Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-08-01
Denman Refutes Prime
Accusations Of Public
In Fare Rate Rehearing

Various impressions which have
become widespread, in criticism OF
the actions of the Tri-City Railway
company during the rehearing OF
it's application for a fare increase
before the Illinois public utilities
commission were denied vehement
ly today by B. ]. Denman, president
of the company. In his denial he
makes the following statements:
There is no truth to the be-
lief that the railway company
and its employees are acting in
collision in an attempt,
through striking and other i'm
proper means, to obtain a high
fare rate and an unjust scale
OF wages.
City officials were notified of
the appearance of the company
before the utilities commission.
and at the same time that the
company received such notice,
but they chose to regard the
meeting as trivial and to ig-
more it's significance until the
eleventh hour.
The impression that the COM
pany made its offer OF settle
ment OF the wage question con-
tingent upon the commission
finding as to the rate of fare,
is totally erroneous.
The company cannot afford to
pay the offered wage scale Of 81
cents without an increase in fare
10 a straight seyen-cent rate.
His statement follows:
Through certain sources, the
public have received a number of
positively erroneous impressions
concerning the street railway situa-
ton.
Not Acting Together.
"One impression is that the rail-
way company and its employees are
in collision and are cOnfederating
together in an attempt, through
threats of a strike and other i'm
proper means, to procure an ex-
orbitant fare and unjust wages.
Nothing is farther from the truth.
1t was simply a case where both
sides realized that, under the valu-
atoms and findings of the commits
sion already made. any increase l
wages meant either an increase in
fare or bankruptcy. Certainly no
one will contend that the mere
fact that two parties to a cOntro-
verSy recognize a plain truth, ha-
ing a bearing upon that controversy
is proof of collision between them.
Beyond their mutual recognition Of
the uucontroyerted and unco0-
vertible facts in the case in this
regard, the company and its en-
ployes have been negotiate al Gil
times, at arms length, toward the
settlement of the wage question and
have been at all times in absolute
disagreement as to what would col =
stitute a just and proper wage, IN
der all of the circumstances. so
much for that
Another impress on is hat the
company, IN appearing efoTe N
commission, have attempted to "a ~
a snap judgment againsT the nlu A.
cipalities md the people, by con
Quoting a hearing of which the city
attorneys and the city officials haI
no notice. Here again nothing rs
farther from the truth. 1t was not
until late last Saturday night that it
was known b. anybody that the com
would take up the case or
Monday. Immediately, and early or
Sunday. all of the city attorneys and
all Of the mayors of the municipal
tiles were given notice Of the hsar
ing. Upon the receipt OF tEis III
for nation these representative 81
the people, Notwithstanding Vic
everyone must have regarded a. Z
pending crisis, nonchalantly gave
out and declared that they wound
pay absolutely no attention TO the
notice, and that they would refuse
to appear at the hearing The att
tude appeared to be that whatever
action might be taken at that hear
ing did not at all concern either the
city officials or the public The
facts. therefore, are that, although
notified OF the hearing early on
Sunday, the city officials and the
city attorneys made no attempt to
appear at the hearing until On
after the case had been
in progress for three days. Fur
the same parties were
receiving constant information.
both through the public press ana
of everything that was
going on before the commission. II
is for public opinion to conclude
under this state of facts,