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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 1918)
THE BEE: OMAHA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1918. 1 i STRIKER HELD ON COMPLAINT OF KIDNAPING F. R. Bahr Says Mont Lynch and Others Tried to Run Him Out of Town in Automobile. . ' Mont Lynch, striking street car employe, 5434 South Twenty-fourth , treet, was arrested Thursday morn- - ing on complaint of F. R. Bahr, 1112 t South Tenth street Bahr alleges .., that Lynch, Herbert Bruhn and two other men whose names he does not know, forced him into an automibile ; about 8 o'clock Thursday morning, carried him between 12 and 15 miles west of Omaha and ordered him not to return. Bahr told police that he was on his way to report for doty as the Pierce street car barn when he was forced into the automobile. He 1 'alleges the men responsible were all ! striking street car employes and r'. were mad because he refused to Join the union. Threats Made, He Says. He says he was picked up by a , passing automobilist and brought Mo Omaha, arriving ahead of the " met whom he says kidnaped him. lit alleges that when he passed . them they threatened to apply a coat of tar and feathers if he did not immediately leave town. He charged the men with assault and -; battery. , Lynch offered no resistance when arrested by Assistant Chief of Po- . lice Dempsey and Detective Dunn. ' He joked with the officers and said he did not think there was any harm in giving a man an automobile ride. He denied that he or the -other members of the party struck Bahr or injured him in any way. i Had Gun on Person . "We were doing it for his own good," said Lynch. "He appeared yesterday with a gun and threatened any man that atempted to keep him from work. The men were sore about it and we thought it was ad- ' visable to get him out of town be ' fore they lost control of themselves and lynched him." f When taken to the police station Wednesday Bahr had a gun in his possession. It was unloaded and he "'was released. , Lynch's bond was fixed at $75 and he was immediately released. The bond was provided by street . car men. It is alleged that James Hicks, a nonunion street car employe, is an other man who has been kidnaped. He was leaving the Pierce street car barn and stopped to button up his coat, when he was urged to en ter an automobile by two men. He . made no resistance, it is said, and , was told by the men they would take hi in home. Inquiries revealed the' fact that .he had not arrived home, 709 Ban croft street, after 1 o'clock. .' Victor Johnson, conductor, living at 2212 North Twenty-seventh avenue, was stopped by several 'strikers while 6n his way to the car ibarns at Tenth and Pierce streets ri How Omaha Rode to Work In Early Morning Hours :4 " 0 a? l h 5:.30-Thursday morning. He says rtliat the strikers took hold of him ; and asked him to join them in the ' strike. He refused, and was then placed in an automobile by the men and taken to his home. i Johnson has been in the employ of the company for 30 years. Wattles Says Sfreet Car Company Faces Receiver for Lines "One of the alternatives which faces the Omaha & Council Bluffs Street Railway company is that of a receivership," stated President Wattles. ' He would not commit himself definitely on this subject further than to state that it is an "alter native. "The company has been losing money, and on the basis of the losses during the last five months the deficit would be nearly $1,000, 000 per year, without allowing for dividends," he added. ,. Mr. Wattles stated that the com pany's balance sheet for October shows a loss of $38,000 without pay ; ing dividends. ' The president of the street rail ' way . company further claims that increase of pay to the men, by rea son of the decision of the war labor board, July 31, 1918, amounted to $300,000 per year. The company has applied to the State Railway commission for au thority to establish a 7-cent passen ger fare in Omaha. That case has been partially heard, but not finally passed on. ,Mr. Wattles estimates that the company is losing nearly $10,000 per day on account of the strike. McNamara and Hagin Ahead on Points in Bicycle Race r Madison Square Garden, New York, Dec. 6. The enforced retire ment of Henri Gerwig and Willie Keller, because of the former's ill ness, reduced the field of riders in the six-day bicycle race at Madison Square Garden to an even dozen teams. At midnight eight teams were tied with a mark of 1,666 miles and