Evening journal., 1918-06-01
CARS RUN AGAIN
AFTER MAJORITY VOTE
CONTINUED From FIrst PAGE

- Z
This the men resented Some on
yelled from the back of the room: "Pu
him out" while others insisted tina
! the representative from the Bureau O.
Labor, in justice to the men, should
make an apology.
we are men. Of course we are" wa
what most of the men shouted. "WI
are patriotic men, too, but we can
live on promises" somebody called.
At this time Mr.. Wilson, genera
manager of the traction company, ex-
planned that he did not doubt the pa
triotism OF the men Il know said
he, that some Of you men have sons
and brothers in service. You are just
as patriotic as | am. but this has little
to do with the question involved.
know that you deserve the raise and
that you need it. but how can ! give
1t TO you when the company has not
the money"
Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. Rogers left the
room at 1890 o'clock, after the men
had turned down the proposition as adj
vanced through Mr. Rogers for the men
to take six cents increase and let Uncle
Sam arbitrate the other four cents, Mr.
Wilson again returned to the meeting
ana announced that II the men would
go to work at once the company would
grant them an eight cent increase end
ing June /, but further increase Of
two cents, the difference between the
mems demands and the company g
offer. would depend on the decision OF
the Utilities Commission, which is to
hold a session on Monday
Il am going TO amend the petition to
] the Utilities Commission" continued
/ Mr.. Wilson, asking them TO allow the
| company TO charge a 7-cent fare, and
! II they grant the seven-cent fare you
men will get your additional two
cents increase.
You men are deserving Of the increase
that you are asking. but the company
has not got the money with which to
grant you that increase. and | cannot
pledge my company TO pay an increased
wage when II has not the money. You
men can help me get the Utilities Com
mission to grant the increase in fare II
you will talk seven-cent fare and con-
vince your friends that unless such an
increase in fares is allowed the COM
pany will not be in position to grant
the additional two cents.
The expert engineer and the out-of-
town accountants now appraising our
property and going over our books will,
believe report TO the commission on
Monday that a six-cent fare will not
be near enough to cover the deficit and
additional expenses Of the company, and
with your aid we can get the increa.
that you demand. Let US show the peo-
pie at Washington that we can settle
our own differences peacefully
Immediately following Mr. Wilson's
appeal the following official bulletin
was read to the men:
ITO our Motormen and Conductors:
III the men will go back to work
Immediately, we will increase the
rate Of wages of our motormensa
conductors eight cents per hour
over their present rate, effective
June 1, 1918. We agree to i'm
mediately make application to the
Public Utilities Commission for a
seven-cent fare and II the COM
mission approves of a seven-cent
fare, we will give an additional
two cents per hour increase, effec-
tive on the day the commission
gives the increase.
WILMINGTON AND PHILADEL-
PHIA TRACTION COMPANY,
by the Vice-President
Thomas w Wilson"
After a brief discussion in which /
some Of the men, especially those Of
the younger element, insisted that ten
cents or nothing should be the slogan
without any compromise It was decided
10 take a secret vote which showed 400
yeas and 90 nays on the question of &C
,eptance.
While the men were voting on the
and while the votes were
being counted the men Joined in a few
songs while one of their number play
ID the piano.
AS the tellers came down stairs to
the vote there was a rush of
men to the front Judging from the
general sentiment, the vote was eX-
pected TO be close. Harry A. Bell, who
acted as Spokesman for the committee,
then read the proposition upon which
the men voted.
Now you men," he said, were to
vote yes If you wanted to accept the
If you wanted to turn
down the proposition offered by the /
company you were to vote no Now
you agreed to accept the majority rule
The vote as 1t stands, is 100 years and /
9S nays As per your own agreement /
you are to take out the cars II you
don't want to take them out you can
do as you please"
Even those who voted against the
Joined in cheering their
chairman, Bell, and Manager Wilson Of
he company.
There was some rivalry as TO who
would get the first car in town, and
Delaware avenue car No. 30 was the
lrst, carrying in the viee-president Of
the company. some Of the other com
psny officials, newspaper reporters and
passengers that were picked up on the
way.
The hundreds Of pedestrians couldn't
quite understand what happened and
even the traffic cops on the way didn't
quite appreciate the fact that the cars
were running On Market street the
first car was eheered The traflc
cops gave the first trolley the right of
way. On the way down a Darby car
was coming up Market street crowded
with shoppers. When the cars passed
some one yelled 1.-THE same thing for
you in Chester" to the motorman in
the Darby car
The S-hour tie-up and the satisfao-
tory settlement, left no bad taste in
the mouths of either the men or the Of
fleials, and many the men Joined in
shaking hands with Manager Wilson.
There had been no semhlance of dis
order during the strike and the meet
ings of the strikers were held in the