"-?& Wrmmhwfwiiijp!WgqlMi
CONTRACTORS "TOO PROUD". TO
ARBITRATE
The great drawback to bettlement
of the carpehters' strike seems to be
that the contractors are too proud to
arbitrate. If one """can. believe the
story in this morning's Herald and
it is asking a lot to ask one to believe
a labor story in a loop daily then the
contractors are weeping bitterly be
cause Aid. C. T. Murray's strike com
mittee threw up the sponge so sQon.
The Herald quoted a "member of
the contractors' association" as say
ing the contractors would have liked
to have had Aid. Murray's committee
induce the carpenters to vote on a
compromise offer granting an in
crease of 214 cents an hour from
May 31, this year.
If the Herald's quoted interview
with "a member of the contractors'
ass'n" name not given, by the way
-be true, it denotes only cowardice
on the part of the contractors. It is
admissjon that they recognize they
should compromise their differences
with the carpenters and yet are too
proud to make the offer too proud
to arbitrate.
Again, if the reputed interview of
the Herald be true, then the contract
ors are in a frame of mind where
they are willing to come down off
their high horse, if they can get
down gracefully. It has been but a
few days ago since the contractors
said they would not even renew their
offer of 2y2 cents increase for the
last half of a 3-year agreement. In
deed, they indicated they would force
down the scale of the carpenters. But
here, according to the Herald, they
are willing that the carpenters should
make them a proposition calling for
a 2y2 cent increase effective this
month.
JOHN L. WHITMAN MAY STICK
John L. Whitman is going to stick
as superintendent of the bridewell for
a whije and maybe for keeps. Mayor
Thompson refused to answer a direct
question from a newspaper reporter
yesterday as to whether "Whitman
will be reappointed. Btu the mayor
spoke warmly of Whitman's ability.
He said:
"I used to know Whitman when he
too kcharge of the jail. I went over
there one day and found he'd gotten
the prisoners to organize a vaude
ville performance. He made a bad
jail b. better place to' live in. He is
progressive. Knows bow to handle
bad men so as to get the best out of
them.
"I'm going to look ove rthe bride
well Friday and have a talk with
Whitman over a plan for the prison
ers to raise vegetables. Why not let
them run a farm out there' There
is land on the bridewell grounds and
on the banks of the drainage canal
which can be used.
"And we're going to talk over a
plan for the prisoners to earn some
wages to be paid to theiir families.
It may reduce the number of fam
ilies compelled to go to the county
agent's office."
o 0
SWEJTZER KITS HARRISONITES
As the result of a notice from
County Clerk Sweitzer, candidates
for the bench have only three days to
rhnco under what party stamp they
will run. The Democratic candidates
are hard hit by the order.
If they do not send the clerk no
tice within the three-day limit, they
can be declared out of the race. They
have already been nominatted in a
county convention, but the legality
of a county convention is a much
mooted question at present and both
parties are also presenting petitions.
The petitions of the Republican
judges are well prepared with names
to spare. The Democrats are in
trouble, however, for their petition
carries only a few hundred names
over the required number and may
be called void if carefully scrutinized.
o 0
Edw. Hughes, 41, 2844 Van Buren,
given .20 days in jail alter 3d suicide
attempt.
fggj-.;