The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-01-28

DISCHARGE or VETERAN STREET
CAR MEN RUMORED BUT OPENING
SHOT ON OPEN SHOP BATTLE

All kinds Of ruors are in circu-,
lation relative to the discharge of
seven conductors BY the Tri-City
Railway company, after, 1t Is al
legged, the men had signed afida-
Wits that they had been knocking
down" part Of the receipts collect
cd.
1t was learned today from John
T. Bauer. president Of Division
No. 313, Street Railway Employees.
that the case Of the seven discharg-
ed conductors had been brought
before him, and the stories OF the
mems side Of the case heard. Mr..
Bauer made few comments on the
situation, but admitted that an in
vestigation would probably be un-
dertaken.
The most persistent rumor rela-
tive to the discharges. and the one
that seems to be more generally
credited, is that an open shop
fight is not far OF. and that the
discharge Of the seven conductors
was one move in the game.
Information pertaining to var
ious angles Of the situation seems
to leave only q tangle out OF which
little can be relied upon as to
whether there is real open shop"
trouble brewing.
The seven discharged conductors
signed afiidavits last Monday, and
Tuesday were told that their names
had been stricken from the pay
roll. In the stories told by the
men they did not know what was
the exact nature Of the papers they
had signed.
One Of the conductors had work
ed for the company 30 years, and is
generally known as a man who has
not accumulated much Of this life's
goods.
One other man had worked II
years and another Is years. while
the others ranged on down to sew
en- months service.
According to the stories OF the
discharged men, they did not know
the exact wording Of the papers
they had signed. although they had
read the affidavits before signing.
1t is claimed that they were TAX
en- before company attorneys, sup
posedly here from Cedar Rapids,
Iowa, and before they got through
they had signed papers that they
believed to be wanted by the COM
pany to aid in working out some
new system the nature Of which
was not quite clear to the conduc-
tors. ..
The men appeared before the at
toPneys one at a time. The stoT-
! les heard of the mems side Of the
case are nearly all alike. 1t IS
claimed that when a man appeared
before the attorneys he was ques-
toned and cross-Questioned. 1t is
alleged that they were told that
there was nothing on the program
to jeorardize their jobs, but that
they were being asked to sign
papers that it was intimated were
to be used by the company to aid
in working out some new system.
One man claimed that he was
asked if he was ever lover $40 on
one days run" He answered neg
atively and the questioning was
continued, the amount being re-
duced until he was asked if he was
ever "over 50 cents on a days
run" The man replied that he
could not recall of ever having
knowingly had any money over
at the end Of his run. In answer
to another question he said that ii
was quite possible to make mis-
takes and that it would be prob
able that at some time during his
service he might have been over
some amount at the end OF a day
run. He claimed that he was then
asked il it was not probable that
the sum might have been-say 81
cents. The conductor replied that
If it would do any good they might
set down that sum as a possible
"over" money at the end Of some
days run, but he added that he had
never known of ever being over
any amount. In the meantime, mo-
a question was asked If the mar
had ever been short" after day;
run, it was claimed.
Kept in Conversation.
A paper was then made out ana
the conductor was asked to reat
it. While doing so he claims thai
he was continually kent in convers
alton with the attorneys until ht
did not know in the interrupted
reading of the paper the difference
between what it contained ant
what was being said in another
vein by the attorneys. However
holding subconscious idea tina
the paper was wanted for some All
to the company in working out
new system OF some description
he signed the paper without actu
ally knowing its exact wording.
Such was the portent Of the sto-
les of the other men. All we're Civ
en- copies of the papers they has
signed. which differed. giving eacl
one an individuality, it is claimed
Soon after the men found thsi
names had been marked OF To-
runs at the street car barns, ant
on returning to the company OF
fees the following day they wer'
told they were no longer desired a
employees Of the company.
The men then paid close atten
ton to the copies Of the affidavit