The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-02-26

Rapid Transit Company Rejects Min.
isterIsl Arbitration Offer, but viii
Take Back Employees With Clean
Records Who Apply For Jobs Be-
fore March Twill Retain Pension
Privileges and Participate In Wage
Increase on July 1.
Philadelphia, Feb. 26 - John j.
Murphy, president of the Central La
Dor union, was arrested early this
morning, after an all night hunt by
the police, who wanted him on a
charge Of using inflammatory Ian
guage as he stood on street corner
shouting to crowd of strike sympa-
thizers. He is reported to have said:
you can depend on It," Murphy
had said. that at tomorrows meeting
general strike will be called. II one
man is shot in Kensington there will
follow carnival of riot and blood.
shed that will startle the country. l
should not care to be responsible for
such an outbreak. The state police
would be helpless. want it under
stood that there are men In the north
east part of the city who can shoot
as straight as any trooper who ever
drew breath. Just you wait little
while for developments. and you will
see something that will open your
eyes"
The detectives scattered all over
town, snooping around labor meetings
where Murphy was due to speak.
They had no luck, either because
Murphy saw them first or because he
didn't care to go to Jail in the dark.
His friends said he did not appear at
any of the meetings. but early th.i
morning he was apprehended and
brought to police headquarters.
The Rapid Transit company sent its
reply to the clergymen of the city--a
fiat refusal to arbitrate anything. Az
ter acknowledging courteously the in
terest displayed by the ministers,
President Kruger, with the authority
of his board OF directors, who had
special meeting, wrote: There were
but two real questions at the bottom
OF this strike. First, the right of our
employees to deal directly with us
without the intervention Of an organ
ization controlled by outside men;
second, the right OF the company to
have the same freedom in hiring or
discharging men that the men have
in staying with or leaving this COM
pany.
"These rights are fundamental and
inalienable and do not submit them
selves to any form Of arbitration. To
surrender them TO any outside inter-
est would be to abrogate the manage
ment Of the corporation, which duty
the law imposes on us as directors.
"An adjustment OF all questions,
such as wages. schedules. conditions
OF labor, etc, was being satisfactorily
proceeded with by direct negotiation
between our employees and our execu-
tive oficials when the present strike
was precipitated without an hours
warning. AS soon as normal condi-
tions are restored, should there be
any questions needing adjustment,
they will be taken up"
The p. r Il. In another statement
added that It would be willing to take
back into its employ such of the
strikers as have clean records and
who were working for the company
before Feb. 49, But they must get
back on the job before March or stay
out for good and all. II they break
the strike and return to work the
company guarantees that they will
continue to have the rights In the
pension fund. and will not be deprived
of the right to enjoy the increase OF
pay. amounting to cent an hour,
which goes into effect on July | next.
At present the men are getting 22
cents IAN hour BY an arrangement
entered into last year the pay will be
made 23 cents an hour on July /,
1910. However, the company notified
the mtn now on strike that they will
have~to give precedence on the list
TO the men who remained loyal.
The Rapid Transit company IL now
operating cars on all but one line,
and are using so per cent more cars
than on any day since the strike be-
gan. Germantown. Kensington and
other districts where shooting and
brick throwing had been constant un-
III the coming Of the state constabu-
ulary are now calm and untroubled
Some idea OF the financial loss to
the p. r, T. that the strike has en-
tailed may be gained by the COM
pany's report that 350,58S fares were
(. collected Ordinarily from 100000
20 100000 fares are turned in. 1t is
not to be supposed, however, that the
fares turned In represent the real
business done by the cars. In times
like these strikebreakers have habit
OF throwing nickels up at the bell
cord. Anything that sticks belongs to
the company.
Captain Jack Groome's cavalrymen
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