six laps each. Two other teams were one lap behind the leaders. The record for 96 hours is 1.904 miles and nine laps, made here four years ago, by Cameron and Kier. McNamara and Hagin scored the . greatest number of points, according to the French method of scoring, having a tally of 298, while Madden and Corry were In second place with 240 and Grenda and Hill were next with 184 Omaha Boy Recovering . .. - from Shrapnel Wound Word has just been received here that Arthur Goidgraber of Omaha, a member of the Rainbov. divisif . ' is convalescing from shrapnel Vw..Js, received while going over the top, on the morning of Octo"-r 14. He is in Base Hospital No. 8, , somewhere in France. CM Cause Crip and Influeaia. LAXATIVE BROMO QUININE - Tablets rmoe the cause. There is ontr one Bromo Quinine," E. W. GROVE'S aigna ' urt ea tat bo JO. , . , WE'LL WIN STRIKE SAYS SHORT FOR CARMEN'S UNION (Continued from rags One.) Car Men Make Statement. The executive committee of the street car men's union after a ses sion at the Labor temple and a con ference with National Organizer Jerry Burnett at the Castle hotel, gave out a lengthly statement to the Omaha and Council Bluffs public, setting out their grievances for the present strike and accusing the street car company of not living up to their agreement with the war labor board. They say: "Our men are ready to start the cars running the minute the company recedes from its autocratic position and recognizes our organ ization." When one of the members of the committee was asked what action had been taken on the telegram Mayor Smith had received from the war labor board stating that the award of that board was in effect until peace had formally been de clared, he said: "Vp action was taken. The strike is still on. We did not receive any telegram from the war labor board, nor have we been advised that one was received. We have never since the strike received any communica-i tions from the board." Their statement is as follows: Open Letter to the People. This Is a brier statement of the farts leading up to the street ear strike, and which we ask you to read carefully and then judge as to who Is responsible for the present tie-up of the street car lines In the two cities. Last May an effort was made by the street railway employes to get an Increase In wages by petition, said petition being signed by practically every man on the system. Not only was this request turned down flat, but the man responsible for cir culattnir the petition was discharged. Only after the men had protested was ha re Instated. The company, after ignoring the petition advanced waifes one cent, the petition asked for from 11 to 24 cents ad vance. ' The men were then without an organiza tion, but very shortly afterwards step were taken to form a union. As soon as the company learned of this they ad vanced wages five cents per hour, although they had Informed the men two weeks previous that It was impossible to ad vance wages. Said Contract Was Fair. The organization among the men grew very rapidly, caused by the discontent with wages and working conditions. A charter was applied for to the Amalga mated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employes of America, affiliated with the American Federation of Labor, and the organization is now known as Lo cal 807. There have been four different agree ments presented by the men to the com pany, each, and every one has been turned down flat The first agreement presented was acknowledged by Mr, Wattles to be the fairest proposition ever presented to the company, yet he refused to have any thing to do with It. Inhumane Conditions. The employes of the street car company have been compelled to work under the most trying conditions, their workday stretching over a period of as much as 21 hours of elapsed time, with no ade quate rest period, as these runs were split into as many as four and five different shifts. These kind of runs paid for about ten hours of actual working time. Relief was sought for these abominable conditions, but ever and always the com pany gava promises that they never kept or Ignored the pleas entirely. Any indica tion of discontent from an employe was cause for Instant dismissal. There were other serious causes for dis content such as men being discharged without cause: arbitrary foremen; doing work for the company or the Interest of the company without pay; low wages and poor and uncertain working conditions. After repeated efforts to reach an ad justment