The Washington herald., 1917-03-20
WOMEN WILL BOYCOTT
Lines OF v. R. &c.
Attempt of Traction Man to Explain
Comes to Grief.

w. l. Clarke. assistant secretary of
the Washington Railway and Electric
Company. is. no Ndoubt of the opinion
that wives OF carmen are as determined
in the fight to win the strike as their
husbands are.
He may even have felt that he had
been heckled, following a rapid-fire cross
examination to which he was subjected
by score Of wives of striking carmen
and prominent Washington women who
yesterday met at the home of Mrs.
Charles Edward Russell wife OF the
noted author, at 1925 Fifteenth street
northwest, to plan a boycott against the
line of the company, hold a series of
parlor meetings to this end, and ar
range a strikers tag day to aid their
cause
When Mr.. Clarke appeared before the
women he began by saying there was
mo disposition of any employees to COM
plain about their wages" when Mrs Rus
sell interrupted:
What We want to know is why the
company doesn't recognize the unions.
We have heard enough about dividends
and stock and want to know the real
truth about the company and the union"
Illustration Unfortunate.
Mr.. Clark answered, THE union comes
into the office of the company and tells
the company who shall be employed and
who shall not be. 1t is an unbearable sit
uation. To make an example that house
keepers can readily understand suppose
those of you who employ servants should
awake some day to find that your SER
wants had determined to tell you ex-
actly how to run the house."
I'll let you know, Mr.. Clarke that
our husbands are not servants of Mr..
King" a woman shouted.
Mr.. Clarke endeavored to explain, but
gave up as every woman tried to give
her opinion. When he was given a
chance to speak. Mr.. Clarke said this
before leaving:
In past years conditions in our COM
pany have been intolerable. Old en-
ployes. who would not join the union,
have been insulted and subjected to
indignities, and have told US so with
tears in their eyes"
mo. no." cried several women. Its
Just the other way"
The idea Of boycott was broached to
the wives of the strikers by Mrs Rus
sell. who drew up and presented a
resolution. unanimously adopted, criticiz-
ing President Clarence P. King and de-
Glazing that. as an expression of
sympathy
For the employees forced to strike by
OF disapproval OF the high-handed and
un-AmericaN methods of the little group
Of willful men who are the directors and
officials. we urge all citizens to refuse
to ride in the carS of the Washington
Railway and Electric Company"
The committee which arranged the
meeting was composed of Mrs. John l.
Eddy, Mrs. Charles H. Whitaker, Mrs
Anna Zon. Mrs. H. f. Gasch, Dr. Anna
Pollock. Miss Edith Goode, Mrs Adelaide
Neall. Mrs. Jessie Hardy MacKaye, Mrs
Pierce Cecil Williams and Mrs. Russell.
The committee OF wives OF strikers in
cluded Mrs. George T.. Ludlam, Mrs. R.
Zon, Mrs. H. Kraemer. Mrs w E Wiser
Mrs. NJ. l. Cochran, Mrs. T. R. Nc
Daniel. Mrs. Adelaide Neal Mrs Milton
T. Slater, Mrs. c. ]. Whitman Mrs
Garth w. Calderhead. Mrs. w. B.
Meade, Mrs. J. F. Walker, Mrs K
Bum, Mrs. ]. f. Mockytines. Mrs. b. NJ.
Holmes. Mrs. G. W. Upton, Mrs. Mary
Story Wilmington. Mrs. George A. VIII
burt. Mrs. F.. johnson, Mrs W. R.
Baker, Mrs. A. S. Wright. Mrs. w. R,
Runkles. Mrs. r. l. Tippett Mrs II. C.
Crooke. Mrs. B. c. Bell. Mrs r. r. Pote
and Mrs. J. G. Turner.