The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-05-26
MEN ON ACCENT SCALE;
COMPANY WILL MA|NTA AIN
9.CENT PASSENGER RATE
Arbitration Provided By
Ordinance to Pre-
vent Tie-Up.

Reduction Of wage scales on the
Railway company lines
viii not be followed by fare re-
B. J. Denman, president
Of the company aid this morning.
Although there we're no direct de-
In the situation created
by the company's announcement q
a Accent wage scale and an OPEN
shop policy. events in the last -
hours have clearly defined the is
sues. Arbitration clauses in all
franchises In the community are
intended to guard against strike
upon wage disputes and the COM I
pany officials said they were will
ing to comply with these provis-
ions but insisted that union con-
tracts can no longer be recognised.
There is every probability that O.,
strike vote will be taken by train
men at meetings to begin tonight
Day workers will meet in Rock Is
land Industrial hall at 8 O'Clock to-
night and night workers will meet
at 3 O'Clock Friday morning. They
are to be joint session Of the Rock
Island and Moline and the Dayen-.
port unions.
Leaders expect to receive IN
struction from the men to refuse
all offers of the Tn-City Railway
company and to be given authority
to call a strike next Wednesday II
the company refuses to arbitrate
the differences.
The company franchises in each
Of the Quad-cities contain clauses
which stipulate that the company
must arbitrate all differences with
the workers on wages and work
ing conditions.
B. ]. Denman, president Of the
company, stated this morning that
the company will not be un-
reasonable" If action to force arbi-
tration is taken by the cities, but
declared emphatically that the
company will refuse to arbitrate
the signing Of a contract with the
union or to recognize the train
mems organization.
Leaders Of the men seemed to be
fully confident this morning that
the men would not contenance Ins
disruption OF their organization.
No Pare Reduction.
Letters were being sent out by
the company today to the trainmen
individually, setting forth the com
pany's attitude in detail, and such
information will be in the hands Of
the men in time to be discussed at
their first meeting tonight. The
company refused this morning To
make known what wage Is to be
offered for operators OF one man
cars, but it is understood that this
rate has been set at As cents an
hour. Where two men work On q
car the wage offer is 36, 3S and A
cents an hour, a reduction from 60
65 and 70 cents.
Mr.. Denman announced thif
morning that reducing wages to q
maximum of 40 cents will not al
low the company to reduce its
fares. He said that the reduction
permits the company to earn only q
fair return at the present rate Of
fares.
He said that the company has
been losing money on a big scale
on Davenport lines and that there
have been severe shortages on the
Illinois side Of the river for sew
eral months. The situation here Is
by no means as serious as in Dav.
export, he added.
One-Man Car Fares High
| Even with the one-man cars II
operation the company has little
to offer in the way of fare reduc
ton.
Mr.. Denman stated that when thu
one-man cars are started in Day
export the company will be able Il
reduce the fare to a straight charg'
of eight cents.
He was able to offer hope Of ,
little better for Rock Island, Mo
line and East Moline. II citizen
here accept the one-man car tn
company can give an Scent Tar
with two tickets for Is cents.
not, the 9-cent fare will be contir
ued to allow the company to max
more money, MIR. Denman said.
Such rates as quoted are necea
sary to allow the company to mak
any profit, it was declared. an
even these fares could not continu
with the men receiving anythin
. more than the pay now being OF
I cred.
: However, the big thing confron
+ ing the patrons of the company q
all lines is whether they are goir
to have service after June l At ar
! fare.
Leaders declared that the primo
Q pal object in view is to obta
arbitration on all phases of Il
II dispute and they are willing
u bind themselves to accept the fin
ings of a board Of arbitration, Or
IS viding that the company does lik
u wise.
= Sentiment of the men ID that th
y have nothing to do with the far
and are only concerned with o
10 tanning a living wage without ta