The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-07-31
OF
CAR STRIKE IS
SEEN SATURDAY
Union Leaders and Street
Railway Heads Believe Ref
erendum Will End Walkout.
nv Assoc,ated PresS)

CHICAGO. July 31-Toilfng Chicago
today found cheer in the prospect
that the street car strike might end
soon and that by Saturday morning
workers could again ride on elevated
and surface cars. So the thousands
who. have come down town on trucks,
in automobiles or by their own mo-
tive power and gone home as best
they could bore good humoredly the
Inconvenience forced upon them by
the paralysis of transportation lines.
Possibility Of the near solution Of
the strike came with the announce
ment that the fifteen thousand SUP
face and elevated men on strike since
last Tuesday morning Would ballot
tomorrow morning on whether to &C.
cept the wage scale agreed upon last
Monday by their representatives and
those of the companies and rejected
the same night at mass meeting OF
5000 carmen. The plan of the union
leaders for a referendum vote OF the
entire union membership met the ap-
prevail of E. D. Mahon, international
president Of the Garments union on
his arrival from Detroit and imme-
date preparations for balloting were
begun. 1t was found the printing of
ballots and preparation for taking OF
the vote would consume much of to-
day, and therefore Friday from a.
m. to .. m. was fixed for the ballot
ing.
May Increase Fares.
The meeting at which the compro-
mise wage schedule of IS cents an
hour for surface men and 81 for ele-
waited with an eight hour day and ov-
er-time of time and a half was reject
ed by a vive voce vote was not repre-
sentative, the leaders claimed. They
asserted the meeting had been dom!-
mated by the radical element of the
union membership and that the con-
sentative element had been given no
opportunity to express itself. On
these representations International
President Mahon ordered the refer
endum vote which may result in &C
ceptance of the new wage schedule
and put an end to the strike. Mr..
Mahon and Mr.. Quinlan. president of
the surface mems division of the IN
ion, and William Rylan, president of
the elevated division stated today
that they were confident elevated and
surface trains would be running again
on Saturday morning.
Traffic conditions in the central
business district and along the prin
cipal arteries adjacent thereto were
as on yesterday. much improved to-
day. The presence Of four hundred
business men at principal points act
ing in the places of the regular traf
fic officers absent on riot duty made
a marked difference in the movement
of trucks and the improvised buse!
which carried passengers. In add.
ton a number of mounted officers ant
some of the regular traffic officers
relieved from riot duty by the pres
ence of the troops in the disturbed
zone aided in the solution Of the stree
congestion. If a settlement of the
strike should come through the refer
endum vote it is expected an increas
of fare will be made to seven cent
from five, on surface lines, with pos
; sibly a one-cent charge for transfer
and a raise from cents to 8 cents o.
, elevated lines. The state public uti
tiles commission which has been Il
, session here for several days was VI
derstood to have favored such an II
, crease had the wage compromis
reached between leaders of both side
been accepted.
The original demands Of the stree