Smyrna times., 1910-03-23
PENROSE END
CAR STRIKE
Senator Forces Company to
Accept Terms.
is A VICTORY FOR men
Politicians Threatened Company With
All Sorts of Disaster Before They
Accepted.


Accepted.
Philadelphia, March 21. - The car
mems strike has been settled. United
States Senator Penrose called the di-
rectOrs of the Rapid Transit company
before him .One at time and forced
them to accept the terms outlined by
the financial interests.
Kruger, president of the Rapid Tran
SIT company, halted and protested.
Clarence Wolf, the vice president,
hailed from Atlantic City by Penrose,
argued unavailingly. Ballard, the chief
counsel, tried to smooth the retreat of
the Rapid Transit company. Nothing
served to move the man who had be-
come the boss of the situation.
He brought his hand down on the
big table in his Office with a bang that
shook the chandelier. He said that he
would break the Rapid Transit COM
pany into small pieces and scatter the
pieces over the streets if they contin-
ued to hold out another hour. He told
them that he would use every ounce
of power he had to smash the COM
pany if they continued to back and
fill.
He reminded them of the dubious
financial position they were in. He
threatened to get legislation that
would force them to make terms less
pleasant than had been submitted He
more than hinted at a receivership.
He spoke as a man who knows that
councilmen dance when the right
strings are pulled. He dared the di-
rectors to risk action by the common
and select councils.
Kruger, Wolf and Ballard played for
delay. They wanted the man who had
been their friend through all the trou-
bic, Mayor John E. Reyburn, to get
the credit for settling the strike. Sen
ator Penrose waved all such sugges-
tions aside. There were two hours of
pleading on one side and flat-footed
dictation on the other. The situation
was dramatic.
The Rapid Transit officials caved in.
agreed to everything that Senator
Penrose demanded. guaranteeing
terms that give the carmen's union
ninetenths of everything they de-
manded. Even recognition of the Anal
gamated union, through a grievance
committee, is included in the capitu-
-@ation.
Terms of Settlement
First of all the company agrees to
take back all of the men on strike and
to restore them to their old runs and
their priority on the wage and promo
tion lists. The proviso is made that If
the company is unable at once to re-
store all of the old men to their jobs
It shall pay So day to all that are
kept waiting. and that these shall re-
ceive their former jobs within two
months.
The status of the 173 motormen and
conductors who were dihchargad for
fntoxication. knocking down fares and
for the good of the service-the act
which precipitated the car strike-is
to be left to a board OF arbitration of
three men. The Rapid Transit COM
pauy is to name one man. the car
mems union is to name the second.
and these are to select the third In
agreeing to this the Rapid T ansit
company knuckles down to the princi-
pie Of arbitration which it had uncom-
prornisingly held out against up to the
last hours of the fight.
The company must. according to
these terms, deal with its employees
through grievance committee of
nineteen men, one from each barn. In
this the strikers lost about the only
thing they contended for-sole recog-
niticn of their own union, the Anal
gamated, because the Keystone the
''non-union" union. the body of men
who remained faithful to the Rapid
Transit company when the Amalga-
mated went out. secure representa-
ton. They are entitled to a delegate
from every barn they control, and they
are in the majority in several. This
grievance committee of nineteen is to
select a sub committee, the number of
which has not been settled yet, which
is to deal directly with the Rapid
Transit officials whenever differences
arise.
The strikers won point in the mat
ter Of wages. By their old agreement
they we're to receive % cents an hour
beginning June /, 1910. They were
getting % cents when they struck. BY
the agreement forced by Senator Pen
rose they go back to work at % cents
an hour, and they will be raised tc
231s cents on June / next. The new
men taken on by the company and fol
whom places may be found are to re
ceive % cents an hour.
While Senator Penrose was orderinl
the Rapid Transit directors into lint
and the terms we're being agreed on
there was considerable disorder in tn,
Cit.