The Washington herald., 1917-03-11
Union Employees of Washing
ton Railway and Electric
Company Will Vote To-
night on Walk1Out Should
Corporation Fail to Accede
by Noon Today.

Dy Noon looay.
Indications early today were that
at midnight those employees of the
Washington Railway and Electric
Company affiliated with the carmen's
union will call strike that will Grip
pie more than half of the Districts
rapid transit facilities.
The employees yesterday served an
ultimatum on the company which
provides that an answer to .the new
working and wage schedule must be
received at noon today. 1t was sign
ed by G. A. Wilburt. ]. W. Cain and
M. 7. Slater for the employees and
was addressed to Clarence P. King.
president of the company.
The answer of the company can be
forecasted in a manner by the fact that
it is believed to have several hundred
strikebreakers housed at the Mount YER
non Hotel. in Pennsylvania avenue, and
at the Howard House. and 80 or more
within an hours distance Of the Capital.
quartered at Baltimore hotels.
Further evidence that the company does
not propose to accede to the unions de-
mands was evident in the alleged dis
charge Of employees in the company's car
shops and power houses who refused to
sign the individual agreements repudi-
ating the union.
Three Are Discharged.
Among those who are said to have been
peTemptorily dropped when they refused
to sign the individual contracts were
Henry Zimmerman and James r. Wilkin-
son. machinists, and n. Murphy, an cleo
trician.
The officers of the international union
headed by W. D. Mahon, of Detroit, are
Guartered at the National Hotel aid are
prepared to carry on the fight to the
limit.
Protest will be made today to Maj.
Pullman. chief of police, that the strike
breakers being brought into the city are
accompanied by armed guards and that
for the safety of the Washington public
the strikebreakers should be searched be-
fore they are permitted to leave Union
Station.
Wadden and Mahon, professional strike
breakers of New York apparently have
heen engaged to fill the places -of the
union men in the event OF a strike.
Th"s" advertisements appeared in New
York end Philadelphia papers yesterday:
MOTORMEN.
Experienced in channel rail operation
"r street railway cars; open shop; free
hoard and transportation: call early.
WASHINGTON,
307 Bowery.
CONTROLLER MEN
Experienced on X 10 and X II street
railway controllers. Also familiar with
CTr wiring: open shop: free board AMI
transportation: call early
WASHINGTON.
3O7 Bowery.
Asked to Teach "Recruits.
Feeling ran high last night when the
company asked a number of union mo-
tormen to break in recruits brought
from other cities. Oetensibly for strike
duty. UniOn officials declared that none
Of the union men had assisted in this
work and that the instructions to new
motormen were given solely by loyal
men nf the company not affiliated with
tier organization.
The professional strikebreakers
brought here last night are said to
have bOasted that they would make
quick cleanup" and depart. Union
officials declared, however. they would
be disappointed when they learned
that the ticket system in vogue in the
District would forestall any wholesale
knocking down" of fares. such as has
prevailed in other cities where the
strikebreakers have operated.
The series of conferences held yes
terday developed no solution of the
differences between the Washington
Railway and Electric Company and its
employees. They served, in a measure,
TO make the feeling more bitter.
Confers with ID. c. Head.
President Clarence P. King. of the
company. met the District Commits
h.
prepared to accept as arbitrators, but
the result of a three hours conferenc
brought no agreement.
Yesterday morning the employees
were hopeful that the agreement
reached with the officials of the Capt.
tai Traction Company would bring
about an agreement with the officials
of the other line. President King,
however. refuses to deal with the
union officials as a body and will treat
only with the employees as individual
members of the company's force. His
statement issued yesterday was a Bit
ter denunciation of the union.
Many conductors and motormen who
refused to sign the individual agreement
were asked to turn in their badges and
were outftted with new ones. The en-
ployes declare the purpose of this move
ment is to hand over the old badges to
the strike breakers and give the impress
sion to the travelling public that the en-
ployes wearing them remained loyal to
the company.
King Issues Statement.
The statement issued by President King
yesterday says. in part:
This company would be as false to its
faithful employees as it would be untrue
to the public and itself, II 1t submitted to
such demands or entered into contractual
relations with an organization with such
declared ideals and purposes.
up to about a year ago the company
had an efficient organization, well disci-
plined and satisfied that the company
was giving its employees a square deal.
Then, as a result of the interference of
outside organizers, came the strike of
March 5-6 1916. followed by a year of in
tolerable conditions, unsatisfactory alike
to the members OF the newly organized
CONTINUED on PAGE FOUR