with the company the union ap pealed to the National War Labor Board, and after an Investigation at Kansas City both sides agreed to accept the award of the Board. This award has never been lived up to by the company, either in the letter or tt6 spirit The minimum wage clause and the penalty clause for over time has not been lived up to. Further more, the intent of the award was to do away with the Inhumanely long work day, but all the company did was to change the time on their tickets by having runs start in the evening Instead of the morning, but still ths men were asked to sign up for their runs In the morning or lose it all. Company Repudiates War Board. Not only has the company failed to live up to the letter, but they have, ever since the award was handed down, deliberately chanced the schedules on practically all fie lines until there are but a very few reasonable runs left for even the old mon. Men who nad runs that wers completed in two to 11. hours are now working 11 and 1?, and even 13 hours. This discrimina tion seemed to be Intended to force the men out upon the street; the company tried to force a strike or discourage further organization among the man. In stead of tiarmony and co-operation to help win the war the practice was to create discord and force a break. Only the high resolve of the men to stand by the gov ernment in tne emergency kept them at their post. A soon as the armistice was signed it setmed that the tremendous strain under which the men continued at work had reached the breaking point. Complaints became so insistent that it was decided to make one last appeal to the company for an adjustment The executive board was so Instructed, and all their efforts failing to get any consideration from tne company there was nothing left for thsro to do but to call the men off. The arbitrary stand taken by the coiTi-pit-y has left neither room for discus sion nor adjustment. The spirit of Ameri can fair play has been replaced by an at titude that knows only that might is right Our men are ready to start the cara run ning the minute the company recedes from their autocratic position and recognizes our organization so that we can protect our children and agrees to humane work ing conditions. So far as the question of violation of the War board award, we have lived op to It In letter and spirit. All we ask now is for human conditions and Justice, safety and a guarantee at democracy la having something to say about what conditions we are asked to work under. Our organization Is opposed to strikes, and it is only the last of our weapons and to which we have to resort In order to save ourselves and our organization. We want peace, but a peace with honor and fair conditions of work. (Signed.) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, To relieve the traffic situation the Union Pacific put on short trains between Council Bluffs and Omaha, but it is doubtful if the business will warrant their continuance. Both trains were operated during the early morning hours and on one tiip over, the train handled seven and the other, three passengers. The Burlington loaded all of its early west bound trains with passen gers for South Omaha. Usually these trains do not stop at the South Omaha depot, but to accommodate the packing house and stock yards clerks and employes they stopped to let the passengers off. Jitneys Are Jammed. Jitneys operating between Coun cil Bluffs and Omaha were loaded to capacity during the early morn ing, or at least those were where the drivers did not attempt profiteer ing. The jitneys as a rule started from Pearl and Main streets, Coun cil Bluffs, and charged 25 cents for the trip to Fourteenth and Farnam streets. Some of the avaricious jitney own ers tried to- hold passengers up for 50 cents and a few tried to exact $1 for the trip across the river. Few passengers patronized them. Proffered Many Rides. A young lady who lives in Coun cil Bluffs, and who is employed n Omaha, during pleasant weather, as a matter of exercise, has frequently walked to her work. She says it had always been her experience before the strike to be interrupted in her "hike" by auto owners proffering her a lift. She says she lias had as many as 20 of these on one morning's jaunt. For the past two days she has been' compelled to walk to and from her work to her home, and, sad to relate nary an offer of conveyance has she had from hurrying autotnobilists. Ad. Brings Some Results. During a conversation with Presi dent Short of