Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-06-21


Only an hour before the conference
convened this afternoon at the Of
fees of the Tri-City Railway COM
pany in Davenport, J. T. Bauer,
president of the division of street
railway trainmen in the Illinois
side, announced that the company
would have to agree to arbitrate
under the plan of the men, or else
the trainmen would be called off
the jobs Immediately
A strike was expected on all
sides. 1t was reported that the
company had indicated this morn
ing it would not arbitrate as the
men suggested. A week ago both
the company and the men saw that
arbitration would be the only means
of bringing about a settlement of
differences. The company named
Richard Shaddalee, vice president,
as it's arbitrator and followed by
prescribing a basis under which it
would arbitrate, holding that the
amount of fare increase the Illi-
nois public utilities commission
grants must be considered in the
arbitration.
The men prescribed plan which
called for arbitration OF the basis
of the amount of pay thei- services
entitle them to regardless of the
fare increase the company gets.
The company held it could not
arbitrate under this plan because
il would be unable to pay unless
a fare increase is secured. The
men came back with the answer
that they had never shared in the
comp any's profits and that they
therefore saw no reason why they
should have to share the company's
losses.
Bases Not Prescribed.
Under the agreement of this aft
ernoon the arbitrators will pro-
ceed along no given basis, but will
take up the matter of adjusting
differences as though no issue on
the manner of arbitration had been
raised.
General Manager J. II. Huntoon
Immediately following the confer
ence this afternoon gave out the
following statement:
Both parties, the Amalgamated
Association of Street and Electric
Railway Employees and the Tri-
City Railway company have agreed
that the matters in dispute will be
submitted to arbitration as pro-
vided by the agreement between
the company and the association
dated June l, 1916.
Mayor ScAriver had prepared to
bring the officials of the company
and the committee of the train
men together, had the conference
this afternoon resulted in a strike.
Had the strike occurred 500
street railway trainmen would
have been affected, and the prop
erty of the concern valued at $l2,-
600 900 would have been tied up.
Iinety street cars and 13 interur-
Ninety street cars and l3 interur-
would have been the first serious
strike of traction employees in the
history of the tri-cities. In 1898,
there was a strike but it lasted
only a few hours.
Served With Ultfmatum.
The dispute between the Tri-City
Railway company and the union
street car employees reached its
climax today when the union men
served notice on the J. II. Huntoon.
general manager, that unless tnelr
principles for arbitration were ac-
cepted a strike would be called.
A strike vote was taken by the
men in a meeting held this morning
at l O'Clock at the Eagles hall, al
which meeting practically every
conductor or motorman working on
street cars was present. The 0e-
cision was unanimous to strike If
the company refused to arbitrate on
the terms laid down by the en-
ployes, based on the city Or
dinances.
]. T. Bauer, head of the union
workers, said today that the time
had come when action must be
taken. He said the men voted for
strike unanimously in case of re-
fusal of their terms and that il the
company refused them in the con-
ference this afternoon commencing
at 1:30. the strike committee. head
ed by Bauer, would be Immediately
called together.
I'VE have discussed matters long
enough without anything definite
coming out Of it," said Mr. Bauer,