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Service Talks
PHILADELPHIA RAPID TRANSIT COMPANY
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SERVICE TALKS
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EVERY EMPLOYE A STOOKMOLOER
August 11, 1WJ
WHAT THE CHIEF SAID
Mitten men and management In co-operation have, during ten year past, worked wonders, in
economic accomplishment for P. R. T. and for Philadelphia. Ne ether city has had freedom from
labor disturbances en its street cars for be long, and no ether large city enjoyed uninterrupted ierric,
during the war.
Mitten men and management have benefited largely by saving their money during wartime
wages.. Heme owners and tax-payers new, with nearly $2,000,000 in saving fund securities and 60,000
shares of 6 P. R. T. capital stock, with a paid-in value of $3,000,000, reposing in the pension and co
operative wage funds, we are well en our way te an industrial independence that will have been
honestly earned and paid for by the sweat of our brew. 10,000 men and women, their families and
believing friends all set te go, with a settled purpose founded en a deep-set belief in the fairnM
of man and a determination te return te the America of our forefathers.
Mitten men-and management stand for geed citizenship, foursquare Americanism and proper
enforcement of the laws.
Dynamiting, boycotting and the terrible financial losses from lawlessness, se frighten capital
standing alone, as te suggest te some the possibility of Bolshevism overpowering Americanism.
Mitten men and management have fearlessly fought for the right and have always wen, as they
will at Buffalo, where they can be depended upon te supply both men and money, while these from
whom greater things were expected, lie down en the job and counsel that contracts, for the sake of
peace, be made with these almost self-confessed as responsible for dynamiting outrages and ether
offenses against humanity and the laws.
America is in the threes of acute industrial indigestion, following wartime extravagances and
the influx of tee many foreign malcontents. This makes for the present unrest, which calls for the
loyalty' and bread minded patriotism of a Washington, with the force of a Roosevelt
America has held open the deer te immigration, unchecked, until tee many troublemaker
from abroad have come here and combined te destroy the American government, with which, for
opportunity te the ordinary man, no ether government en earth can compare.
America will be saved, as heretofore, by the common sense of the common people, who need
just such a crisis te bring forth the latent strength and forceful power of these obliged te struggle
for a livelihood.
America is a creation of the common people, its laws are made by and for the common
people, and upon the common people must America depend for the protection of its foundation
principles. '
Mitten men and management have kept free from politics, and must continue se te de, as
politics were formerly understood, but when we recognize that the present unrest and extravagance
of the younger generation can be only cured by education, and still mere education, of the kindT that
makes for character building, we are appalled at the expenditure of untold millions for municipal art
galleries and the like, while 200,000 children in Philadelphia alone are allowed te suffer for lack of
educational facilities.
Wealth tee often spells worthlessness, and riches the ruination of everything worth white, te
expect a reborn America te emanate from the rich.
It is of just such conscientious, hard working, honest thinking men, as I knew yen te be, that
American institutions must depend for the straightening up of the present situation, and the introduc
tion of clean, energetic, straight thinking men into positions of public responsibility.
There are problems for us te face at the outset of the twentieth century grave problems
abroad and still graver at home; but we knew that we can solve them and solve them well, provided
only that we bring te the solution the qualities of head and heart which were shown by the men who,
in the days df Washington, founded this government, and, in the days of Lincoln, preserved it.
--THEODORE ROOSEVELT
SERVICE TALKS
LABOR PLANS WHICH ARE WORKING
Philadelphia, the city in which our nation was born, the place which in every great national
emergency since has given te the country unusual men, strong guidance and powerful inspiration,
as well as material things, even new is leading the way te a happy, just and right, generally beneficial
and greatly constructive solution of these problems of labor, capital and the public which at present
are creating country-wide disturbance.
What T. E. Mitten has done in mere than a decade with the some 10,000 Rapid Transit
Company" empleyes, and is new teaching te Buffalo, where P. R. T. men have gene in numbers as
volunteer crusaders te show the striking carmen there the true meaning of real co-operation between
men and management, W. W. Atterbury, as operating vice-president of the great Pennsylvania System,
with its army of 200,000 empleyes, working upon a somewhat different plan, has accomplished in
impressive way. In each case the success has rested upon recognition that human nature responds
surely te fair dealing and mutual confidence.
With the still very "short existence of the representative co-operative plan en the Pennsyl
vania System, it was net surprising that the nation-wide strike call took a considerable number of
men out of the company shops. What is remarkable is that the Atterbury plan, hardly mere than
given effect, se strongly appealed te the intelligence and self-interests of the men that the big;
transportation system lias come thru the strike almost unscathed, and having been able te perform
without curtailment its every function te the public. There is every prospect that the closer working
and better understanding which the plan enables between the managers and empleyes of the Pennsyfc
vania Railroad will produce and show in the twenty times greater field proportionately fully aa
much by the time it has been running ten years as does the Mitten co-operative plan new with its
longer application.
