New Britain herald., 1919-07-16
TIE-UP IN SHORE /
 LINE ELECTRIC
Not a Car Moves During Forenoon
 Company Wants Arbitrators

Norwich, July .16.-The tie-up of the Shore Line Electric railway system from Webster, Mass, to New Haven, was complete today. Not a car had been moved during the forenoon. The power house men are at work as cur rent Is being provided for lighting and manufacturing and it is kept on the wires to make certain that there are no breaks in the transmission lines.
 As 1t was a day of pouring rain there was less inconvenience to the public by reason of stOppage of the cars than if it had been pleasant. To- cal manufacturers provided motor trucks and vehicles for their employees and jitneys served the rest. Reports from every point on the line indicated that operation had ceased. There were no incidents. It was reported here that power house men would meet tonight to vote on the question of sympathetic strike.
 President R. w. Perkins of the company expected later in the day to issue a statement and Harry Me- Clone, president of the local union, will also give a statement in behalf of the strikers.
 Ties Up All Cars.
 In a statement this afternoon Pres ident Perkins said the strike was ef- fective in that it had entirely tied up the operation of cars. He said that much as the annoyance to the people of eastern Connecticut is regretted the financial condition of the com pany together with the general at titude of the people as regards an increase in the cost of transportation fully sustains the position of the l made by employees would mean a total of $250, ,OO0 a year. Past experience, he said, had shown that such an in crease was an impossibility for ex- pense has been in excess of income. He added that he did not believe the people of eastern Connecticut were ready to accept any increase in fare that would take care of so great an increase in the wage rate and at the same time meet the increased oper- ating charges. Mir. Perkins said he believed there is a limit to fare charges and without the increased charge thrown in he believed the limit had been nearly, if not actually reached.
 Rejects Plan.
 The statement also discussed the company's rejection of the mems plan for arbitration. He said the stipula- tion that the mems arbitrator could act as counsel meant that the board would not be fairly made up.
 The company wanted arbitrator selected from among residents of the three counties in which it operates and did not want an outsider Drought in as paid counsel for the men sitting as an arbitrator. The company could not accept the retroactive principle in the award without first knowing where money would come from to meet the award.
 In conclusion, MT. Perkins said that in spite of the complete tie-up, he be- lieved there were many men willing to work. He thought it clearly evil dent that the wages. paid were good and better than in many other lines. The average maximum wage for gen. eral men had been $43.S6, while plat form men making runs and paid by the hour for the time they worked had averaged $25.26 a week. While it has been so that men worked 62 hours a week, the conditions general ly were such that a man did not ac- tually work that length of time, par ticularly those who were relieved at later, for while they were off duty on the relief they were paid.
 MT. Perkins said that he desired to see the men get all they were entitled to, but under conditions the company could not do other than continue ex- isting wage scales.