The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1917-07-26
SUBTERFUCE IS
TRACTION PLAN,
SAY STRIKERS

Declaring the traction com.
pany 10 acting In bad faith. and
tina, Il does not mean 20 arbt
tratc fairly. as provided IN ia
franchise. the conference com
rfi,tee Of the strikers yesterday
afternoon presented President
Leonard. OF the company, with
the following refusal OF his
counter offer TO arbitrate with
on, putting back 20 work tho
ren discharges In Seattle ard
Tacoma for Joining the union:
July Is. 1917
Puget Sound Traction. Light a
Power Company and Subsldlar,
Companies. Seattle. Wash.
Gentlemen We are In receipt oi
yours OF July -. and In reply would
sugFest
! That your company. then oper
ating under the name Seattle Eioc
trio company. in the year 1905
agreed that its employees might or
ganlSe. but Immediately after ths
orgauizatiou took active measures
10 destroy the organization. and
continued until such time as the or
gauizaii0n OF employees vas com
pleiely eliminated.
? That on the present occasion
when the employees were unable "a
obtain from your company as lndi
yiduals fair wages and fair hours
we're compelled to form an organi,
ration. your present company began
10 discharge men In the city OF Sc
attic and the city OF Tacoma for the
purpose ~ destroying the present
organization
:. That as Ia we'll known TO YOU
and as should be known to every
citizen in this state. the organiza
ton Of your employees In the cities
OF Seattle and Tacoma "a one and
the same. and the traction compa.
MES In Tacoma. BellinRham and Nv.
erett are all subsidiary orEAniza.
tons OF the Puget Sound Traction.
Llrht & Power company. and are all
subject 10 one management aud con.
troll
4. That 10 prevent the discharge
Of all men who had participated In
the organization on the present DC.
caslon. and upon your refusal TO 70.
inaiate men who had been diseharg.
cd for that sole reason. Il became
absolutely necessary TO call a strike
OF all organized employees OF the
company. which was done on the
18th day of July.
.. That your offer OF compromise.
in the language in which II is
coucbed. IL n suhterfnge. for the
reason that your franchises do not
prescribe the procedure for arhitra.
ton. After an agreement TO arb.
trate upon the plan suggested BY
your letter is entered into and the
men return to work. your represen.
tative can refuse to join with our
representative In the selection of
any falr-minded man who would
give the employees an equal oppor-
tunity TO present their cause.
8. That legal procedure would
then be necessary 10 attempt TO
compel your company to arbltrate
according TO the spirit of your
franchise. and such proceedings
probably would remain In the courts
undetermined for an indefinite peri.
cd This would satisfy neither the
public nor the parties to the litlga.
ton.
l. That We hitherto suggested the
names OF men whose integrity and
fairness are above question in the
state OF Washington. in order to
bring about an arbitration OF the diff.
ferences between your company and
It's employees on fair and substan.
tial basis. for only by settlement
OF our differences on n fair basis
can We hope for a lasting peace.
8. The gentlemen suggested by us
arc connected In no way with organ.
lied labor. and their impartiality
and fairness cannot be Justly cues.
toned. We hoped that you might
deem II agreeable 10 your interests
to select some one OF these men to
whom you would be willing to sub
NIT the questions in dispute. We,
however. are willing TO accept for
the third arbitrator any fair.minded
man not connected In any manner
with either side OF the existing con
troversy.
For the foregoing reasons We