Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-07-19
ISSUE Of UNION Or
EMPLOYEES WILL De
PUT Up TO NJ { n
u, S, Army Officer, Represent
ing War Labor Board, viii
Address Strikers at After
noon Meeting

The most encouraging development
that has yet occurred to bring about Il
settlement of the street car strike came
at noon Thursday at a conference in
Governor Dorseys Office. when strike
leaders agreed to allow a United States
army officer representing the war labor
board to put squarely up to the men
themselves the question which so far
has been the stumbling block for all ne
gotians.
He will address the men at O'CLOCK
at the Red Mems Wigwam and will, it
is said, ask them to sign an agreement
whereby the entire situation will go be-
fore the war beard. 1t is understood
that President ..rkwright will sign this
agreement
The question at issue is:
Shall the differences at issue be re-
ferred to tho war labor board as differ
encss between the company and its en-
ployes or as differences between the
company and local NO. 732, Alna1ganat-
ed Association OF Street and Electric
Railway Employees?
The strikers have maintained that
they will not take the dispute to the war
labor board until the company recoS-
nizes the union; the officials of the COM
pany equally as firm, have maintained
that the war labor board shall consider
the question only as a dispute between
the company and it's employees, and that
the question of recognizing the union
shall be left to the war labor board.
On this issue the two sides appeared
to have reached a deadlock until the
conference in Governor Dorsey's Office
IL
the governor. was present at the confer
ence except the army officer, Major FL
bert r. Peck who represents the war
labor board, and the strike leaders. who
included J. C. Coglan, member of the
executive board of the Amalgamated
association.
oficer Meets Leaders
Behind closed doors Major Peck and
the strike leaders threshed out the tan
gle, Mr.. Colgan acting as spokesman
for the strikers. Major Peck had pre-
viously consulted with President Ark
wright, of the power company. and was
fully informed on his side of the ques-
ton.
Mr. Colgan laid the grievances of the
strikers in full before Major Peck, MAX
ing as his major point the statement
that unless the men were represented
before the war labor board or in conefr-
ences with the company by a union COM
mittee they would yield nothing.
Major Peck strove to dissuade Mr..
Colgan from this stand, assuring him
that no matter in what form the dis
pute goes before the war labor board.
the interests of the strikers will be
protected. They will be protected If
they come as a committee of employees
just as surely as they will be protect
ed coming as a union committee, de-
clared Major Peck.
Agree to Address
Finally Mr. Colgan agreed to let Ma
jor Peck address the strikers themselves
at a mass meeting at the Red Mems
wigwam, Sc Central avenue, at y O'Clock,
and present to them an agreement which
he will ask them to sign. He agreed
that after hearing Major Peck the men
should be allowed to make their own
decision.
The conference then broke up.
The conference with Major Peck fol-
lowed a meeting of the executive COM
mittee of the strikers at their headquar-
tiers. at the close of which meeting
statement was given out, printed in full
elsewhere in this edition of The Jour-
nal, giving the strikers side of the con-
troversy.