Norwich bulletin., 1919-08-25
LINE TROLLEYMEN
 STATE THEIR POSITION
Especial to The Bulletin.)

NopeCtdi tO nc DullCtilt On the 1st of June. 1918. NJ, G. i
 Stratton, as general manager of the
 Shore Line. Electric Railway Co.,, sign
 ed for that company general operat- l
 ing agreement between the Shore Line Electric Railway Co. and its em-
 ployes." Article 10. section l. of that
 agreement reads as follows: Tt is mu-
 tually agreed that the company and
 the association will use their best ef-
 forts to adjust any and all grievances
 that may at any time arise and be pre-
 scented by either the company or the
 association. In the event that after a
 reasonable and proper attempt has
 been made to adjust such differences,
 an agreement or adjustment cannot be
 made, then at the request of either the
 company or the association the matter
 shall be submitted to a board of arbf- l
 tration- And it is mutually agreed that
 the decisions of such board of arbitra-
 ton shall be final and the company
 and the association hereby bind
 themselves to agree fully and freely
 with and conform to the decisions of
 such board of arbitration" We wish to emphasize the fact stated above that the decision of a board of arbitration shall be final. When the employees approached the management of the Shore Line Electric Railway Co. to eff feet new agreement in the spirit ex- pressed in the above contract. and diff faculties arose whoch necessitated ar- bitration we were told that the com pany would arbitrate but the decisions of the board of arbitration would not l be final. The comany. therefore. broke its contract which was signed in 1 good faith by the company and it's em- ployes. Bear in mind the company in l reconciliation openly and boldly broke it's solemn word of honor and tossed s:side its contract as another scrap of pa per-.
 | The tricky proviso inserted Into the conditions under which the company would arbitrste was the cause of rup- 1 turing the c0nRenia1 relationship which existed between the company and it's employees. As much as we re- gretted this rupture in our relations, we believe right is more precious | than peace" This proviso stated the 1 company would not be bound by the de- | cision of the board of arbitration if an 1 such time as the company was f1nan- l cially able to pay. Apparently very 1 sound and certainly very safe state l ment for the company to make. Who was financially able to pay or not? MT. Perkins was to decide. and judging 1 from vivid recollections Mir Perkins would decide satisfactorily-to MT. l what was to be the function of the | board of arbitration if 1t was not to decide this very issue? This proviso was inserted for the specific purpose l of befogging the main issue. We ask again what we have asked before. namely, that someone who enjoys the confidence of the employees and the
 public be admitted to decide whether
 the company is in a position to grant | an increase in wages or not.
 l We havs heard much loose talk con- | corning the yearly deficit of the com pany. substantiating, it seemed. re- ports emanating from the headquar- | ters of the Shore Line Go. Anyone who has had any experience with group figures as exhibited in annual reports whether state reports or otherwise I realize the impossibiilty of arriving at any conclusion through them. It de. mands a complete analysis. Would you invest your money in an oil prospectus or any other stock scheme upon mere
 Iaewins post,v sa ss not! You would demand . complete analysis, of the financial statement. How then can anyone conclude with accounts that this so-called deficit is based upon earnings of the true value of the assets ar is based upon highly inflated valuation of the assets? We that in 1918 the employees agreed to arbitrate at 40 cents per hour, but pre- ferring not to disclose his accounts, MT. Perkins voluntarily granted 42 cents per hour to avoid arbitration! What is he concealing?
 What has bser the stated policy of the company during the past six 1 weeks? Mir. Perkins first announced he would make no attempt to run his cars. He didn't have ythe money. he
 said. Then for some reason unknown to us he changed his policy and de- cided to attempt to operate his cars and very oaustically his lieutenants commanded the public to ride or the
 cars would be put back in the car
 open minded. justice seeking people of
 Norwich answered him. He put his cars back in the car barn and they are there today. He received. his answer