Norwich bulletin., 1914-04-29
ADAMS EXPRESS SERVICE
 TIED UP BY STRIKE
Drivers Declined to Take Out Their Wagons-Strike Breakers Could Find No Rooms to Rent.

The Adams Express company ser vice here was crippled on Tuesday. by a strike of the drivers and by night the office at the New Haven station had a large accumulation of matter which it had been impossible to han dle.
 A group of four men, who were to work for the express company came here from New Haven. arriving on the o'clock train in the afternoon, after making the rounds of boarding houses and hotels and finding that in each place the answer was that there was no room for them. They were brought from the station to the first boarding house by Cashier John H. room there. they were left to look for themselves. The striking drivers were on the lookout and joined them selves to the new men, accompanying them as they walked from place to place,
 Wherever they made application the boarding house proprietors had no trouble in learning that the strangers were men come here to take the place of the striking drivers and the answer to them was that the boarding house had no rooms to rent They tried in six different places.
 The workers who struck were the drivers, John German, Bertram Cough, Frank Curran, John Mitchell and Pe- ter Carbray; William Burns, drop de- livery clerk; John McDermott, bill clerk and Arthur Young, o. H. clerk.
 Since Monday the office has been in charge of H. B. Ransom, a new agent who was sent here unexpectedly to take the place of Agent c. C. Penn Der, who had been away to Poughheep sic since Friday to visit his sick wife When he got back Monday he found the new agent in charge.
 The trouble is the outcome, it Is stated of the increased work which has come upon the express force since the Adams office took over the Amer ican Express company's business the first of April
 drivers made a request of Agent Penn Der that he recommend to the Bos- ton office to grant an increase of pay for the drivers. This, 1t is under stood, he did, and it was taken that his dismissal was an indication of the Boston offices disapproval of this course.
 The climax in the situation was brought about by the discharge of Driver Peter Carbray on Monday even ing by Agent Ransom. According to the drivers this was because Carbray y refused to go out again after cali after o'clock in the evennig when he had finished his days work and that his horse, which had covered B mics, as well as himself, were thoroughly tired out.
 Earlier in the day, when Route Agent Huntington from New London had been here checking up the new agent, Driver Carbray had spoken to him on behalf of the drivers generally about the increased pay they wanted, but the route agent was without authority in the matter.
 Tuesday morning the drivers pre- scented their request to Agent Ransom for his action to bring about raise from $50 to s60 per month. He was requested to call up the Boston office by long distance telephone about the matter. and when he refused the driv- CTS quit work.
 Tuesday evening they said their re- quest now was for the increased pay and the reinstatement of Driver Car bray, and that they would stand by that
 They said they had received sssur- ances from many merchants that the sympafhies of the merchants were all with the drivers. The drivers intend to emphasize their demands in a peace able way and expect no troublc
 The five single and one double teams at the stable of 0. H. Reynolds were hitched up ss usual Tuesday morning but there were no drivers for them. II
 
 team was driven TO the company's of fee Route Agent Johns 1n of the American Express company was iT town Tuesday and assisted in taking care of the American express matter Agent Ransom had the assistance oI Cashier John H. Rainsford of the loca office and c. B. Finer, agent of the New London office
 When Agent Ransom discovered tha' he was without any drivers, he secured a. truck from Arthur D. Jathrop, the autotruck of l.. E. Harris, another autotruck from Andrew Glendennine and others to deliver merchandise that had come into the office. About noon, after the strikers haC seen the truck proprietors, their em- ployes were withdrawn from working for the express conpan The company states it will be abI, to handle express matter, incoming and outgoing, today.
 Assistant Super ntendent J. W. Ayel from New Haven is expected here to- day.