Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-03-14
MAYOR MADDEN
SAW HIS SIMPLE
DUTY AND DID II
Trenton Executive, Sharp Com
trast to Reyburn, Tells How He
Combatted Trolley Trouble.

P~hiladelphians generally are praising
the action taken by Mayor Madden, of
Trenton. in connection with the recent
trolley strike there. The mayor of New
Jerseys capital had but n interest TO
p~rotect-the public's, SO different from
Mayor Reyburn, of Philadelphia, whose
attitude is to serve the trolley people
first. The Trenton strike lasted but
fifty-six hours, and the way the mayor
stopped it is best told in his own way.
He said:
my course was clear from the first.
1t wasn't hard for me to see what 1
ought to do. The Trenton Street Rail-
way Company didn't care anything
about the public. II 1t had it would not
have permitted the strike.
I'm their loyalty to unionism and
their determination to win their fight
the men didn't care either.
Somebody had to think about the
public, the innocent third party in the
row. That was up to me, I decided.
They had elected me. they had nobody
else to look to. Their rights were in
my hands. From the minute when the
strike began shaping, IN / saw that 1t
was inevitable, I resolved that my
every effort should be directed to pro-
tecting the people.
THE strike began on Wednesday.
The men had first made an effort to
get a conference with General Manager
Peter Hurley, but after being promised
a meeting they were fatty turned down,
and after striving in vain to get a
hearing they decided that nothing was
left to them but to go out.
by 8 o'clock at night not a car was
running.
"I made immediate announcement to
the strikers that I would consider 1t a
first duty to protect the public order
and that vigorous punishment would
be melted out to all who engaged in
riots OF damaged the company's cars.
'"This l followed UP with an order to
Manager Hurley that he must run his
cars. He Immediately appealed to me
for special policemen. These | declined
to appoint, though later, with the best
motives in the world, the police com
missioner, desiring to guard against
any outbreak, Joined in the request.
Trusted His Own Police.
"But | a g theory about that |
thought that to make a parade of force,
to swear in a great number of extra
officers, all of whom being new would
naturally not know how to exercise
power with judgement, would only be
to a~ggravate the trouble. ! asked the
chief of police If he could maintain or
der with the regular force, and on his
statement thai he could / stood pat.
son Thursday morning a few Of the
old employees who had not gone out
ran a few cars, and while there was
some hooting there was no actual dis
order.
ut was not until the strike-breakers
were brought in hat there was actual
violence. !.
when the strike-breakers reached
town I made the unexpected move OF
going, to have a look at them. 1t was
not my intention that q company or
irresponsible armed men should be al
lowed to run wild in the streets OF
Trenton, and perhaps infiict b~loodsheeo
and death on our citizens.
"When I went to the car barn there
was some demur at letting me see
them, and there was also a request
that newspapermen be excluded.
But l insisted on having the men
searched for firearms, n l let the
newspapermen be present. / had notn-
ing to conceal. My only thought was
for Trenton, and knowing the news
| papers to be working for the same end,
/ welcomed the widest publicity.
I'VE found no firearms. l issued an
order that none should be carried, and
| when later we found that one strike
breaker did have a pistol he was ar
rested and sent up for thirty days.
'.Then | turned my attention to the
company. Thursday night I wrote a
letter. in which | pointed out that the
trolley service at Trenton had been in
| terrupted, and that this was contrary
to the franchise under which they were
permitted the use of the streets.
Il served notice that unless the cars
were running regularly at once that
would impose a fine of $50 daily for
every car not SO run.
Il also called the attention of the
company to the fact that the money
loss involved by the imposition of such
a penalty would be far grgeater imam
any amount thai might be lost through
a compromise with the men.
II had no hesitation in adopting this
drastic measure. for a railway COM
pany is not a private corporation, ana
is not to be so regarded. Had this
beer a strike in some factory | would
not have felt free to interfere. But a
trolley company a for its greatest
asset the streets of the city. The pub
lie gets no profit from their use. 1t
has to pay for it's street car service
The very least 1t can expect is that
there be adequate car service at all
times. I was resolved that there
should be.
'It mattered nothing to me that the
company had fought with its en-
ployees For the matter OF that, ii
had no right to engage in any dispute
that would prevent it from carrying
out it's contract with the citizens OF
Trenton, to give them an adequate troll
ley service for the use of the streets
Duty to Protect Public.
Even If my action had meant a loss
- -. - ~. e~f0aEhnIdarc which