The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-03-13
"PRATTS Union
BROKE FAITH
One Director of Transit Company Ad-
vocated Better Wages But is
Now Fighting the
Strikers
Philadelphia is Becoming Weary of
the Trouble and Would Like
to See Agreement
Reached.
rGate CITY Leased Wire Service.

IGate City Leased Wire Service.]
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, March IL
With banking and financial interests
keeping hands off, with President
Taft and his advisers understood to
agree that they cannot intervene and, |
the strikers and officials both claiming |
victory, the carmens' and general |
strike in Philadelphia seem far from
settlement tonight Business in
terests and civic organizations are
bringing to bear every bit of pressure
they can exert to force settlement |
through disappointing headway. The
strikers still maintain their willing
ness to arbitrate, but the Philadelphia
Rapid Transit company, which
brought about the monster strike by
refusing to treat with the car men,
still obstinately refuse to accept ar
bitration, declaring the strike is end
ed
The committee of thirty representa-
tive business men from various civic
bodies, seeking to effect settlement
has requested G.. o. Pratt, strike lead
er, and Francis Brown, Transit COM
pany attorney, to meet them in an eff
fort to find some middle ground upon
which arbitration may be obtained.
Pratt has signified his willingness to
attend There will be formal meet
ing OF the committee Sunday after
noon to discuss plans advanced to set.
tie the strike and to adopt the one
most feasible. 1t is conceded that the
Philadelphia business men and manu-
facturers are losing millions daily as
a result of the great general strike.
Even those plants where the men are
still working report big orders are
being cancelled by out of town mer-
chants who fear spread of the gem
eral strike will prevent delivery. Re-
tail merchants, too, report great fall
ing off in trade.
Charles A. Hope, secretary of the
central labor union, and chairman of
the committee of ten in charge OF the
strike. estimated tonight that $4,000
men were out If the tie-up continues
another week 100000 men will be out
he said. Hope declared no further
effort would be made to get out big
bodies of men until the arrival early
next week OF trained national organiz-
ers.
Textile, hosiery and yarn mnaufac-
turers. employing 10000 men, closed
their plants this week to reopen Mon
day with the threat that unless their
employees returned then. they would
close down until fall. They declare
their spring business will be ruined by
tie-up now.
Serious consequences are expected
if the unions carry out their expressed
plan to force every employer OF union
labor in Philadelphia to sign new
and higher wage scale unless the
street car strike is settled by Monday,
Employers of thousands of men on
strike are willing to take thet men
back at the present scale, but would
resist a demand for higher wages, as
serting they would be made thereby to
pay for what the strikers lost III their
fight with the car company.
Mayor Rayburn announced this
evening he was not opposed to arol
tration. He said he hoped it was pos
sible, but that he would have no hand
In It George II. Earle, one of the
city,s representatives on the traction
companys board Of directors, said he
had once rendered his resignation SC
he could fight for better wages and
hours for the men, but that Pratt S
union" broke faith and he had with
drawn his resignation and would night
to the last. Few strikers have accept
ed the offer by the street car com
pany, at the request of Mayor Ray
burn. to return to work, the company
loaning the married men $1,000 and
the single men $500
President Murphy of the central la
Dor union said tonight that the strik
ers had sufficient financial aid to pro
long the strike The central labor
union of Chicago, he said, would give
$4,000 a week st. Louis S3O,ooo
week and San Francisco $4,000
week. The strike leaders VIII concen
trate their efforts next week upor
Cramps ship yards, the Midyale stee
works and the Pencoyd iron works
employing in all $4,000 men on th'
'open shop plan They declare the!
have gotten out so many men at DIS
tons big saw works that the plan
Inv