Arizona republican., 1913-07-12

For the first time since the street car strike begun, representatives Of the striking car men and Manager Mitchell of the street car company met around the same table and dis paSsionately discussed the issues of each, their differences and the prob abilities of coming together. The meeting was brought about by q mediatory committee of the Mer- chants and Manufacturers Associa- tiOn, which was appointed by Presi- dent Diehl of the association, pursu- ant to the action of the mass meet ing held on the roof of the Y. NJ. C. A. on the evening previous It is true that previously there have been several attempts to get the two sides of the controversy together, but with out success. Several meetings had been held at which both were present, but in no way did these meetings compare with the one held yesterday. which seems to be on the way to set tie the strike.
 As soon as the meeting was called to order in the offices of the NJ. and M. in the Goodrich block, Chairman R. II. Pratt stated the object of the session and said that it was the de sire of the merchants of Phoenix, through their representa- tiVes, to find some common ground upon which the two sides of the trouble could meet, SC that the public, which is in the end the heaviest suffer from the strike, might be saved further incon- venience and expense incident to q continuation of the trouble
 From this on a general conversa- tion ensued relative to the positions of both sides. The street car repre- sentative, who disclaimed any power to act for the car company except in the matter of arbitrating the two propositions that had heretofore been announced, viz, the raise of wages and seniority of runs, stated also that he was not quite sure that these propositions were still open, but as he was going to Los Angeles and would return on Monday he could tell more about the situation on Mon day
 The car men for whom J. J Bel ford acted as spokesman, said that their demands were well known. They were four in number and had been often stated. He believed from what he had heard relative to the situation that the car company stood ready to raise the wages to the figure de manded and to grant seniority of runs. At this point, however, it was seen that the street car representa- tive was not inclined to go all the way of the demand, but sought to cut down the wage scale lower than that demanded by the car men. It was also stated that there was some temporizinE relative to the seniority of runs But as the committee had no right to settle the strike and no authority to do sO all that could be done was to discuss the situation.
 The recognition of the union, or to be correct, compulsory arbitration of further disputes and the maintenance of an open shop without prejudice to either union or non union men in the cussed, but very little was said about the case of William Ward
 After the meeting the members of the committee spoke in the highest terms of the manly actions all the way through of the striking car men One of them even went so far as tC say that he was most agreeably sur prised at the Knowledge displayed anC the grasp of the situation shown by the strikers. Their whole demeanOl was exemplary throughout the meet ing. At the conclusion an adjourn ment was made until next Monday when a further meeting will be helC