The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-07-31
MAY RUN
CARS ON
SATURDAY
Street Car and Elevated Rail
way Men to Vote Tomor-
row on Returning to
Work.
MAY OUTVOTE RADICALS
Men Have Been Offered Highest
Wages Ever Paid Street Rail-
way Men In Any Large
City.
MAY oUTVoTE RADICALS

UNITED Press Leased Wire Service
CHICAGO, July 81. Chicago's
street car and elevated railway
strike cannot end before Saturday
in the view of officials Of the strik.
ing union and OF the operating com.
panies today.
Hope that 1t will likely end by mid
night Friday was seen in decision
of President w. D. Mahon, of the
international Garments union to sub.
NIT a referendum vote to the strik.
ing employees to determine whether
they will abide by the will of an ad.
mitted minority of so-called radicals
who were alleged to have forced the
strike, or cooler heads within the
union.
Voting will begin at a. m. to.
morrow and will cease at p. m. De-
cision of the strikers may be an
nounced within few hours, Mahon
said. The proposition Of the refer
endum vote was made by Governor
Lowden, who issued statement say
ing he believed the wages and work
ing conditions provided in the COM
promise fair.
Il appeal to every member to re-
alize and appreciate the situation. F."
Mahon wrote in an open letter to the
$4,000 striking car men.
This proposition of a compromise
wage of IS to 67 cents an hour and
an eight-hour day. If not accepted
by Friday night, will leave us with
no proposition at all. In my opinion,
our case will be serious"
Mahon told the men the two most
serious objections to the compro-
mise, the clause requiring all runs
to be completed in fourteen hours,
will be taken UP and adjusted by
the state public utilities commission.
New time tables to work under the
new running arrangement probably
will be supplied, Mahon said.
II want to take this occasion to
say that in my opinion the agree
ment is altogether fair" said Gov
ernor Lowden, who suggested the
compromise proposal. 1t includes the
highest wages ever paid street rail-
way men in any large city OF this
country. I believe the men will best
serve their own interests and those
of the public by accepting the agree
ment in their referendum vote"
While officials parleyed, Chicago
ans continued to walk or ride in
autos and makeshift hacks. Traffic
today was much better handled than
on any previous day during the
strike. Citizen-soldiers, many Of
them still in uniform, became traffic
officers, directing the movement of
vehicles and pedestrians at every
important intersection.
Cs,,htJrhov n two irS cti11 hn
bulk Of the crowd that jammed the
streets on arrival in the morning and
for the outskirts at night
Thousands gave up attempting to get
home and slept in hotels and offices
in the loop district.
Confident Of Return to Work.
CHICAGO, July 31-Union officials
today were confident a majority Of
$4,000 striking surface and elevated
railway employees will vote to return
to work by Friday midnight, thus end
ing the street car strike, now in it's
third day.
A referendum vote, ordered by w.
D. Mahon, International president o.
the carmen's union, will begin at
eight a. m, tomorrow and continue all
day. II the men reject the compro-
mise proposals suggested by Governor
F. o. Lowden, granting them 65 to 81
cents an hour, Mahon said, the strike
must go on indefinitely.
In statement, Mahon rebuked ex-
tremists among the street car en-
ployes, who he said, have placed the
car men 'in ridiculous position"
The radicals had, through their small
forced a meeting Monday
night to reject the new wage offer
and declare a strike.