Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-03
TROUBLE OVER SHAW STRIKE LAW FOUND
President Taft Undecided Re- Carmen Could Appeal to
garding Application Courts TO Name ArbItrators.
WANTS A LEGAL OPINION IS UlSCOVERtD BY MAYOR
Interested he VIII Folnt out 70 City Coun
Forestry Service Employe way 10 Feace.
ROOT TO TAKE UP MATTER PRATT Is NOT IMPRESSED
Politically
Reou.st to Practce Before De- Suggests,
as Means to Avert Trouble
Carmen Could Appeal to
Courts to Name Arbitrators.
IS DISCOVERED BY MAYOR
He Will Point Out to City Council
Way to Peace.
PRATT Is NOT IMPRESSED
Politically Directed Bench Appeals
to Transit Company, He Suggests,
as Means to Avert Trouble.

PHILADELPHIA, March 3-Under an
old law the common pleas courts OF Phil
adelphia may be called upon to end the
trolley strike.
Mayor Reyburn announced this after
noon that an act had been found which.
1t fs believed, gives the county courts
power to take steps to have differences
existing between public service corpora
tions and thir men adjusted. The mayor
further stated that he will not recon-
mend action by city council this after
noon, but will call attention to this old
law.
The statute, passed by the Pennsyiva-
mia legislature in 1893, provides that IL a
transportation company cannot agree
with its employees one or both sides can
apply to the common pleas court for the
appointment of board Of arbitration.
Possibility Not Considered.
Whether this arrangement under the
act will be accepted by either side can
not be ascertained. The matter has not
yet been taken up by either the company
nor the union leaders.
The Philadelphia Rapid Transit Com
pany has taken a stand against arbitra-
tion Therefore, il the act is taken ad-
vantage of the move will have to come
from the strikers side.
When the law was called to Organizer
Pratts attention he said:
II know of no such law. / am not
surprised, however. at this late date that
| the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company
and its city hall allies want to bring the
| controversy into politically directed
courts, where they are so fond of bring
| ing individuals who oppose them.
1T is singular that the law was never
invoked before in industrial disputes In
Pennsylvania"
Councils to Deal With Problem.
| All Philadelphia is waiting with anxiety
councils. which is called for this after
noon, to discuss ways and means OF
bringing about a termination Of the
istrfle.
Just what the councils may be able to
| accomplish. in view OF the mayors I'M
lalterable stand against arbitration OF any
character, is problematicaL Resolutions
| will be offered and passed. but to what
purpose canno. be forecasted.
AS it now stands. the big strike w4.l
be started at midnight Friday.
Platt Suggests Plan.
AT conference held last night between
the business mems representatives and c.
| Q. Pratt, organizer of the Amalgamated
Association of Electric Railway Employees
Pratt said that he favored arbitration and
would be willing to do anything in his
power to prevent the gigantic sympathetic
strike. He suggested that the business
men name an arbitrator, the rapid transit
company name one and these two men se-
lect a third. not necessarily a member OF
| the street car mems union.
The mayor is SO strong against any IN
reference by outside parties that he has
let il be known he will risk an open rup-
| ture with the republican organization
| rather than give in to the men. he al
| firms that his only duty as executive of
the city, SO far as the strike Is concerned,
is to maintain order.
That the mayor is Indifferent over the
prospect of a break with the political
| leaders Is shown in statement he MADE
| in answer to question as 10 The result
| of a certain political conference held yes
| terday. He said:
..They wanted me to change and told
nae they were getting telegrams from tne
political leaders in Florida. and that l was
committing political suicide If did not
| change. 1 told them / did not care about
State Senator McNichol. Recorder ware
or Senator Penrose or ANYBODY else; OF
whether 1 was committing political suicide
| or not. that l was going 10 stand 1uss
where was, no matter what the result
No Chance to Avert Strike.
The general opinion among persons who
are thought to be in a position TO KNOW
the feelings of the officials OF the COM
pany is that there is little hope OF avert
ing a sympathetic strike
An extra detail of policemen has been
ordered on duty at the city hall In order
to ,,reyent the friends Of arbitration from
storming the council chamber. as was
done in 1905. when a monster demonstra-
ton was made against the obnoxious
lease of the city gas works.
There was little to be said about the
street car service today. The company
claims about one thousand cars In opera
ton. No schedule Is maintained and peo-
nIe are thorough disgusted with condi-
tionS.