Evening star., 1917-03-12
Statements as to Service Vary

Railway and Electric Company.
Statements as to Service Vary.
Statements as to the proportion of the
cars in service vary. At l o'clock w.
F. Ham, vice president and general
manager of the Washington Railway
and Electric Company. said the CON-
pany had only this brief statement to
make:
"At this hour, l o'clock pm, we are
operating Sc per cent of our regular
schedule and tomorrow expect to oper-
ate on full schedule
Leaders of Division $50, Amalgamated
Association of Street and Electric Rail-
wav EMPLOYEES of America, which is
seeking recognition from the company
said that there were not nearly this
many cars in service. EarIIer in the
day an official of the company sent on,
statement saying that 95 per cent oi
the company's schedule was being op-
Grated.
Todays strike was remarkable for
the little. disorder that marked it. The
union men were active, picketing each
CIT barn, urging men not to take out
cars and they were busy around trans
fer points. urging that passengers ride
on the lines of the Capital Traction
Company.
Only Few Depredations Reported.
There was no violence. Only a few
depredations were reported. One of
these was the placing of load of ties
across the tracks near Drummond, Md.
Efforts were made to interfere with
the power by persons who placed arti-
cles in the slots. Near 18th and H
streets northeast, railway officials said,
head trolley wires Another overhead
trolley was cut on Rhode Island avenue
northeast.
Efforts to bring the union men and
the company into agreement seemed as
far from success as ever. Department
of Labor officials admitted they were
nonplused. The District Commits
sioners. who worked far into the night
to avert the strike, took no further
action today. William Blackman. COM
missioner of conciliation. Department
of Labor. made several proposals to
Mr.. King, but all these. the commits
sioner said, were refused. Shortly be-
fore / o'clock Mr. Blackman reported
the lack of any progress in negotia-
tions to Secretary Wilson of the De-
partment of Labor. Secretary Wilson
turned the matter over to Mr. Black
man after personally calling Mr.. King
on the telephone last evening and Of
fering him his services as mediator.
MIR. King was not at his Offices to-
day. Early in the day it was stated
that he was trying to get some rest In
his rooms at the Occidental Hotel after
a night spent in conferences with COM
rations to run the cars despite the
strike. Later it was said that Mr.
King cannot be located"
Company's Attitude Unchanged.
Company officials said that there was
no change in their attitude. or that of
Mr.. King. toward the car mems union
Mr.. Kings last reiteration of his re-
fusal to recognize the union, even to
the extent of extending the present
agreement seven days was made early
this morning to Secretary Wilson of
the Department of Labor.
Just before the conference of Secre-
tary Wilson and Conciliator Blackman
as to what the department could do to
protect the rights of the public in the
present controversy, Mr.. Blackman
said:
"Mr. King. president of the company.
has absolutely refused to agree to any
of the propositions which we have
made to him.
He declined to state the nature of the
propositions. except to the general ef-
feet that they were all to settle ihe
strike peacefully SO that the public
would not suffer.
Mr. Blackman was the departments
representative in the strike of the
spring a year ago. when both the local
street car companies were involved.
At noon today the situation seemed
absolutely a deadlocked to Mr.. Black
man and other officials of the Depart
ment of Labor.
Public Interest Paramount.
The general attitude of Labor De-
nartment officials is that the interests
Of the public are paramount, and that
the street railway company has not
now to deal so much with its striking
emnloyes as it has the general public.
Terrence " Pwderly, chief of the bu-
reau of information of the department,
This morning walked three and half
miles from his home in Petwoffh to
worl, rather than ride on street car
of the Washington Railway ana Elec-
tric line, he said.
II consider myself an employer on
that line, as, indeed. everybody in the
CITY is who rides on it, and l absC-
Iutely refuse to give my nickels and
dimes to men brought in here from
New York and other cities. l want to
give my nickels to Washington boys"
declared Mr.. Powderiy.
"The people must be protected" he
"and the street railway com
pany involved will find that it has to