the union Thursday morning, Mayor Smith stated: "I shall be glad to co-operate in any way, as an intermediary or in any capacity." The street car company's adver tisement for men to operate cars brought applicants whose names have been recorded. The company is obtaining evi dence of alleged interference by strikers of old employes who have reported for duty. Alvin Johnson, who represented the street car company at a war labor board hearing in Kansas City, at tended Thursday morning's confer ence in the street railway offices. Jitney traffic has been increasing every hour. One of these operators reported that he collected $60 in seven hours on Wednesday. He stated that many passengers were willing to pay 50 cents for transpor tation from Twenty-fourth and Leavenworth streets to - Twenty fourth and N streets. ORIVE AGAINST INFANT DEATHS IS INAUGURATED Speakers at National Conven tion Say Mortality of Chil dren May Be Reduced by Half. Chicago, Dec. 5. A nation-wide campaign to prevent infant mortali ty and to improve the health of the next generation, was begun here to day at the convention of the Ameri can Association for Study and Pre vention of Infant Mortality. Delegates from various parts of the country outlined plans for stimu lating local investigations and se curing a division of child hygiene in the Departmenf of Health of every state and large city. Speakers said available figures show that one of every eight babies bom dies in its first year, that half of these deaths are preventable and that in locali ties where the campaign of educa tion has been carried on, the death rate has been reduced from 10 to 50 per cent. Subjects up for discussion include "lessons from the draft," "the ne cessity of state and municipal par ticipation in child welfare work," "difficulties of infant welfare work in rural communities," and the "rela tion of tuberculosis to infant mor tality." Members of the American Red Cross will explain the child welfare work they have been doing in Europe, and state and federal of ficials will discuss existing laws and proposed ones. Speakers at the three-day conven tion will include Mrs. William Low ell Putnam, Boston, who will pre side; Miss Estelle L. Wheeler, Washington; Anne Stevens, New York; Miss Pansy V. Besom, Bos ton; Dr. Anna Rude, Federal Chil dren's Bureau, Washington; Prof. Roswell H. Johnson, LIniversity cf Pittsburgh; Dr. S. McChamill. Phil adelphia, and Dr. Langley Porter, San Francisco. PhEPARE ROYAL RECEPTION FOR MEN FROM FRONT (Continued from Page One.) picture of Mobile hospital and the wonder work it accomplished. He told how the hospital would move with the boys right out in the very I battlefield, the beds often a foot deep in the mud. "He gave the highest praise to Major Macrea and the unit and de clared that this brave hospital had saved the lives of hundreds of sol diers who could never have lived until they were taken to a place in the rear. He told something of the sufferings, of the cold and the lack of equipment when there was not enough beds and they couldn't get enough men to dig the graves for the boys. Joy in Victory. But it was not a depressing talk. The whole address radiated cheer and the joy of victory. The chaplain impressed his audience that the war has broadened the soldiers. "They are men of faith and love they have plucked those flowers of Christianity out of the hell of war," he declared. He told that old creeds and preju dices havj been overcome by the war and he told of a Jewish rabbi crawl ing out on No Man's Land carrying a crucifix to a dying Catholic boy. Chaplain Lewis spoke nine times in Omaha and Council Bluffs in the three days he was here. He left Omaha Thursday night for Chicago. Army Reorganization Plan Being Worked Out, Chief of Staff Reports Washington, Dec. 5. The army program of 80 divisions in France by June 30, 1919, was embarked upon with complete confidence that Ger many could and would be defeated during 1919 if the project was car ried out, General March, chief of staff, declares in his annual report to Secretary Baker made public today. That conviction was based on a comprehensive study of the whole war situation ordered by General March immediately after he assum ed his duties as the head of the army last March. The remainder of the report is devoted to a presentation of the steps it was found necessary to take to build up an adequate general staff, and the announcement that a complete plan of reorganization for the army, including the staff