beat tho transit company INTO SuDinsS-
sion They have organized boycott that
will be directed against every department
store. every neighborhood store. every
saloon. every market: In fact. where nee
essaries and Injuries are sold. The plan
was quietly formulated and secretly put
into effect Storekeepers have been noti-
fed that II they sell pound OF butter OF
nickel's worth OF cheese to any one in
sympathy with the Pennsylvania Rapid
Transit, they will not get a cents worth
OF patronage from any union labor family
In the city They have been told that II
they or their clerks ride on the cars
the same threat will be made good. 1t
| is interesting TO know that the select and
commend cOuncilmen have been bluffed
already by the boycott threat
In Fear Of Boycott.
The city fathers do not ride downtown
on trolley cars. Painful as 1t may be,
they come in carriages OF the shaky
taxicabs that Penntown fondly thinks are
the real thing. Some OF them were asked
about it to-day. They said that they did
not desire to anger their constituents,
shopkeepers are already complaining
mournfully that the boycott has diverted
business. They wonder what viii hap
pen in the next week or two.
The intent OF the unions is as plain as
brick wall They happen TO know that
the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company
has the only property it actually owns
bonded up to the limit. and that the COM
pany would have 10 scratch hard to bor-
row another dollar. They know that the
| company has lost already upward OF
S7oo.0C0 In the strike, and they think shey
can drive the company 20 the point
where receivers viii have TO take hold Of
it, The strikers have the advantage OF
knowing that the company is none too
we'll fortified financially, and they have
determined 10 beat or bust IL.
Reject Arbitration.
The general strike was called last night
after the directors OF the Rapid Transit
Company had met and turned down the
proposal for arbitration that had been
made to them on Thursday night. This
proposal was that the company and the
union make joint application under
| the provision of the act OF 1898. to have
| the courts appoint board of arbitration.
/ Mayor ReybuTn. when he proposed this
means To the councils on Thursday.
voted against II when he met with the
/ president of the Rapid Transit Company.
His attitude was scored by Clarence o.
Pratt. leader OF the striking men. Pratt
! said the mayors nose was pointed two
ways. and that his S,ta!tration sugges-
ton had been made obviously because he
knew nothing possibly could come of it.
! President Charles o. Kruger, of the
! Philadelphia Rapid Transit. in the let
/ ter he sent to the council for the ANAL
gamated union, refusing the terms Of
/ fered. said that since there had never
been any relationship between the COM
pany and the union. 20 differences could
/ have arisen between them. Consequently
there was nothing to be settled or arbi-
/ trated He wrote that he would not so
/ into the evil the union had caused in
/ twice paralyzing the business Of the
city. and that he would only point out
/ that whatever bfneflts would have been
| derived from the Law proposed have been
rendered, impossible by the acts OF the
union itself
Relationship Is Severed.
you pFecIpltated a strike. wrote
President Kruger. at time when queS-
tons between the company and its en-
ployes we're being adjusted and so sew
cred the relationship of employer and en-
ploye, which is a prerequisite TO jurisdic-
/ ton under the act of 1893.
This action on your part puts the
question at issue between this company
and its former employees beyond the reach
of this legislation. Therefore, men who
were formerly employees Of this COM
pany. and who gave up that employ
ment at the command of your assOcla-
ton, are no longer its employees. They
| left the company's service on the 18th
OF February. 1910, thus breaking the year
| ly contract which their accredited repre-
sentatives had made with the company
on June last This action in severing
/ the relationship Of employer and empIoye
was accepted by the board OF directors
of this company on February q, when
they notified them that they must return.
II at ali. on or before March :.
"As reply 10 the Official representa-
tive or the Amaigamsted Association.
this letter ends here However. in order
that the attitude of this company may
be plainly understood by its former en-
ployes and by the public, and in order
to show our willingness TO adopt any
legal method of settlement that promises
lasting peace, We here reiterate what was
stated in our answer TO the ministers
association a week ago. viz:
ORer to Reinstate Men.
THAT II our former employees will APP
ply for work, we will take back into
our employment so many of them as we
have room for, giving them such runs as
are open. and taking those whose past
records have been satisfactory 20 the Of
fcials Of the company. This. however.
will cover very large majority of those
on strike"
| '1nasmuch as very many Of our former
employees have been deferred from apply
ing for reappointment under the false and
malicious rumors constantly circulated
| that some form of settlement with the
union was going TO take ylace. the direc-
tors have extended the time within which
applications may be made under the
order of February D until midnight of
March :. and warn them not to be fur
ther misled by rumors to the same effect
which will, doubtlessly, be circulated. but
which will not be true.
AFTER these men have again become
our employees we will confer with them
with respect TO the differences which were
being considered when broken Oft by the
strike. with the distinct understanding,
however, that employees shall be free to