The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-13
CIVIC FEDERATION MAY
 TAKE THE MATTER UP
No Change Is Seen in the General Sit nation and the Day Passes With Comparatively Few Clashes
 With Strikers

4 city hoped a strike settlement might be T reached were today practically eliminated | Aas of possible assistance in bringing an end to Philadelphia's labor troubles. ! Yesterday it was hoped that either Pres ' ident Taft. the bankers of Philadelphia. II the National Civic Federation or the local rouncl bodies would find way to stop \ 4he strike. Today the first two mediums 4 were virtually abandoned
 * Word came from Washington unofficial A ly, but on seemingly good authority. that H the President through the department of ! commerce and labor could not see his way a clear to Interfere. The reason given was E that the trouble is purely of local char N acter.
 # All bankers seen today regarding the suggestion that financial interests take up H the question of settling the strike declared I that the bankers of the city probably would keep their hands off the fight. The president of the Philadelphia Clearing H House association took strong stand x against interfering unless the Amalga- E mated Association of Street and Electric
 Railway Employees agreed to recede from
 It's stand on the question of exclusive
 
 N Message From Seth Low
 1 Whether the Civic Federation will take A Mp the question and the councilmen can # be forced to take action remains to be & seen. The Civic Federation has declined to act unless both parties appeal to 1t, but a telegram was sent today to Seth Low, Snhead of the federation, asking if that vbody can offer It's good offices to both IF sides to the controversy.
 # Tonight Mir. Low sent the following re- H ply;
 Under existing conditions National Civ # ic Federation would gladly offer It's ser sic6s if Jou can assure nie pnsr would be acceptable to both sides. There was no change today in the gem eral strike Situation. The Philadelphia I Rapid Transit company placed a few ] more cars In operation and with the ex-
 ception of the Kensington district they
 met with comparatively little trouble.
 There were reports of acquisitions and Assertions In the ranks of the strikers,
 but their numbers were unimportant
 either way.
 The greatest unrest was noticed among the journeymen bakers who
 seem to be getting the strike fever.
 Several hundred of them met today Il and agreed to strike and stay away from their work until the street car E men get what they want
 H Employers predict ulat MOnday VIII see the beginning of a general break among the sympathetic strikers and X fine chiefs of local unions held meet
 fnRs today and tonight to lay plans to hold the men together. There were [ fxhe usual number of disturbances in a4he Kensington district late this even \ ing.
 Many Cars stoned Many cars were stoned but at only one place did the police have much II trouble Some one hurled rock through -4a. car window. the car was. stopped \ .Nknd before the police could interfere II the trolley was badly wrecked. Mounted policemen scattered the crowd without very serious damage
 It was noticed today that the police refrained from using their clubs in II dispersing crowds and this gave rise II to a report that orders had been given not to use unnecessary force in hand | ling the throngs Speaking on the suggestion of the United Business Mems league that the \ bankers throughout the Philadelphia Clearing House association bring an E end to the strike Francis B. Reeves, \ president of the association, said to- day:
 \ ficab1e suggestion. I cannot see how \ our financial institutions can bring \ their powers to bear in any wise that shall help to solve the problem. They \ have no interest in 1t excepting that | which Is common to all our citizens. | If there Is to be no arbitration this Il struggle must go on to a finish. If | the car mon of the Rapid Transit com | pany would agree to submit their zriev- Il ances unaccompanied by demands in- voiving the surrender to them of the mana cement of the company's bust ness and the responsibilities of it's of tn ffa and tl, i believe the transit comp any would k agree to it.'
 Statement on Situation { George H. Early, Ji.. one of the city f representatives on the board of dl- , kectors of the Rapid Tran sit company. \ has issued a lengthy statement ex- | plaining the labor situation as he views
 1t. He declares that the chief trou- ! bie lies in the fact that the Amalga- \ mated Association of Street and Elec- trtc Railway Employes, having won for
 itself the right to appeal to the com l pany through com5nittes, sought to z retain that right exclusively and to t forbid 1t to men who were not mem f bers of the association.
 Mr Early also announced he had of \ fered his resignation as director in- X tending to take up the cause of the mon
 In an enort to have their grievances ad- II 5usted. but that the strike intervened and I he refused to resign under Ire
 I Director Henry Clay of the department Fl 0f public safety said this afternoon that fl . canvass made by police in the textile 4 mill district showed that in few of the |I mills some employees had returned to work q today and that he had information Mon N day or Tuesday next all of the employees N Of 65 plants would return to work. N Director Clay said his department had i been criticised for preventing a meeting ! of the strikers at the Philadelphia baii \ park. but the fact remains that disorder < followed a meeting here last night in n x hall. After the meeting, he said, disturb < ances were frequent and eight cars were \ damaged.
 X2 Folk Asked to Mediate g Bgt. Louis. March 12--A tentative prom
 xaitinn that ha act as arbitrator bx-