Putnam patriot., 1916-06-02

The Shore Line Electric Railway is tied up today on account of a strike which went into effect Wednes day night at midnight. The strike in cludes the Putnam division from Cen. tral Village to West Thompson. word that the strike was to occur reached Putnam early Wednesday afternoon. The company made arrangements to have newspapers carried on trains southbound. The strike grew out of a refusal of the company to grant the de- .nands of the conductors and motor men which demands President k. w. Perkins of the road brands as "prepos- terous."
 With reference to the wages the de- mands are as follows: 26 cents an hour for the first six months, 2S cents m hour for the second six months, g. cents an hour for second year men, and 35 cents an hour thereafter. A nine hour day was demanded, with time and a half for overtime and a 30 cent
 
 unable to reach their homes for meals. Another demand was that the compa. ny pay the conductors one hours pay for making out their daily reports, and another that the employees wives be given passes for all trolley ears. \ number of other demands which Pres ident Perkins said were out of the question were made.
 The Shore Line Electric company offered to compromise by making the following offer; 26 cents an hour for the first year men, 2 cents an hour for the second year men, 2S cents an hour for the third year men, % cents an hour for the fourth year men, 30 for the fifth year men, and 32 cents there. after. This offer the trolleymen have fiatly refused, but President Perkins said Wednesday night that he has not yet received any authorized statement of the refusal from the trolleymen.
 The trolleymen made the following statement on Wednesday afternoon:
 The employees of the Shore Line Electric company beg to state they are very sorry to cause citizens of the ter ritory which this company covers any inconvenience by the stopping of its cars. We have tried every legitimate means in our power to stop 1t, having offered arbitration, which the compa- ny refused, stating that there is noth- ing to arbitrate. In disputes between two parties settlement is usually made by arbitration, either by courts or by private boards. The constitution or cornerstone of our organizations is ar- bitration, and we stand ready to live up 10 the laws of our organization.
 President Perkins says that the road has never recognized the union and does not propose to do so. The de- mands are preposterous and prohioi- bitive. It would be impossible to meet it no matter what the company's wishes might be. So far as he is able to ascertain the scale of wages offered is higher than any in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. He believes that ultimately men will be found to take the places of the strikers. He does not believe the wage question is the main issue invol- we'd. A notice was posted in the ear barns to increase wages to the men in power houses and barns 10 per cent June lst. The troIleymen then de- handed that the signs be taken down within AS hours under penalty of tie up. He thinks that the action taken in going direct to the men in this mat ter was resented and he imagines that three quarters of this class of men are not union members.
 The offer of the Connecticut compa-