Putnam patriot., 1919-09-05
''TROLLEYS WILL RUN
IN TWO HOURS-IF'
Such Is the Statement of Peter
Rooney, Speaking at Mass
Meeting Friday Night
The Proviso Is That Shore Line Off.
cials Be Willing to Arbitrate and
Abide BY Decision

Provided the Shore Line Electric
Railway officials win put our dispute
before a board of arbitration, to be
selected on the basis of our old agree
ment, and will promise to abide by
the decision Of this board with ne
reservations the striking employees OF
this company will be running the cars
within two hours" Such was the
sum and substance of a part of the
address of Peter j. Rooney, interna-
tional officer, who was one of the
speakers at the mass meeting held
Friday night in Empire theatre, and
at which time the case Of the striking
employees was put before the public.
About 50 Putnam citizens were pres
ent at the meeting Mr.. Rooney EN-
phasized over and over again, stated
once and then reiterated, that he was
as certain as human being ever can
be, that the present strike was forced
upon the men by the company with
the sole purpose in view of getting
a special session of the state legisla-
ture called in order THAT certain RENE
dial legislation might be started which
would benefit "the poor sick Shore
Line Company. 1.-THE company Off
Gals failed to get that special con
cession, a concession which would
take public funds to meet Shore Line
Company debts. at the regular session
of the legislature, and so that brought
about the strike in hopes of forcing a
special session." declared Mr.. Rooney.
According to Mr.. Rooney the Shore
Line Company is afraid to arbitrate,
for it would, he says, have to allow
its books to be examined, and this
might cause embarrassment. At an
other point in his address he said,
ssWhat the Shore Line needs is d trip
through the wringing machine. Il
they are on the verge eff bankruptcy
thev should do as any man has to do.
90 into bankruptcy. There is no req
son why money should be taken from
the state treasury to be used to boil
ster up Mr.. Perkins traction system.
Bo5h Mr. Rooney and Harry Me
Clone. the other speaker, dwelt at
tenafh upon the men now operating
the ears. whom they characterized as
asfriEebreakers and undesirable eitiz
zens.a These men, stated one OF
the speakers, fare running these cars
for what they can get out Of it-the2
are not doing it for their health q
pleasure. If Mr.. Perkins can afford
to pay them s5.75 d day-whethef
that day is one hour or eight hours
long-pray tell why he can't afford to
meet our demands, which would
amount to only about 1925 day per
man. for eight hours of work.
1.-THE reason is that Mr.. Perkins is
cut to smash organized labor, to crush
the organized workingman. He says
he has not money enough to pay US to
run the cars. He said at the begin
ming of the strike he would not run
the cars because he did not have
funds enough. But like every other
promise he ever made. he has broken
it. and failed to keep faith. Where Is
he getting the money from at the
present time to run the lines? Ger
tainly he is not getting rich on the
present traffic
On numerous occasions both speak
ers made statements that were alb
surd. 1.-THE reason we have to hold
mass meetings." said Mr.. McGlone,
lis because we are unable to get our
side of the case into the newspapers.
The newspapers will not print our
stories-and the papers in this vicin-
ity are just the same as they are ev-
erywhere else"
And Mr.. Rooney, talking along the
same lines, declared eve can't get
the papers to print our facts, and the
reason is they are subsidized"
On one or two occasions the
speakers at the meeting, while de-
nouncing the Shore Line Company in
general and Mr.. Perkins in particul ar,
we're forced to raise their voices in
order that they might be heard while
a trolley car went by the building.
For the most part the facts pre-
sented to the audience were mere ex-
pansions of the striking employees
statement printed in The Patriot last
week.
Alexander Gilman presided at the
meeting and introduced the speakers.