The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1916-01-07
CAR COMPANY sues
STRIKERS FOR 100000


After weeks OF wrangling over
wages and working conditions with
It's 32o motormen and conductors.
during which local transportation
has been parslyzed and riot and
bloodshed have become common.
the wilkcs-Barre Railway Co. has
sued the strikers Individually and
collectively for 100000 damages
for violation OF their contract aud
unlawful picketlng.
A large percentage of the trac.
ton stock Is owned by =. NJ kir-
by. whose string OF stores Is ANAL
gamated with the Woolworth
string. and Abraham Nesbitt. said
To be the richest man In Wyoming
Valley. The strike began Oct Ia.
1915.
The strike Is effecting a retail
buying population of tss.si5. a
Wholesale buying population OF
s5l.63e and a total population OF
i.75O.000. The 230 men are losing
$4,000 week In wages aud the
company $4,000 day In fares.
Seventy thousand United Mine
workers aud $4,000 textile workers
have boycotted the street cars.
Three hundred special mounted po-
lice and two troops Of state police
have been unable to preserve or
der. All cars are armosed with
double steel netting.
The men contend they are strik-
ing for justice. Company officials
claim they are fighting for the prin-
ciple OF arbitration. The deadlock
is over the method OF wage pay
ment. rather than the wage. The
last 3-year agreemnt expired last
January /. Negotiations on n new
schedule dragged until April /.
when the men struck. They had
demanded an increase from "A To
80 cents an hour and better work
ing conditions. The latter they got.
Arbitrators were selected TO settle
the wage dispute. April 10 the men
returned to work
July 10 the arbitrators announc-
ed sliding scale: First year men
to receive 81 cents. second year men
25 cents. third year men 26 cents.
fourth year 26h cents aud fifth
this was added a profit sharing fea-
ture, the men getting ten per cent
OF the increase in the per car hour
earnings of the company. For every
ten cents ear averaged per hour
over s2,7S6 the men were to re-
ceiye one cent. The men said that
with the increase OF jitneys there
was little prospect of this addition
al profit Arbitrator Shea handed
down dissenting decision. The
men objected to this sliding scale.
Umpire Jackson agreed that the ar
bitrators had exceeded their author
ity.
Traction Manager T. A. Wright
would not meet the mems national
officers. The strike was again de-
clared. Page advertisements In the
explained the company's
fight for arbitration. Noymber 3,
strike breakers took out the cars.
Riots followed. Policemen had TO
run the cars TO shelter. the strike
breakers having fled. Sheriff .
deputies. several hundred addition,
al mounted police and Troop y OF
the Pennsylvania Mounted Police
patrolled the system. Bloodshed
and rioting continued. Troop c
from Pottsville then arrived. Dis
order continued. Philadelphia was
10. More special officers
were brought TO protect those who
wanted TO ride.
Labor Secretary Wilson has sent
mediators, the state department
has done the same, International
President Mahon OF the Carmen 8
Union has been here. merchants
have organized committees, the
Chamber OF Commerce has been ac-
tive, but no progress has been
made. The men demand flat rate.
agreeing to slightly less than the
present scale. The company says II
will exact a strict compliance vim
the award of July 10. A boycott Is
maintained on the lines that arc
now open. The men claim to be