The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-07-30
ALL SURFACE AND
ELEVATED ROADS
CEASE OPERATION
$4,000 EMPLOYEES GO OUT FOR
HIGHER PAY AND SHORTER
HOURS EARLY TODAY
II PER CENT RAISE ASKED
"Tho Public BE Damned" Is Cry of
Men at Strikers Midnight Meeting
Traffic Conditions IN Downtown
Loop District Worst in Many Years.
Thousands Wall, to Work.

Chicago, July 29-Ffteen thousand
street railway employees went on strike
for higher wages at 1 o'clockthis morn
ing, completely tying up the surface
and elevated systems of the city
The companies made no attempt TO
run cars, Workers depended on steam
railways, automobiles and other vehi
Giles TO reach their places of business
Early last night heads of the unions
and officials of the street railway com
panies reached an agreement to fix
the wages of the men at approximately
50 cents an hour, and grant an eight.
hour day with time and a half for over
time. 1t was thought this action would
avert Walkout, but at a mass meeting
shortly before midnight the men voted
to strike at 1 a. m. today.
The employees demanded IS cents an
hour an increase of II per cent over
present wages, an eight hour day and
time and a half for overtime.
Six thousand of the surface and ele
waited men attended the meeting at the
carmen's auditorium, at which the
strike vote was carried with a shout
that appeared almost unanimous. Rep.
resentatives of the men attempted to
give an explanation of the negotiations
between themselves and the companies
officials at which the compromise was
reached, but the men swept their Off
cials from control of the meeting.
Boosting one of their number. said to
represent the radical element in the
union, to the platform, the men put over
the strike vote with u roar. then pro-
claimed themselves in favor of an S5-
cents-anhour wage, an eight hour day.
six-hour Sunday and a siXday week.
'To Hell with the Public.'
For two hours William Quinlan, pres
ident of the carmen's union, fought to
get the compromise proposition before
the meeting. He was aided by other
officials Finally l.. ID. Bland. member
of the international board of the union.
attempted to get the terms of the
agreement as to wages before the meet.
ing. Getting a brief silence he said:
Remember, men, we are not fight
ing the traction companies in this mat
ter. We are fighting the Chicago pub.
lie"
ITO hell with the public The pub
lie be damned" several shouted, and
Bland threw up his hands and sat down.
Within an hour all employees had the
informatio nof the strike call and by
little after 4 o'clock this morning the
last of the cars had been run into the
barns. BY 4:30 o'clock the big barn
doors we're shut and the strike was in
force.
ma ~ in
service bearing workers to the central
district this morning. Motor busses op.
Grated along the North, South and West
Side boulevards. Kindly owners con
veyed loads of persons bound in their
direction, while many owners of cars
seized the opportunity to earn fees for
their service. Bicycles never seen in
downtown streets in normal times were
as well as motorcycles.
Along the chief thoroughfares from the
three principal divisions of the city,
long lines of pedestrians wended their
belated way.
Leonard A. Busby, president Of the
surface lines, said he would reserve
of whether the company
would attempt to operate its cars. until
later in the day.
Peril TO Vehicle Passengers
The worst traffic conditions that
Chicago has faced in many years pre-.
vailed in the downtown or loop district"
today. No traffic policemen We're on
duty, most of them being detailed to
riot squads in the black belt, and
trucks motorcycles, bicycles. one horse
express wagons, taxicabs and touring
cars of varying types jammed the
crossings.
Every vehicle was loaded to extreme
capacity by persons seeking to reach
places of employment, and the side
walks were crowded with pedestrians
who chose walking as the best means OF
overcoming the stoppage Of surface anc
elevated railway service.
Despite the peril to passengers and
drivers almost without ex
,eption forced their vehicles through
he crossing tangles with reckless aban
lon. Raucous automobile horns. toot
ng truck whistles and yells of team
;ters voiced warning to each other. but
pore no message for the man or woman
foot. The steam railroads put extrs
rains on their suburban runs and han,
He'd scores of thousands OF extra pas
'engers.