Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-02-12
Farley Slated Today
In Effort 10 Settle
Philadelphia Strike
BY the Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 12.-Hope
Of settlement of the city-wide tran
sit strike was famed today with
announcement that all disputine
parties will meet at pm. in the
office Of Mayor Bernard Samuel.
The Mayor arranged the confer
eace among representatives of the
Philadelphia Transportation Co.
the striking Local 234 of the GIG
Transport Workers Union and Fed
eral conciliators.
1t was the first time since nego-
tiations broke down late Sunday
night that a meeting of all parties
was arranged.
The transit strike that has dis
rupted life and business in the Ma
tion's third largest city and has de-
prived 5000, 900 daily riders of all
bus, trolley, subway and elevated
train service.
Earlier today, Howard F. Colvin,
assistant director of the Labor De-
partment Cancellation Service, said
mo concessions have been made
by either side, but I think We (the
Labor Department conciliators) may
be able to offer a solution"
He did not disclose what sugges-
tons conciliators have made.
Union Shop Asked.
The union, which struck at 1901
am. yesterday, demanded PIC &C
ceptance of a union shop and q
liberalized pension plan before SUBJ
uniting to arbitration Is other dis
puted points, including a requested
25-cents-an-hour wage increase
PIC offered an immediate 12-cents-
an-hour increase with arbitration
of "all other demands
Meanwhile, the company's 3,268
trolleys, buses, trackless trolleys and
subWay-elevated cars stood idle in
50 carbar1is and garages under the
watchful eyes of pickets-and Phila-
delphians resorted to shoe leather,
automobile, railroads, taxis and
hitchhiking to get from one place
to another.
Nevertheless, officials said IS per
cent of the city's 100000 workers
most of them normally transit lines
riders-managed to reach their jobs
in factories, stores and Offices during
the first day of the walkout. And
they managed to get home. But the
city experienced the worst traffic
snarl in its history.
Frequent Traffic Jams.
Policemen working 12-hour shifts
fought to control an estimated
225, 900 automobiles - lined bumper
to bumper along all downtown
streets-between 7:30 and 10 am
(workbound) and 4;30 and T. pm
(homebound). Jams were frequent,
accidents common, and hitchhikers
crowded every corner.
Taxis were as sought-after as
butter and nylons.
The terminals of the Reading Co
and the Pennsylvania Railroad were
warehouses during the evening rush
hour.
About 10000 men and women
packed the Reading Station-over-
flowing the ground floor, the stair
ways, the train floor outside the
gates. Twenty-Five women tainted
Many lost pocketbooks.
Schools, department stores, down.
town theaters and many small
places of business in outlying dis
tricts were affected.
Store Sales OFF.
Sales in some stores were reported
off as much as so per cent and many
sent sales personnel home. Parocfia
high schools shut down, while at
tendance in public schools was cut
in half. Tens of thousands arrived
late at their jobs.
The walkout affected the courts
and snarled selective service. A
number of city, State and Federal
judges postponed cases when wit
nesses failed to show up. Youths
slated for draft physicals waited
several hours until Army trucks ar
rived to take them to the induction
center.
This is Philadelphia fifth tieup
the second in two years. The first
took place in 1895.