Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-12-08
PROPOSE PLAN
FOR men TO ACT
IN CAR STRIKE

ballot on the proposals made by
Mr.. Wattles.
Mr.. Wattles stated in conference
yesterday morning that he would
adjust working conditions COM
planned of if the men would waive
the union recognition feature of
their demands, or he would agree
to submit all differences except the
recognition of the union to the ma
tional war labor board, and would
invite w. H. Taft and Basil Manley,
Joint chairmen OF the board, to come
to Omaha to hold a hearing, in the
meantime the men to return to work
and both sides to abide by the find
ings OF the board.
Wattles Explains Point.
The proposition of holding a
meeting between the men and their
employers was suggested and urged
by Conciliator Smith of the Depart
ment of Labor and T. ?. Reynolds
of the Central Labor union approved
the idea. These men agreed that
this meeting marked forward step
toward the settlement of the strike
and they were hopeful of an agree
ment being reached through this
plan.
Mr.. Wattles' point in connection
with the war labor board and union
recognition is in brief as follows:
Last June the car men sought
the war labor board as a medium
through which they agreed to sub
NIT differences and abide by the
findings of the board. Our differ
ences were submitted and this COM
pany has abided by the findings, al
though we have had to face
heavy expense in increase of wages.
II was agreed that these findings
would hold until February |, 1919,
1t has been the policy of the board
that where union recognition did
not obtain before the war such rec
ognition shall not be demanded I'M
til peace has been signed. Presi-
dent Wilson, in a statement rela-
tive to strike i'll Bridgeport, Conn,
stated last September that any
strike contrary to the policy of the
war labor board would be dishon-
orable and disloyal. We are now
asking the men to submit again
our differences to the same board
which thew sought last june,"
Saturday mornings conference
was held in the street railway COM
pany's offices and following long
meeting which was held i'll the city
hall on Friday afternoon The at
PENDANTS were Ben Short, w, J.
Weimer. J. F. Mcmillan, George
Whitiow, Gus Williams and c. +.
Dawson of the union; G. w.
Wattles, R. A. Luessler, w. A.
Smith, Frank Hamilton, L. ]. lro-
foot and ]. A, Munroe of the street
railway company; President Rev
nolds of the Central Labor union
and Conciliator Smith of the de-
partment of Labor.
The men had only one point.
and that was recognition of the
union," announced President Rey-
nolds of the Central Labor union
when he and others retired from
the conference room to leave
the union committeeman to con-.
slider the situation by themselves
for few minutes.
Bluffs Men Line Up.
When Mr.. Wattles was advised
yesterday afternoon that all of the
crews of the Council Bluffs line
had lined up with the union, he re-
piled:
There is no mistaking the fact
that this is serious situation, but
| am of the opinion that general
public opinion of the city does not
support the cause of the strikers in
this situation"
Union leaders last night were &C
lively circulating copies of circular
entitled "Saviors of Democracy Ask
ed to Champion Autocracy in Oma-
ha." The circulars carried COPY of
the street railway company's adver
tisement asking for men to run the
cars, giving returned soldiers prefer
ence and offering bonus of s. per
day during the present emergency.
The circular attacked the patriot
ism of the company managers, dubs
the advertisement an Insult to the
boys in the ranks and closes: Have
our boys suffered the pangs OF hell
for this? Have we no sense Of
gratitude or decency? Americans,
all, where is your manhood?