Norwich bulletin., 1919-07-29
LETTERS TO THE. EDITOR
Denies He Wanted Trolley Strike.


 To the Editor of The Bulletin; Re ferring to the article which appears in your issue of Monday morning. July 2S, over the signature of Peter J. Rooney. let me say that there are a few things that seem to call for an was directed at the mayor of our neighboEing city.
 The clsarge which Mr. Rooney makes that I forced the men out on a strike is absurd. for the very first open letter that wrote to MT Me Clone, president. called his attention to the disadvantages that would ac- crue both to our men and to us II a strike or lockout were resorted to, and had my object been to drive them out, I certainly would have of fered them no form Of arbitration, and if they did not like the result. have gone out on strike. This would have enabled them to be now earning their regular wages and giving the public their regular service.
 I have repeatedly stated that the contract of 1918 did not provide for arbitration of the matter of wage. It grievances. wages being absolutely fixed. Neither did it provide for ar bitration of a renewal of the con tract. but in spite of this we offered to arbitrate. using a jury of twelve men, or an unbiased board of three
 
 here; it has been proven over and over again.
 At the meeting on Monday last with the committee appointed by the state chamber of commerce. we agreed uP- on two forms of arbitration the one that we had previously submitted and one submitted by the mediation com mittee, but the men refused to accept it. We didn't. Again at the meeting in New London, on Tuesday. in Ma yor Morgans office, we agreed to ar bitrate simply insisting that at least one man of the three should be un- biased and open to conviction when the facts were presented to him, and the men refused this.
 The position that they have taken is that they will not arbitrate un- less they are absolutely sure before they go into arbitration that the de- cision is going to be in their favor and no sane man. under the existing conditions, would conset to such an arbitration
 As to an argument in public in re- gard to the right and wrong Of this present situation. we think it has been pretty well argued and we are per- fectly satisfied to let the public draw its own conclusions.
 In the last paragraph. MT. Rooney speaks of the grant of increase of wage to New Bedford street railway men, The public here ought to know that the New Bedford street railway is one of the very few properties ir New England that has been able to keep it's head above water. and the expIaration is that it has never ex- tended its lines outside of the city oi New Bedford, nor increased mater fally it's trackage within the city. vel the population has about doubled since the road was built. and cou- pled with their notice of the increase of wage is a notice to the public that rates must be advanced to meet the increase of wage. And one very in teresting fact Is that the men of tho New Bedford system are non -unior men, not members of the Amaigamat t 1 ed Association. which indicated ger. clearly that the management Of stree railway properties are willing ano ready to recognize the rights of thei 1 employees when the earning power O | their property admits of it. R. W. PERKINS. President, Shore Line Electric Rail way Go.
 Norwich, Conn. July 2s. 1919.