Norwich bulletin., 1916-06-02
WILL TRY TO MEDIATE STRIKE
United Action to De Taken y Eastern Connecticut Chambers of Commerce This Morning Trolley Traffic Stand still Over Entire system- Several Cars Operated for Few Hours Thursday -Srikebreakers Arrive in Town.
Pres. Perkints Regrets Situation.

I
 President Perkins was busy on1- cial Thursday. He motored to New London from Norwich in the morning and saw how things were going or, rather not going. and returned to bis
 MT. Perkins said Thursday: sT re- gret this situation as fully as any body, believe, but there is nothing can do to remedy it, except to get the lines in operation as soon as pos- siblc
 we have some men available and
 we shall try to get others as rapidly
 as can. So far we have made no discrimination against the men who have struck and if they desire to re- turn to work they will be welcome and
 their action will be duly appreciated. Conditions in New London. On Thursday for the first time since I the establishment of street car lines
 in New London, nearly a quarter of
 a century ago. not a trolley wheel ganized and systematic. the strike of motormen, conductors, power house l and car. barn employees went into ee- feet at midnight.
 | Beginning with mill and factory workers whose duties compelled them
 to be on hand the earliest and thence on through strata of store clerks,
 school teachers, students and stem Fographers down to the banker who probably would not be docked If he
 did not show up until s.1o. the tits did wholesale business. Passeng CTS chung to running boards and but for the protests drivers would have
 perched on the hoods.
 | Jitney Drivers Jump Fares.
 Rates of fare went up like BethIe-
 hem steel. Fifteen cents a copy to or
 from Ocean beach was a started but
 this was too mild for some of the J.
 Rufus Wallingfords driving the cars.
 Two domestic servants anxious to prepare breakfast for theiN employ CTS paid half dollar each for the privilege. A dollar a head was asked for passage to the Thames river ship yard. In this instance walking was substituted.
 The strikers were jubilant at the
 manner in which union members had responded to the summons to quit. They were unanimous in asserting that their organization is perfected to ! such a degree that they will remain out indefinitely or until their demand is granted. The possibility of strike , breakers being able to operate the road successfully appealed to them : as ridiculous.
 Said one motorman: T have been in , the employ of the Shore Line EIec- : tric Railway Co. seven years. re- ceive 29 cents an hour and the big gest weeks pay I ever got was $1S.7s 2 for working seven days. Once work ed 20 hours on a stretch with no re-
 lief for meals. Talk about the com
 panyis interest in it's men-huh, that's
 just a line of hot air handed out like
 this welfare stuff at mills where they
 employ a charity expert at $2, GOO . f lyear and pay the unfortunate workers
 about SIPS a day.
 i, And there is another thing should = like to suggest and that is that the = city of New London does. not waste . any more money in hiring special DO licemen for this strike. We are no
 out to do any violence and the peo.
 pie of this city know it. We are hon q est, hard working men, mostly witi s families, and we do not need to b. . watched by police. If there is any = money in the city treasury it would
 be a good idea to spend it on tn, il streets, and not on constables."
 A squad of private detectives ant
 some 40 strikebreakers arrived in Ne~
 London from New York on the Ow .s were taken to Saybrook at an eari, e hour by officials of the Shore Line Co . who announced that they intended t if employ them in various capacities .e Several detectives remained and tn n rest went to other points on the sys if tenn.
 Is Jitneys sprang up like mushroom n as the day wore on. State street wa v lined with them on both sides and a = fast as they drew up to the curbin n they were filled with passenger'
 Places Of business at Ocean Beac
 felt the lack of trolley service keenlS
 The day was one of the few thus ia ,r this season that would be likely to at is tract people to summer resort an - 1 under ordinary conditions the ope , cars would have been crowded. Tn <. difficulty in securing jitney accof1n1o v dations deterred practically everybod 1s from making the trip for pleasure an n the loss of patronage was seyerel - felt at the beach.
 The possibility of an extended sus m pension of trolley service is causill Id much concern in the beach sectiol Ig particularly among those engaged Ld business there, for the season is Shcl - and every day counts One enter . prising cafe proprietor there is cor sJ stdering establishing a line of jitney s- bearing his name if the strike contir ,e ues.
 V. On the G. 6 6. Line. B. On the Groton and Stonington llr .. the strike played havoc with the al III tendance at the various mills in tn
 section, many employees, who live we
 out into the country getting in houi
 late for work. Automobiles, farm WI gons, grocery wagons and any avai U U able vehicles were used to get the c- to work The high school in StoYlIn, v ton borough had a scant attendant TA at the opening as many of the pupil tS who live in Mystic, Old Mystic aI v Pawcatuck were very late or unab nE E to get there at all.
 to Open Mass Meeting. at Arrangements are being made ! eo the joins committee of the trolleymt u- and their representative, F. J. O'Brit ne of Springfield, Mass, to hold an opt IT. mass meeting in the town hall
 Saturday evening for the purpose . expressing their side of the prese .,A strike situation Various local speal ~ CTS and possibly international speal str A DS u'
 ep Ar rEjE nA11Te 5-1EAr1e