The daily times., 1919-08-28
CRITICISM OFFICIALS
CITY OF CHARLOTTE
Petitions Circulated by Labor
Men and Others, Alleging
Shooting in Strike
WAS NOT NECESSARY

WAS NO1 NEAESSAN1 L
Charlotte, Aug. 27.-While armed
civilians and State militia were pat
rolling the streets today following
the disorders of Tuesday morning
between strike sympathizers and the
city police, hundreds VI signatures
were being affixed to petitions SAX
ing for the recall of the three city
commissioners. Twenty-Five peti
tions, it is asserted, are being cir
culated, and the signers average
hundred or more to each.
! Feeling against the city authori-
ties, particularly within labor cir
cles, is growing in intensity and the
recall of the three men, Mayor
Frank R. McNinch, Commissioner of
Public Safety George A. Page, and
Commissioner of Public Works Ar
thur H. Wearn, is demanded on the
! ground of incompetency and neglect
! in the performance of their duties.
| Union men are insisting that the
action of the police in firing upon
the crowd, was too hasty, was not
called for and that number of
those shot were hit in the back.
The jealous circulation of this pc
tition was the outstanding feature
in the situation today, other high
lights included the increase of the
fatalities to five by the death of J.
D. Aldred and Will Hammond, the
Central Labor Unions demand for
Federal action, the selection of a
coroner's jury and the fixing of the
time for it's session tomorrow after
moon, and the peaceful operation of
cars on a limited scale.
Dissatisfaction with the attitude
of the commissioners dates back to
the origin of the difficulties more
than a week ago, when it is said,
Mayor McNinch delivered to the po-
! lice "a shoot to kill ORDER The
story of the Mayors instruction to
1.-The police at the time was printed
lin the press of Charlotte, but later
when attetion was called to the
fact from the quarters of the strik-
ers, Mayor McNinch denied the
charge. .
i The labor men are signing the
lpetitions largely, it was stated BY
J one of the circulators visiting rail-
Iroad men and industrial plants
They are opposed to- the entire ad
Iministration and charge the disor
lders to some extent to administra
ltion methods, administration sup
Iport to the Importation of strike
breakers, and allied support to th'
Ipublic utilities company. Mayor Nc
: Ninch, personally declares in favo
OF the right of the union men t.
recognition from the Southern Pub
lie Utilities Company as first signe
Of the conciliation agreement pro
posing recognition. He and hi
colleagues on the city commission
were charged by President Taylor
of the Southern Public Utilitie
-, Company, with having acted in fea
;, of the organization which he
sparing no words to condemn.
Local political reasons, generate
in the last municipal election, ais
r figure in the recall, it is understood
h and the signers are getting supper
) from a number of angles.
: Under the law, the election 70
i recall OF a commissioner will be o1
, dered when twenty-five per cent c
4 the duly qualified voters who vote
e for mayor in the predicting electio
= Isign the petition. In the last elef
e tion emily 1900 votes were cas-
s there being no fight, and the goal
mot far to reach.