The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-03-01
INVITE M'NICOL
TO TAKE A HAND
Philadelphia Business Men
Worried Over Strike.
COMPANY In BAD LIGHT

Of Strikers--Poll Of Large Indus
trial Institutions Shows Large Ma.
jorlty Of ToiIers Intend TO Drop
Tools Saturday Morning.
Philadelphia, March /. - Senator
Jim McNicol, who Is in Florida sands
with Recorder Ware, was appealed to
to hustle home and save Philadelphia
from the dangers Of general strike.
The situation has become so alarming
in the past "a hours that McNicol and
Ware are depended upon to succeed
where the city clergymen failed.
The impression strengthens hourly
that the Central Labor union was not
bluffing when 1t ordered general
sympathetic strike. Merchants and
manufacturers who laughed few
days ago at the possibility Of extend
ed trouble have become apprehensive.
Business has been cramped enough as
It is by the carmen's strike. The pos
sibilities that hinge upon a general
walk-out have made these men highly
uncomfortable.
The Philadelphia Rapid Transit
company, who for various reasons is
in the position of being about to lose
a strike which It has won; situation
brought on itself by the snub IT gave
to the clergymen of the city when 1t
told the ministers that it wouldn't ar
bitrate anything. The pertinacity Of
one man, George II. Earle, one of
three city representatives on the p.
r. T. board of directors, required the
company to take that stand. Pre-
viously the sympathies Of the public
were with the company, because 1t
was generally believed that the COM
pany had been fair with its men and
that it was within its rights In de-
clining to permit c. o. Pratt, the De-
trot labor agitator, and the Amalga-
mated Union of Street Railway EN-
ployes, to dictate how and when 1t
should employ or discharge It's men.
The strikers were willing to arbi-
trate, and 1t is known positively that
they would have agreed to the de-
cision of the board of arbitration even
II the board had eliminated the ques-
tion of exclusive recognition of their
union. Acting in response to gen.
eral demand, the clergymen, including
Bishop Wilson of the Methodist
church and Archbishop Ryan of the
Roman Catholic diocese, offered
means of adjustment The company,
through its directors, gave heed to
George II. Earle, and turned down
mediatory offers. Then, as had been
threatened, a general strike was plan.
ned and called. AS things stand now,
1t is 10 to 1 that 10000 men will drop
their tools next Saturday morning
unless the transit company decides to
leave the points of difference between
itself and it's men to board OF arbi-
tration. The company stands In just
the position ii had the striking car
men three days ago. Its back is to
the wall and 1t is being attacked by
everybody who has an interest In the
present crisis.
Half a dozen movements have been
started to compel the P. r. r. to arbi.
trate. Nobody wants a general strike
not even the union men who are pre-.
pairing to walk out, but the town is
thoroughly convinced that a general
strike is exactly what 1t is facing in
case the P. r. T. refuses.
Investigation of the situation devel
oped this: Employers of all kinds
brewers. heads of weaving factories
the Cramps. men who employ nachin
lists, steam filters, carpenters, tailors
milk wagon drivers, electrical work
| ers. hundred other kinds of work
men-have asked their men what
! they really intended to do If the p
II. T. refused to arbitrate. In almost
every case they have been informed
that their employees would abide by
! the decision of the unions.
When this became well nigh Ger
tain the big banks took hand In the
game. There are many large indus
trial concerns in Philadelphia that
have large contracts on hand and are
carrying the contracts on money Dor
rCwed from the banks. The banks
are keenly interested in preventing
general strike. They put the solu
| ton of the problem up to one of the
m ost powerful institutions in the
city-the Market Street Merchants
association. The merchants. headet
by Ellis Gimbel and Samuel d. Lit
got together and agreed tentatively Il
two plans of action, one of which ol
both may be brought forward. The
first plan was to send word to Bosi
McNicol and Boss Ware to CONS
home. The second was to make dl
rect representations to the P. r. 7
that something would drop II th.
company continued to hide out.
II McNicol and Ware respond to til,
call, they are expected, at the direo
tion of the merchants of Marke'
street. to put through the council {
resolution. mildly worded but loadet
with dynamite. request from thu
city fathers that the company and tb,
strikers get together and arbitrate
Then. there are individual members o
the board of directors of the p, X. T
who will not turn their ears ava,
when McNicol and Ware talk.
The Rapid Transit directors got to
| .xotho. A. ..~.l.I coo.&1. tnttf. nts~.