The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-12
STRIKE Goes on;
NO END IN SIGHT
Philadelphia Striving Desperately
to End Struggle, But With
Small Result.
COMPLICATIONS GROW
Labor Committee Threatens. to
Force General Demand for
New Wage Scale.

PHILADELPHIA, PA. March IL -
With the eyes Of the nation conferred
on her efforts to end tile greatest ia
Is striving desperately to bring about
a commercial peace that will retrieve
her lest fortunes and end the street
car strike that 10 in its twenty second
day and the general strike now eight
aays old.
Both labor and capital have appeal
ed to President Taft for Intervention.
and hope Is held out to-day thar the
great pacifier" will take hand
through the commission of the foun-
datton for industrial peace, founded
by President Roosevelt. Secretary
Philander &. Knox has been asked
just what powers this commission
would have in interfering in the pres
emit crisis in Philadelphia.
Complications Increase.
The committee of ten. In charge of
the strike, has made the situation
more critical by declaring that unless
the traction company agrees to arbi-
tration In forty-eight hours every
union now on strfke witt be ordered
to demand a new wage scale common
surate with the present high cost OF
living before returning to work. II
was at first proposed that the SYM
pathetic strikers should return under
their old contracts as soon as the
street strike was settled. A demand
on their part for increased wages
would lead to numberiess clashes be-
tween employers and unions and keep
the city In a state of business unrest
for months.
The strikers to-day claim $4,000
men. both union and non union, have
obeyed the call for the general strike.
though these figures are emphatically
denied by the city officials
Few. IL any. OF the striking street
car men have awaited themselves of
the offer OF President e. 0. Kruger
OF the Philadelphia Rapid Transit
Company. to retnrnto work. This Of
Ter was made at the suggestion of
Mayor Reyburn.
The committee of thirty. appointed
nj yesterdays meeting of representa-
tses OF civil organizations. Is to-day
informally considering plans to end
the strike. These plans will be con
sidered foVnally by the committee at
a meeting'to- morrow.
Ask Banks tn Aid-
1t has been suggested by members
tive business men that financial In
terests in Philadelphia be asked to
bring pressure 10 bear on the Rapid
Transit Company to end the strike.
Many leading bankers have been APP
pointed. but there is little likelihood
that they will act.
Z. Clarence Miller. president of the
Philadelphia Stock Exchange, de-
ciared to-day no formal request had
been made upon the bankers and
the Clearing House Association to act,
ana that he did not believe financial
interests would take proposed steps
strike leaders to-day declare they
have gotten out large percentage
OF the men employed In the great
uisston Saw Work at Tacony The
management denies that the plant has
been crippled by the walkout. but
the labor leaders express great sat
fsfactfon In the number OF men out.
and say they will be able to close
up the entire plant before night
Serong Efforts were made hy ma
tonai organizers and local leaders to
make inroads upon the forces at
cramps shipyards in Port Richmond;
Pencoyd Iron Works at Manyunk: the
Midvale Steel Works at Nicetown and
other big plants. which employ 49,
ooe men on the open shop" plan
All these plants were surrounded to-
day by pickets doing missionary
work among the laberers. Cramps
nren were paid of to-day, and the
organizers hope to keep several thou
sand from reporting for work Mon
day.
Food Prices Soar.
With thousands OF men on strike.
retail meat prices In Philadelphia
are to-day Ave to ten cents a pound
above normal. and dealers predict an
other advance Monday. While the
advance is not attributed to the gem
eral strike. II IL causing much suf-
fering among men out OF work
The street car company to-day de-
clares It Is running 1.fs0 cars. The
strikers declare only 500 are in opera
ton. Several cars have been stoned |
IT various points In the northeastj
and northwestern portions OF the city |
to-day by individuals or small crowds. |
but no mob violence has been report |
Cd. Snow and cold weather kept
numbers Of persons of tho streets.
John J. Murphy, president Of the |
Central Labor Union, this afternoon |
denied to the United Press the state |
ments that money was scarce among |
the strikera I'VE have all the money |
We need to prolong this strike indefs- |
nitely" he said, and showed . certi-
uO0 4GucUA IOE v4iVVV from ku0 8ITGSJ |
car mon Of Pittsburg.
street car mon in Pittsburg will |
meet Monday TO discuss calling . SYM |
pathetic strike there. and q similar |
meeting will be held In st. Louis to-
night"
INTERVENTION HELD
MOST IMPROBABLE. |
WASHINGTON. D. c.. March i2.--I
Federal Intervention In the Philadel- |
phia strike situation Il unlikely either |
from the Department OF Commerce |
and Labor or by arbitration under the |
ErdMan not.
The telegram sent yesterday by ID. |
y. GresnAwalt. president Of tho |
Pennsylvania State Federation Of La
boz, to Presldsnt Taft was to-day CON-
sidesed BY Secretary Nagcl. who
reached the conclusion that there was |
nothing n this time that the m tfonat |