is being worked out. "The modesty and gallantry of the individual American soldier in France is a matter of pride to all Americans," General March declar ed. "General Pershing and his com mand have earned the thanks of the American people." The chief of staff also commends the work of General Bliss at Ver sailles, which, he says, was of the greatest value to the department. Billion Cut from Navy Bill. Washington, Dec. 5. More than a billion dollars has been cut from the navy's estimates of expenditures for the coming fiscal year. Secre tary Daniels diclosed today tha the estimates sent to congress Monday were based on the war program and that the reduction process that already has eliminated over a fifth cf the $2,600,000,000 total is con tinuing. Army Appointments. . Washington, D. C, Dec. 5. (Special Telegram.-) First Lieut. Howard Love Price, medical corps, is relieved from duty at the Waiter Reed general hospital, Takoma Park, D. C, and will proceed to Fort Dea Moines. Col. Ralph C. Caldwell, air service (aeronautics), will proceed from Camp Travis, Texas 'to Fort Omaha, Nebraska. Wyoming Postmasters Appointed Ful ton, Hoshen county, James E. Wilson, vice, Mrs. Osie Miller resigned, Little Bear, Laramie county, Nellie M. Williams, vice, Margaret Fannerty, resigned. Do not let the street car strike in terfere with your plan to go to MUR RAY HILL Addition. Meet us at 17th and Howard street and we will taka you in automobiles free to ssle going on today. Or call Douglaa 2394 and wa will call for you at your ho ma. H. H. HARPER CO. A BIG PURCHASE Of William A. Rogers 1881 A-l Guaranteed Silverware, on Spe cial Sale at The Union Outfitting Co., 16th and Jackson Sts. One Day Only, Sat urday, Dec. 7. A Big Shipment of William A. Rogers' splendid high grade silverware has just arrived. This big purchase was bought months ago at a price which enables us to put the entire shipment on special sale for one day only at less than pres ent wholesale prices. Every piece of this beautiful silver ware was finished by the old reliable hand process, insuring a greater durability than is found in most of the jroods that are produced at the pres ent time. These beautiful sets Are put up in elegant silver chests which are lined with pur white semi-silk. There are also many dozens of knives and forks, tablespoons J and teaspoons. Any of these will be sold separately or by the dozen. Buy your Xmaa Gift Silverware at this sale, and as always you make your ( own terms. FORMER KAISER SENDS TO BERLIN FOR PHYSICIAN (Continued from Page One.) dinner at 7 p. m. He eats oysters and drinks champagne regularly, un like his father, who dines plainly. Nevertheless, he is reported to suf fer from fits of depression. Sometimes, according to eyewit nesses. he dons a full uniform, re splendent with medals, and parades in front of the mirror. He then resumes a woolen sweater and knickerbockers and plays the violin. He is said to have a deep dread of Spanish influenza and takes preven tive medicine regularly. He be comes extremely nervous, it is add ed, when strangers near him make abrupt movements. Interpellation Shut Off. I He Hague, uec. a. During a debate in The Netherlands upper chamber, Deputy Marchand express ed the opinion that should the pres ence of the former German emperor in Holland give rise to difficulties abroad, the government must re quest him -to return to Germany. The chr.mber refused to grant to Deputy Wyncoop, revolutionary so cialist, permission to interpellate the foreign ministry regarding Wil liam Hohenzollern's presence on Dutch territory, the passage of Ger man troops through Holland and the reports of massacres of Jews in Galicia. I Railway Lines Destroyed by Earthquake in Chile Buenos Aires, Dec. 5. Latest re ports from northern Chile, where a severe earthquake occurred Wednes day, are that 10 persons are dead and 100 injured seriously. The earth shock was felt most severely in the district between Taltal and Copiapo. Telegraphic communication . with Chile is greatly delayed. Railway lines were destroyed at many points. Hundreds of homes are in ruins. The damage is said to be serious throughout the province of Atacama and the southern part of Antofagasta province. A tidal wave at Caldera, south of Antofagasta, caused heavy damage and destroyed the harbor works. DEMANDS FOR RETRENCHMENT HEARDJNSENATE Democratic Leader Asserts Country Is on Road to Bankruptcy; Kenyon Proposes Inquiry. Washington, Dec. 5 Demands for retrenchment in government