The Washington times., 1917-05-03
STRIKERS SAY KING
DECEIVED THE UNION
Ask Senate Committee to Hasten
The Taking Of Evidence.

to their charges filed with the Senate
COMMITTEES investigating the strike,
the employees in a statement filed with
the Senate committee today, allege
that the company's answer contains
a great mass of manufactured exhibits
and irrelevant, incompetent, and i'm
material matter"
The charges Of bad faith against
Clarence P. King, president OF the
company, are reiterated, and further
emphasis is given the original allega-
tions by the strikers in the document
filed with Senator Pittman, chairman
pro tenn. of the probing committee.
The strikers statement IN rebuttal
formally joins issue between the com
pany and themselves. After considering
the original charges. the company's re-
ply and the statement in rebuttal. the
committee will define what 1t considers
the basic points Of the controversy and
viii begin to take testimony.
Ask Early Hearing.
A request for an early beginning Of the
inquiry was made by the strikers today
In TIE following paragraph in their
I6DuAIe4.
I'VE respectfully ask your committee
for an early opportunity to present our
evidence because the company is trying,
by delay and every form Of deception.
public and private, to exhaust the re-
sources Of our members and to compel
them to return to work by signing the
individual contract"
The strikers allege in their state
ment of rebuttal that the company,
In its answer, attempted to make Il
appear that the wrecking OF a car In
southeast Washington constituted
fifteen separate and distinct cases of
violence on the part of the employees.
The following significant paragraph
is included in the strikers refer
ence to the wrecking of the car:
at seems rather remarkable that
q former employe of the company
who had been discharged, and was
not able to secure employment until
after his participation in the act COM
planned of by the company (wrecking
of the carl was employed by the COM
pany the next day"
Denial that the officers OF the local
union or the Amalgamated Associa-
tion of Street and Electric Railway
Employees ever counseled violence is
made by the employees. The state
ment reiterates thai on the contrary
violence has been most strongly con-
demned.
Refer to Police Records.
we think the police force will ac-
knowledge our cooperation and help
IN trying to secure the maintenance
Of law and order during this strike
say the employees.
They assert that Police Court rec
ords show that none of the strikers
has been convicted OF any more seri-
Gus offense than disorderly, conduct
since the strike began.
After charging the company with
using "skillful, adroit, and crafty Ian
guage" in its reply, the statement in
rebuttal contains the following rela-
tive to the alleged promise OF Presi-
dent King to deal with a committee
representing the union and his sui Sc
Quent refusal to do so:
Notwithstanding the fact that the
original communication of the com
mittee. which has always had full
authority in the premises, suggested
an agreement with the Amalgamated
Association. Mr.. King made no ccm-
plant about II until after his decep-
tion of the committee concerning III"
inauguration and the desirqbility Of
having no trouble while the city was
filled with visitors from all over the
country
AT that time he was not acting in
good faith, because he had already
begun to import strike breakers.
"He was guilty of a gross breach
of faith with the men when lie lug
Eested in his letter of February -
that the very thing which they
had written him about would require
the undivided attention OF all par
ties directly Interested, as well as the
entire time of q mediatorial board, >
and suggesting that after the in
auguration had passed he would be
glad TO take up the matter with the
committee, which had then suggested
to him an agreement with the Anal
gamated Association"
The strikers deny that they insist
ed on the closed shop, and refer the
committees attention TO a letter to
the company offering to sign an OPEN
shop agreement
Charge Strike Was Provoked.
"We rely for proof of the truth and
accuracy of all statements concerning
all these things upon Secretary of
Labor Wilson, Commissioner Of Con.
eiliation Blackman, the Board of Com
missioners OF the District. the letters
themselves, and the newspaper edi-
torials condemning Mr.. King for his
refusal TO do anything to avert the
trouble which arose." the statement
says.
The company's assertion that the
individual contract was prepared
with view OF preventing a strike is
met by the statement that the COM
pany did everything IL could do stir
the men up and provoke a strike.
The strikers assert that they have
incontrovertible evidence to sub
stantiate the allegation that many
employees were discharged for re-
fusing to sign the individual con-
tract. Concerning this subject the
statement says:
"If Mr. King had the slightest con-
csption Of his duty TO the public and
not the qualification Of his own self
ish and arbitrary desire TO attempt
to destroy the union; IL he wanted TO
continue to give service to the pub
lie, there can be no doubt in The
mind Of any citizen that he took the
only course which was liable to in
terrupt the public service by re-
tusing to accede TO the suggestion
OF the Secretary Of Labor. Mr.. VIII
son, and the requests of the Board of
Commissioners ana TO accept the
good offices Of both the Secretary and