The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-05-28
HlMTOON HOPES TRAFFIC .
TlEUP WILL Be AVOIDED;
UNION QUESTION BLOCK
Tn- City Railway Company
Offers to Sch Its Hold
ing to Union.

The Tri-City Railway enmpeny
will make every effort to operate
its cars with other workers II the
union men 20 ON strike next We'd
nesday. it was stated today BY John
G. Huntoon, general manager OIL
the company.
Mr.. Huntoon refused b give IN
opinion ON whether or not strike
can be averted. but said that tho
company is making no effort att
this time to obtain other employees,
He added, however. that every ek-I
fort will be made to obtain other
employees II the men do 60 ON
strike.
He reiterated the company stand
that It would mot arbitrate signing
of q contract With the union. butl
said that 1t was his opinion city
franchises viii force the company
to arbitrate wages and working
houra.
That City Attorney q. A. Screech-
field of Davenport is going to enter
the fight, and court proceedings
will be attempted to force . settle
ment without . strike, Is assured,i
IL IN amicable agreement cannott
be reached between the company
and the union men.
Mr.. Screechneld said this morn,
ing that he was planning court in-i
junction to prevent . trafnc tieup.
The Rock Island franchise speci-.
fies only that the company must
arbitrate wages and working hours.
and this the company seems vtIl-,
ing to do. In Davenport there -
q difference in the wording Of the
franchise, as it says there must b.
arbitration Of wages and work
ing conditions." Whether or not
the term working conditions may
be construsd to include signing .
contract is being debated
However, some opinion voiced In
this city IL to the effect that the
Davenport franchise is no stronger
than the Rock Island franchise In
considering forcing the company to
put all points at issue before
board of arbiters.
! On the other hand. the car COM
pany officials are convinced that
there Is nothing in any OF the fran
chises to force the company to do
more than arbitrate wages and
working hours.
/ Doubt Arbitration Settlement
| A further interesting sidelight
on this phase Of the case Is tho
doubt being expressed that arbi-
tration of the question OF wages
land working hours will bring .
final settlement This is based
upon question Of whether the COM
pany will agree before going into
arbitration on the length Of time .
decision of an arbitration board
will be adhered to by the company.
Meeting This Afternoon.
The joint wage committees OF
the unions met in Industrial hall
this morning to discuss statements
made to them by Mr.. Huntoon FIJI
day afternoon, and announced that
they would call on the trac-
, ton official again this afternoon tu
discuss the issues with him. The
: leaders said that Mr.. HuntoOn told
them Friday afternoon that oflciais
; of the company believe that city
franchises will force the company
; to arbitrate the wages and work
> ing hours. The men told him that
they must have contract and
. were told to peruse carefully the
, letters of the company. which were
sent out Friday to individual train
y men and then return to him. The
a letters to the men offer q wage Of
36. 80 and 40 cents an hour fol
+ trainmen working on cars operated
by two men, and Al, 43 and 4s
, cents an hour for one-man car op'
, orators. The letters also stafo thal
4 the company has been losing mon
). ey for years.
Mr.. Huntoon Friday Afternoon
offered to sell the traction lines Il
IL