Norwich bulletin., 1919-07-28

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 Not car has moved over the rails ] of the Shore Line Electric system for | twelve days and today will be the
 thirteenth day that Norwich and the whole of Eastern Connecticut have been without trolley service As far ing car crews and the Shore Line Com pany are far from reaching any settlement. The deadlock remains un- broken.
 Asked Sunday night as to whether theer was any. prospect of an agree ment betweenOthe men and company, Harry McGlone. chairman. of the To- cal strike committee. said he had that the situation remained the same. Rooney Issues Statement. Tn a statement given The Bulletin Sunday night Peter J. Rooney. of Worcester, representative of the in- ternational officers of the trolleymen. sums the situation from the day of the strike to the present time.
 MT. RooneyS statement follows:
 It is amusing to the trolievmen's committee and to myself to note the report of Mayor Morgan's activity and hard work trying to have the trca- other of the f.rc rosals as to the make up of the arbitration board. He pieces the responsibility of the strike upon the employees. He told them the pro-
 
 us state that at one of the confer ences held on May 26 with MT. Per kins and the committee MT Perkins refused to arbitrate the question of had been presented to him under the agreement of 1918 which contained an article governing arbitration of griev- ances that could not be cabiy ad- justed by him and the committee. At that conference he stated that some thing drastic must ha-'pen in !he com munity in order tlIa, the pu,ii.c would realize that they tnuS- my high fares if they wanted st-t. car service ard the legislature wou.1 also have to re- ies must have remarkable legislation, such as abatement of taxes, in:reas- ing of fares. regulation of jitneys. etc
 Now the agreement of 1918 did ter minate June 1. 1919. but the men had presented their grievances prior. to June 1 and did not strike at that time thinking that through negotiations some amicable adjustment might be reached.
 However after repeated efforts had been made to have MT. Perkins arbi trate as per his agreement with the employees with no avail. the men were forced to strike on July Is. We real ize that this strike. which the men were forced to call. made the trolley men the cudgels by which the public would be impressed with the fact that they must pay higher fares and that the legislature would be compelled to would be brought about. It seems that the refusal to arbitrate and the deliberate discontinuance of the ser vice to the public is the drastic ac- ton referred to by Mir. Perkins on May 26. If so he is a clever tactfc1an, | but the public and the men are the l ones to suffer.
 Refrained From Answerino.
 We have refrained from answering any statement from Mir. Perkins we feel that the time has come when we l should let the public know of the de- l iberate manner in which MT. Per <ins has deprived them of the service | hat they are rightly entitled to.
 The press has reported that the ] and the company mutual 1 y agreed upon the selection of the ar board when in session with | he mediation committee. That agree 1 nent was as follows:
 The Shore Line Electric Railway l agrees to the appointment of an ar | 1itration board composed of one man selected by the company. one by the l association and the two | choose the third. In the event of the | wo failing to agree upon the selec- ion of the third. then the appoint | nent shall be left to the co-chair.nan, i Taft and Manly of the War Labor 3oard.
 The said arbitration was to cover wages and working conditions. To ook exceptions to the proviso attach d which was as follows: Provided, hat no award of increase shall be eff ective until the board of arbitration hall detern,ine that the company was ble to pay the same. The company further agrees that it will apply to the public util- ties commission for permission to in- rease fares wherever practicable. The members of the troIleymen's as- ociation on their part agree to rel urn to work at once at the old rate f wages and working conditions and emain at work until the award of he arbitra ton board is made and be- Omes effective.
 We agreed to the last clause of the roviso namely to return to work at he old rate of wages and working onditions until such time as the ward of the board was made and be- anne effective. We had no interest I that part of the proviso wherein he company would make application 3 the public utilities commission for increased faro wherever practicable, S we knew they intended to do so nyway and forced this strike upon ne men in order to clear the way or such application. The only part the provfso we did take exception ) and to which we did not agree ,
 
 nall be effective until the board of . rbitration shall determine that the ompany was financially able to pay . le same. We sked MT. Bodenwein ,
 he would agree to such an indefinite ! roposition. He smiled and said he , as simply presenting the company's ( We asked Mir. Brown. if as ,
 lawyer. he would advise one of his tents to sue a party on such an in ( efinite understanding. We give both , ed frr Io | e know from their manner they ; ould reject it particularly where 1t I , vitally effected so many employees. We had been insisting that the, in , -ease. if any, would be retroactive 2 June 1. 1919. and we plainly stated ( lat if a board. the third man of which t as selected by the governor. was un- I .stricted as to date of award becom- I lg effective then the board. the third I an of which would be selected by z le chairman. Taft and Manly of ! le war labor board. should be unre- i ricted Now. that left the only point | ,