The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-29
EIGHT THOUSAND VOTE TO
REFUSE OFFER.
Were Offered Increases to 65
Cents an Hour.
Refuse.
GOV. l. O W D EN- FAILS
Men Now Getting At Gents
an Hour-Strike for
86 Gents
GOV. / O W D EN- FAILS

Chicago, July 29.-Fifteer
thousand Chicago street and ele
waited railway employees are OF
strike today and the city's elec
trical transportation is tied up
Since 4 o'clock not a wheel has
turned and all elevated and sur
face cars are locked up in theil
barns. .
The strike came like a lightning
bolt to Chicago. Reports late yester-
day indicated that negotiations that
have been in progress several weeks
would be successful and the strike
aveIted. Thousands of Chicagoans
were expecting cars to be running
as usual and found themselves un-
able to reach their places of work OF
business.
SO confident were many that the
strike had been averted that Gov
Frank o. Lowden, after a day of con-
ferences with employers and en-
ployes, left the city thinking a basis
of adjustment had been reached,
But the break came when an at
tempt was made to bring the COM
promise proposition to which union
leaders and heads of the street rail-
way companies had agreed before the
union men. .''e'
Vote Down Compromise.
ain a veritabIe bedlam of Kisses
and jeers the carmen voted down
the offers made them and by ao-
seIamation voted to go on strike
at 4 o'clock. The meeting
turned into bedTam and before
more than the first few sections
Of the eompromise agreement
had been read to them they
I Y howied down The speaker, showed
their avn spokesn,eh forward,
and voted TO strike. ..'a..,l..
Eight thousand men attended the
meeting.
The compromise agreement which
the men rejected would have, giver
them wage Increases Of 65 cents ar
hour; an eight-hour day with time
and a half for overtime and other ad-
justments affecting hours and con-
mands of the men were for IS cents
an hour; an eight hour day; a six
hour Sunday and six -day week
Leaders of the strikers endeavored
to point out to the men that the com
promise agreement offered carried
with 1t the highest wages paid to any
street car men, but their arguments
were drowned in a roar of disap-
proval.
No Attempt to Operate.
No. attempt has been made by the
company to operate cars, and, so far
as is known, no such attempt is con-
templated. Officials of the company
however, have made no statements
regarding their plans or policies.
Thousands of Chicagoans due al
their work at early hours have been
unable to reach the business district
Taxicabs, jitneys. trucks and every
other form of conveyance are doing a
rushing business. Steam trains or
dinarily carrying suburban residents
only, are jammed with city folks who
customarily use the electric trans
portatle n lines. Many were compelled
to walk.
Officials Of the street railway com
panies contend that to grant in
creased wages to the men means
bankruptcy unless they also are al
lowed to increase fares. The offer
to the men was based upon an
agreement with the public utilities
commission that would have allowed
both surface and elevated roads to
increase their fares to, 7 cents. The
81 ke, 60 hn al
waited and cents for the surface
lines.
The inaeased fares, the traction
companies contend, would give them
barely enough revenue to meet the
increased wages paid the men.
Street car men and leaders Of the
union contend that the increased
fares will provide ample revenue to
permit the companies to grant the
original demands of the men for an
IS cents an hour minimum wage.
The unions, in a statement signed
by their leaders, place the blame for
the strike on the wages and the ex-
cessive hours they are required to
work. together with the increasing
high cost of living. Oficials of the
street car companies declare that
RADICAL elements in the union swept
the more conservative workers off
their feet and caused them to vote
down. the compromise proposition.
Thus far no steps toward ADJUST
ment of the strike have been taken.
Gov. Lowden is due to return to Chi
cago today, and it is probable that
efforts will be made before today is
over to bring about other confer
ences looking toward a settlement of
the strike.
Won't Try to Operate.
There will be no attempt to ope-
rate street cars on the surface and
elevated lines in Chicago until the
striking union men decide to return
to work.
This announcement was made to-
day by officials of the railways and.
with the union men determined not
to yield in their decision not to ac-
cept anything short OF their original
demands, a prolonged strike Is a
possibility. Union officials asserted
no union meetings would be held
today and that no further confer
ences are in immediate prospect.
The hope OF both sides now Is in
President villain Mahon, of the
union of street car en-
ployes. He has been asked by local
leaders to come here and take charge
of the strike and 1t is said he will
be here not later than tomorrow.
Until Mahon arrives it is improbable
any negotiations toward a settlement
win be undertaken,