South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-05-02

participate in the parade, and DEM
onstration." Mr.. shine opened. Il am
here TO present 20 YOU the carmen's
side Of this controversy. The com
pany officials were invited 70 present
their side. but declined the invita-
ton.
After repeated letters fyom your
men. W. D. Mahon. international
president of the Amalgamated As
ISOLATION OF Street Car EMPLOYEES.
dispatched me here 10 meet them I
came here a week ago last Saturday
I met your men and / saw under
what conditions they We're working
But I knew what happened in 1908.
Then an effort ar organization was
made by w. ID Mahon. who is now
our international president. but the
effort was unsuccessful The strike
failed and many of the men lost
their jobs
Calls Worse Than slavery.
Knowing this when / came here
l consequently discouraged the men
at the outset in their desire 10 or
ganize. But they were determined
and they did organize. for the sole
purpose of lettering their conditions
I found their conditions 10 be worse
than those of the lowest twentieth
century slaves"
Shine then read Gen. Mgr. Hardy's
reply to the mems request for better
wages and working conditions. and
emphasized the points noted by Mr..
Hardy in the company's contract.
Now, the speaker said, that al
legged contract is not legally binding.
lit is absurd and the company
knows it, If it were legal don't you
think the company would have the
men and myself hailed into court for
breach Of contract, by this time?
If YOU think signing up for %
cents an hour is signing a contract
If there is any one among you who
believes that signing up for 20 cents
an hour forms a contract. then.
though you look white 10 me, you
must he black in the face
Where in South Bend is there a
man. where is there a woman in the
city that works for 20 cents an hour
and is forced to sign such a poison
Gus contract?
Il saw your wonderful patriotic
parade a week ago last Saturday and
] was most favorably impressed by
il but I noticed that the street car
men were not in line Every other
citizen in South Bend had an oppor-
tunity to be patriotic except the
carmen.
4 Citizens Fight.
Our fight these days is not our
fight alone.-it is a citizens fight
This Is a fight of citizens here on
Mr.. Hardy. who is running your poll
itics at the present time
About the contract Mr.. Hardy in
sists was broken we say there is no
contract But we want to make an
honOra BILE contract. In the demands
the carmen have asked for an arbi-
tration board TO settle difficulties
that may arise. and 10 do away with
the public service commission idea.
We ask that an arbitration board
consisting of one representative
from the carmen. one from the com
pany and one agreed upon by the
two so chosen. shall settle the diff
Guilty. The decision the board hands
down will be binding on parties con-
cerned. Isn't that fair?
Mr. Hardy generously says he
will waive the 80 day right in his al
legged contract and have the diff
Guilty placed before the public SER
ice commission, the decision Of the
board being then binding for three
years. We viii never refer our
claims to a public service commits
sion to sleep on. We want recogni-
ton now.
Officials of the street car com
pany promised 'gentlemanly' en-
ployes would be on the cars. If you
call strikebreakers. forgers. violat-
tors Of city ordinances. gentleman