Evening star., 1936-08-27
NICE ENCOURAGED
| BY STRIKE PARLEY'
Governor Sees Hope for
Peaceful Settlement of
Cumberland Dispute.
Ey the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
CUMBERLAND. Md, August 81
Gov. Harry w. Nice, after q series of
early-morning conferences, said to-
day that he was greatly encouraged"
over the prospect of peaceful settle
ment of the strike at the Kelly
Springfield Tire Co. plant here.
The Governor said that his primary
purpose In coming here was to
persuade the strikers and the en-
ployers to sit down around a council
table and adjust their difficulties.
i am here" the Governor said, ito
request that both sides meet around
table and adjust their difference 10
avoid situation which might become
potentially disastrous to both sides
and dangers TO the citizens Of
Cumberland.
Offices Are Closed.
'I cannot conceive of any situation
which cannot be adjusted or any
question which cannot be solved by a
sincere desire for adjustment and
solution on the part Of men sitting
around table freely discussing every
angle and adopting a policy Of give
and take.
After discussing the matter from
1:30 to $3.50 am. in my room with
various people intimately acquainted
with the situation on both sides, I am
greatly encouraged at the prospect of
an a0nipa hla or itIctynorf
The offices of the plant, employing
about 200 clerical workers. closed
down this morning. Department
heads told the employees not TO return
to work. The Offices, which include
the export department, formerly in
New York, have been working since
the strike began last Sunday.
A number of men engaged in re-
pairing and maintaining the machin-
cry have been allowed to enter the
plant through the picket lines daily.
The Governor arrived here about 2
am, after a five-hour drive from
Annapolis-much of the way through
a pouring rain-accompanied by his
aide, State Police Sergt. Menash Katz.
Immediately, he conferred with Henry
Lay Duer, State commissioner of labor
and statistics, who came to Cumber-
land yesterday.
State Senator Robert B. Kimble,
Western Maryland labor leader, and
Thomas B. Finan, representing the
company. were called into conference
with the Governor before noon. Kim
bic, spokesman for triking members
of the United Rubber Workers Union.
yesterday condemned police use of
tear gas to break up picketing.
Police Detail Cut.
Kimble said last night that, as
result of his protest against presence
of State police on the scene, the de-
tail here was cut from IS to 2.
Maj Enoch B. Carey State police
superintendent, preceded the Govern 4.
or here.
Only a skeleton staf of workers,
composing a maintenance crew and
the ONCE force, remained at the closed
tire plant today Edmund S. Burke,
Kelly-Springfed president, ordered a
violence to non-strikers.
Several hundred pickets still were
stationed at the plant entrance, but
there was no disorder reported.
Says Gas Was Last Resort"
Chief of Police Oscar Eyerman last
night admitted city police had thrown
the tear gas bombs which aroused
a storm of protest from strike leaders.
Eyerman asserted, however, it was
last resort"
Edmund S. Burke. president Of the
rubber company, issued the closing
order. He said he did so because
employees who wanted to work could
not get proper protection"
Gov. Nice said all forces OF the
State would be modified to protect
persons and property, but that they
would not interfere in the private
dispute between the employer and the
employe."
The strike began Monday under
sponsorship of Local No rs. United
Rubber Workers of America. an Amer
lCdh ESucIdtlOil VI AdOOA
John Gels, president of the local,
said the strike was called to obtain =,
wages on competitive basis with
Akron, Ohio. wages in the Goodyear
plant there, the same company that
owns the local plant; to obtain recog- .
milton of the local rubber union and
approximately 80 furloughed employees -
who are union members: better work
ing conditions, shorter hours"
In a statement on the plant clos
ing, Burke said Kelly-Springfleld was :,
paying as high wages as any industry
in this vicinity. He accused the strik-
ers with resorting to intimidation $,
and violence" to keep other workers
from their jobs. -,,
' Gov. Nice interrupted vacation
cruise on the Chesapeake Bay, leaving :
his yacht at Solomons, Md.
Kimble spoke to the strikers yester-
day, calling tear gas barrages ioosed-
upon the strikers "dastardly attack"
by the Cumberlnd police. He said the
release of gas would go down as the
blackest page in the history of this
community"