Evening star., 1917-03-16
Lonq Letter Sent to Each
Washington Railway Of
ficiaI Pressing Plan.
PRESIDENT KING is FIRM
IN STAND AGAINST UNION
Tells Rhode Island Avenue Com
muters He Will Not Recognize Or
ganization and Outlines
Position.


| with Clarence P. King and other Off
cials of the Washington Railway and
Electric Company. the District Commits
sioners today appealed to the board OF
directors Of the company to meet them
tomorrow at 1890 o'clock at the Dis
trict building.
This request, sent in an eight page type
written letter reviewing the disagreement
to each director, marked the only dennlte
action today on the part OF either 1edera
or district officials to end the strike.
Secretary of Labor Wilson and Commls-
sioner Of Cancellation Blackman were In
conference. but gave out no statement
about their plans
Meanwhile cars continued to be oper>
ated on every section Of the company
lines, in charge of strikebreakers and the
men who signed the individual contracts
Little disorder marked the fifth day of the
| strike.
Capital Traction Men Confer.
The employees committee Of the Capt.
tai Traction Company was in confer
ence throughout the morning with
George E. Hamilton. president OF that
company, and J. H. Hanna, general
manager. Edward McMorrow. organ
izer Of the Amalgamated Association.
also attended the session. At 1880
o'clock the conference took a recess
for luncheon, and the conference Will
be resumed later this afternoon.
These conferences were to end We'd
nesday night. but were extended until
tonight. Under the agreement II the
conferees then are not able to FIX upon
a wage scale the points in dispute are
to be submitted to the Commissioners.
Neither side made any statement today
regarding the progress Of the negotia-
tions. ''r - ss ~.
Is Firm Against Union.
Clarence P. King, president Of the
Washington Railway and Electric Com
pany, addressed a letter to the secre-
tary of the Rhode Island Avenue Subur-
ban Citizens Association. reaff1rmins his
determination not to recognize the
union, and outlining his position today.
A report gained circulation among
union men that the officials OF the
Washington Railway and Electric Com
pany were ready to recognize their
union If the strikers were willing to go
back to work at the wage scale Of
fered in the individual contracts. Union
men would not discuss this specinc
proposition. but said they were willing
to take under consideration any pro-
posal made by the company.
officials of the company said the let
ter of President King was sufficient
the company to recognize the union.
w. F. Ham. vice president or the
Washington Railway and Electric Com
pany. gave out this statement:
Cars on all lines are now being op-
Grated in the daytime on full schedule.
with adequate service in the rush
hours. Last night. for the first time
since the strike. service was main
tanned until midnight on our more I'M
portant lines. Cars will again be op-
Grated tonight
Statement Of Union Men.
Union men gave out a statement
taking issue with the company's fig
ures on the number of cars out, assert
ing that on some lines cars are not
being operated at all.
The strike situation in the District of
Columbia was discussed at a short con-
ference today between Edward McMor-
row. representing the National Asso-
citation OF Electric Railway Employees:
G.. A. Wilburt. representing the Wash
ington railway men. and Fred A.
Walker.
held in the offices of the Capital Trac-
tion company in the Union station at
36th and NJ streets northwest. none of
the men would discuss what took place
inside. further than the statement OF
| Mr.. Walker that they went over the
! entire strike situation here.
| The letter of Mr. King to the Rhode
Island Avenue Suburban Citizens AS
/ sociation was considered significant
! because of its issuance shortly after
announcement that the Commission
rectors Of his road. The letter was ad-
dressed to A. S. Henderson, secretary
| of the association, in reply to COM
munication from the association con-
tanning resolutions suggesting that
! that dispute be submitted to the Dis
| trict Commissioners for arbitration.
The letter follows:
| Says Situation Is Misunderstood.
"Referrirg to your communication
| of yesterday, in which you inclose
| COPY of resolutions adopted at a meet
| ing of your association held on the
evening of March Il, it is apparent
that the association does not fully
| understand the present conditions
| .The controversy Is not one of
capital versus labor, but is question
of whether the loyal employees of our
afliated companies shall be permitted
to peacefully render efficient service
| as freeborn men. or that they be
dominated, prosecuted and harassed by
an irresponsible. oath-bound organiza-
tion, known az the Amalgamated As
sociation of Street and Electric Rail-
way Employees OF America. and com
| PEELED to join that association or be
| forced out of the employ of the COM
pany.
| partments far outnumber the motor.
men and conductors who have beer
ordered to strike by the officers of the
Amalgamated Association. and the,
have voluntarily petitioned our man
agement to stand firmly in the position
we have taken. From interviews with
a large number Of the very men who
are now on strike it is evident thai
they were forced to obey the strike
order through fear. We have state,
ments of men to the effect that the,
were forced to join the union through
threats of personal violence through
persistent persecution and petty an
noyances surrounding their daily work
and by threats that II they did not joir
the union they would lose their posi-
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