ex penditures were voiced again today in the senate. Senator Borah of Idaho, republican, in bringing up the subject, said that "in the first month of retrenchment, November" expen ditures reached the highest point since the war started. Democratic Leader Martin assured the senate that he believed the country was being brought to bank ruptcy and that he had' repeatedly urged virtually all department heads to cut down expenses. Senator Kenyon, republican of Iowa urged the advisability of call ing into conference the heads of the various departments and ascertain ing from them how expenditures are being reduced. Senator Martin said he was in constant touch with Chair man Sherley, of the house appropria tions committee, who has instituted such an investigation. Women Urged to Turn to Farm Work and Help to Feed Hungry World Chicago, Dec. 5. n urgent de- j d for women to turn to farm , work was voiced by spe- .s to- I day at the International Live Stock ! Exposition. Mrs. William H. Hubert of New j irlr everutive? secretary of the ' United States agricultural land army, said 1,000,000 more men v. -uld be needed in ;hia country to plant, cultivate and harvest the 1919 crop with which it h ped to feed thj hungry world. She said women were particular ly adapted for certain kinds of -rm work and urged that they re spond in large numbers to the c ..Iry's emergency call. Romanones Forms Cabinet.' Madrid, Dec. 5. Count Roman ones, who has been engagcil in the task of forming a new Spanish cab inet, announced that the new min istry would take the oath of office at noon today. The cabinet has been chosen solely from among the sup porters of Count Romanones, who is a liberal leader. American Cruisers on Way to Peru from San Francisco Lima Peru, Dec. 5.Three Ameri can cruisers are expected to arrive here from San Francisco in a v few ciays. " It is reported that Peru'nas aske t American bankvrs ft r a loan of ap proximately $33,600,000. This Is Ideal "Suit" Weather and We Have "Ideal Suits" The RIGHT KIND of a suit is in great demand now for winter wear those soft, warm mate rials, full interlined and made snug and com fortable by those high standing smart fur col lars WE HAVE 50 NEW ONES, all winter suits, and they're all included in our i DECEMBER SUIT SALE AT V3 LESS THAN REGULAR PRICES We Can "Suit" You. S LAM0WS Second Floor Securities Building THE CHRISTMAS GIFT SUPREME GIFT LUGGAGE IT'S SENSIBLE Durable Leather Bags, the kind you'll be proud to give, priced from $18.00 t0 $30.00 Suit Cases made of Seal, Wal rus and high grade cow hide; fitted with Parisian ivory. So highly appreciated by ladies who travel. From $25 lo $125 The Incomparable Hartmann Wardrobe Trunk, with lift top, heavily padded inside to prevent garments coming off the hangers. Shoe box in front. Laundry bag and most clever locking device to hold drawers. Priced from $35 '"$165 FUELING & STEINLE Trunks, Bags, Suit Cases, and Good Leather Goods 1803 FARNAM STREET - Thompsoii-Beldeii &Ch The FasAion Genier ibr Women N These are Fine Days for Christmas Shopping The crowds are smaller there is more time to give you proper attention so that your holi day selections will be more than ordinarily satisfactory. v So many mentioned this to us yesterday that we are calling it to your attention. If you cannot shop in person, phone your wants. Call Tyler 600 and ask for Miss Sedg wick, who will shop for you in any part of the store and do it to your complete satisfaction. Christmas Stocks Are at Their Best When You Send a Garment HERE to Be Cleaned, It Passes Into SAFE Hands. We "make good" if the garment it destroyed by Fire, damaged through carelessness of our, or lost or stolen. 'Can you say at much for ALL other cleanert? Phone TYLER 3-4-S Dresher Bros. DYERS DRY CLEANERS 2211-17 Farnam St., Omaha COAL " ;!l'r' We save you $1.00 to $1.50 per' ton on all coal you buy from us. LIBERTY Hand picked chunk. $8.00 LIBERTY, NUT Well screened at 87.50 ILLINOIS LUMP The gen uine $8.50 RADIANT All size, Frank, lin county $9.10 CENTERVILLE BLOCK at $8.70 ARKANSAS Anthracite . nut, for hard coal tove. $16.55 Many other kinds of coal at cut prices. All this coal ia de-1. livered free.. of charge in the city, and in the suburbs. t ROSENBLATT'S 1223 Nicholas. Douglas 630. I Transportation Solve This Problem Buy a i i i i Hudson Smper SO We have just re ceived an EXPRESS shipment and can make immediate delivery of a lim ited number of cars. Guy L. Smith "Service First" Farnam at 26th. Douglas 1970.
