The Washington herald., 1917-03-18
union LEADER ANSWERS
STATEMENTOFCOMPANY
Are Men Gone Mad With Brief Au-
thority." McMorrow Says.

| 'SS"ASh oonc uioo WIN Lttei 'u-
thority." McMorow Says.
Relations between the striking car
men and the officials Of the company
rea-hed a bitter stage when the men.
Through international Executive Edward
! McMorrow. Of the Amalgamated Assocta-
tion issued a statement last night In
| which President Clarence p. King. Of the
company. Is classed with men gone mad
by being clothed with brief authority"
McNorrow detl tlares that the company's
! statements are full Of deliberate mis-
statements and glaring Inconsistencies
and reiterates that the strike was forced
| upon the men
He points out that the United States
government has recognized the principle
| OF collective bargaining and asserts that
! no individual employer should assume
the right 10 deny this privilege. The
| statement SAYS:
4 In over twenty years of active service
In street railway work-fOurteen Of which
were spent dealing directly with some Of
! the largest railroad systems I'm the eoun-
! try have never seen such Slaring in
consistences and deliberate misstatements
OF fact as has been issued from the rail-
road managers of the Washington Rail-
| way and Electric Company
| Arbitration Corner-stone.
For instance. they say the tyrannicaI
amalgamated association For twenty
seven years the amalgamdted has made
. arbitration in Industrial disputes the cor
| ner stone Of their organization. 1 can
not conceive how the railroad company
| In this twentieth century can deny TO its
/ employees a right that itself assumes.
1T must be self-evident to any fair
minded citizen that there is no justice
In the position the railroad company
assumes or they would be willing to leave
i the dispute to an arbitration board Of
! impa rtial men of the District
! The AmaIgamated has over 800 con-
| tracts with the leading street railway
companies of the United States and
Canada. ] have never met a railroad
president or a general manager that ever
met the president OF the Amalgamated
Association who does not speak of him
in the kindliest OF terms from the stand
point of fair dealings and strict adher-
ance to contracts.
! In the past hve years the Amalgamated
has paid out of its treasury in funeral,
sick. disability and old age benefits over
sl,Ooo,o0o In the past year in peaceful
negotiations with the various companies
In this country IT has succeeded in in
creasing the wages OF its membership
I more than $60OO.OOO
Locals Independent
The different locals which comprise the
Amalgamated have their laws that gov
ern them, independent OF the parent or
ganization. The ofTIce OF the Amalgamat-
ed cannot call a strike. That is a matter
| entirely up to the membership Of the
local union. Those who know the
| Amalgamated officers in the District of
Columbia know that they have done
everything in their power 10 prevent the
strike in Washington.
! haN
position. by the arbitrary attitude Of the
officials OF the Washington Railway and
Electric Company, that there was no
other course than to Issue a strike order
or sacrifice the last vestige of manhood
The strike was forced upon the en-
| ployes. To any fair minded man or
/ woman who Is familiar with the struggles
OF the masses Of men who work for a
daily wage. this must be apparent
The responsibility for this strike in
Washington rests entirely with the Of
icials OF the Washington Railway and
Electric Company. The government of
the United States recognizes the right Of
Its employees TO collective bargaining and
am sure that no individual employer
should assume, in this day and age, 10
deny his employees the same right Of
collective bargaining.
| Company Unfair"
| Washington Railway and Electric Com
pany, emphasis is placed upon the request
OF the employees for what they term the
| CLOSED shop
IN dealing with that subject. the COM
pany Is unfair. All that the employees
asked was that when any empIove Of
Washington Railway & Electric Company
became satisfactory to the company, from
that time he should become a member
OF the Employees Association. IL his Do
sition with the company made him ELI
sible.
That question has been entirely elm
mated from the employees demands. and
language to this effect substituted, There
shall be no discrimination. for or against
an employe of the company for mem
oership In the union nr nor-membership.'
The Amalgamated never attempted
and does not at this time attempt TO
select the employees for any company.
"On the other hand, the company Sc
lects- the members OF the AmalE mated.
The company further says in the sew
eral statements that have been issued
that this is not fight between ca pital
and labor: ! hope that il is not. but II
surely has some of the earmarks Of men
gone mad by being clothed with brief
| authority
THE struggles Of the street railway
men to improve their condition has been
fraught with strenuous opposition and a
| great deal OF II has come from misguided
and ambitious individuals representing
1 capital.
( AS an officer Of the Amalgamated
feeling some pride in its achievements
assure the people OF this District that
there is no one who feels more grieved at
any Inconvenience that this struggle may
cause them than do. i appeal to the
public to overlook any OF the shortcom-
ings Of the striking employees Of the
| Washington Railway and Electric Com
pany and econsider how they are being
tntimidated by lot OF imported men OF
Questionable character"