Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-08-05
PUBLIC MEETING
TONIGHT ON CAR
WAGE And FARE
Moline Council Invites Bodies of
Other Cities and Citizens to
Discuss Problems.
Especial Moline service) .


Representatives of the Tri-City
Railway company of street car op
eratives of the Davenport, Rock Is
land and East Moline councils and
commissions and citizens of Mo
line have been invited to meet this
evening with the Moline city coun-
ell to express views on the street
car situation. The object is to find
out how the union men stand and
how the councils Of the cities, espe-
scially of Davenport, stand, SO the
Moline council may instruct James
NJ. Johnston, city attorney. what
to do tomorrow morning before the
state utilities body.
A motion to this effect was Of
fered at the Moline council meet
ing last evening. The council ad-
journed without transacting any
business and without taking any
action on the street car situation.
All evening with representative OF
the railway company and several
interested citizens it discussed the
situation.
Tomorrow morning the state COM
to decide the fare increase problem
or to postpone it's meeting until a
wage contract is signed between
the men and the company. City
Attorney James Johnston asked the
council to give him authority to
go before the commission and fight
for the lowest possible fare and to
demand that the commission hold
to It's first position that 1t will not
consider the fare proposition until
the wage problem is settled. Be
fore this was acted upon Alderman
Castor Veys OF the Fifth ward NOV
ed that the council adjourn until
this evening when a public meeting
Zoe held with representative of all
factions interested in the strike,
present. After q little debate this
motion was seconded and passed.
Citizens Show Apathy.
Citizens Of Moline were asked tt
attend last nights council meeting.
From this standpoint the session
was a failure, for only two appear
ed, G. e. Dietz appeared as attor-
ney for the Tri-City Manufacturers
association.
The Davenport situation seemed
to be the critical question of the
evening. Aldermen for and against
bringing the Iowa matter into the
local situation spoke in turns. MIR.
Chamberlain, the company attorney.
insisted that the company cannot
sign more than d 30-day wage con-
tract with the Davenport car oper-
atives. He said it was impossible
to forecast the Davenport councils
action on the fare increase and in
tlmated that Davenport might not
grant q fare increase and that ths
lines in that city may have to be
shut down.
Attorney Johnston could not see
the Illinois strike settled or fare
4ncrease proposition agreed without
Iowa taking the same step. He
asked that no fare increase be per-
mitted In Moline until the company
reached an agreement with all its
men in the tri-cities.
Alderman Morgan was the only
city official who insisted that the
company should have a certain
revenue and that having given good
service there should be no fight
with the company. Attorney Cham
berlain and J. G. Huntoon, general
manager Of the railway company,
maintained that at present IT is
deadlockcd on the wage question
because the men insist on a con-
tract with Davenport, Muscatine
and the Illinois lines. The Musca-
tine situation was DESCRIBED as
hopeless, almost impossible.
Muscatine Hard Boiled.
"They are a gang of hard boiled
people down there said one COM
pany man. I'VE don't expect to get
fare increase there. We are about
ready to abandon our lines in Mus
catine. If we get a 7-cent fare In
Illinois and Davenport we will stop
business in Muscat1ne and give the
Muscatine operatives jobs in the
tri-cities'
Mr.. Dietz declared that 1t was
folly to try to tie the Davenport sit
uation onto this problem. THE
commissions position" he said, "if
it holds that no hearing will be
held until the men and the com
pany sign a wage contract, is I'M
sound. If Moline will allow a
speedy hearing on this side of the
river that is all there is to 1t. Every
interest is affected. Let's not tie
ourselves to any Davenport ques-
ton"
We have offered the men as high
wage as is paid in the United
States" said Mr.. Chamberlain. IF
the men turn down our offer think
the commission ought to change its
attitude. We ask the council that
1t do not demand that the company
first make a contract with the men.
The Davenport council will not act
until the Illinois commission set
ties the fare over here"
Mr.. Chamberlain complimented
the union men for their manner of
sticking together. in union there
is strength" he said, "and believe
me, they've shown some signs of
strength. They've got US in an
awful hole"