Laber needs te act collectively, even as does capital. The purpose of a labor union is te
protect its members against injustice and te promote their interests. That also is te the greater
public interest. The real preposition is what method most certainly secures te labor its rights and its
dues, te capital the same, and te the public all that it is entitled te without oppression. It has come
te be that the public is most abused, because it has net yet intelligently erganised te protect
itself or te enferce justice as between its parts. Such plans as these which Mitten and Atterbury
have made effective de mere for the empleyes than any labor Unions and at less cost, while the
capital in the business is protected, and the public net only safeguarded but better served. Why net
apply the Philadelphia way te the situation, se that there need be no mere strikes?
Philadelphia North Ainerjcan, Augysl 29, 1922,
AGREEMENT WITHOUT OUTSIDE INFLUENCE
With the approval of the Railroad Laber Beard, an organization has been, formed by the loyal
empleyes and the men appointed te the places deserted by the striking shepmen of the New Yerk.
New Haven and Hartferd Railroad. This new organization is called the Association of Mechanical
Department Empleyes. The idea is te ignore all outside influence and te settle every question con
cerning wages and rules by mutual agreement. There is te be an adjustment beard, and before it all
controversies will be brought. Of course, decisions and agreements will be subject te the approval of
the Railroad Laber Beard.
Te our way of thinking, this is the ideal method.. We haven't the slightest doubt about it, for
after all it means the adoption virtually of the scheme introduced by President Mitten into the affair
of the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company.
We used te have strikes in this city. They are unknown new. We used te witness the old, old
conflict between capital and labor. Conflicts never occur under the enlightened system of employer
and empleye coming together. There is contentment. There is harmony. We de net believe that
we are exaggerating when we say that, se far as the relations between the men and the corporation
are concerned, the Rapid Transit Company presents a model.
New come the empleyes of the New Yerk, New Haven and Hartferd with an organization
apparently based upon the Mitten plan. It calls for mutual trust, for mutual confidence. Ne wonder
that the Railroad Laber Beard indorses it. Fer it is net an experiment. It went through that
crucible long age, has been thoroughly tested and pronounced the nearest te perfection yet achieved.
When this plan of co-operation becomes general throughout the country as It should become
trouble will disappear and high-priced labor, agitators living off the earnings of the workers will net
have se much- te de.
Philadelphia Inquirer, 'August 27,3922
TULLEY TALKS
Buffalo is betnjr reclaimed from the Bolshevists, and you P. R, T. men have made it possible. Yc
men that came up te Buffalo and ate the bricks, and you that worked here nights and Sundays te keep things
tng, all have my thanks, my heartfelt thanks, for the help you gave in this emergency.
As Dr. Mitten said in one of his daily Service Talks, "Yen hare proved that in industry there de exist
principle for which men will fight" It has all been very wonderful, and while I am very busy at Buffalo just
new fightmg Jitneys and running down dynamiters, I Just had te come here today and see yen all. The sight
of your honest and happy faces is a mighty geed antidote te fortify me against the lawlessness and tm-Amerl-canism
which X encounter en every hand. P. R. T. men made Mitteniam victorious- here hvmany hard fought
battles, and again in Buffalo your sustaining influence will save the day.
Jitneys new continue, despite the law, and business men desert the cause and cry for peace, but
prosecutions will persist, criminals be punished and terrorism terminate. In the words of Jndge Hartwell
at die Herrin massacre investigation, There comes a time in the life of every man when he must show
whether he is a man, or whether he can be coerced into a cringing tool of somebody else through truculence or
cowardice. The time comes when he must stand up and be counted."
The experience of our Chief in Milwaukee during the strike of 1896 and after, heartens me up a great
deal. When Mr. Mitten went te Milwaukee and fought the strike in 1896, the brewery wagon drivers aided
the street car men te fight the company, just as the striking railroad shepmen are aiding the strikers at
Buffalo. .Browbeating and boycotting were se bad that the Chief could get neither beard nor barber in the
town." However, when he left Milwaukee in 1900, City Councils passed a resolution of endorsement and,
through newspaper writers, offered franchises ever every street in the town if he would only return.
We are fighting in Buffalo for the right of every man te de an honest day's work for an honest day's
pay. This we believe te be an American privilege, for which we will fight te the bitter end, and when Mil
waukee history repeats itself in Buffalo, and Buffalo bows te you and us, as the men and management
responsible for saving Buffalo from Bolshevism, we shall all feel well repaid.
FROM ANOTHER CARMAN
Editor, The Cemmercial:
A little late in asking you for a small space in your valuable and fearless paper. As I return te my.
regular run in Philadelphia tomorrow, I wish te say that I hope by this time next week the trolley men of the
city of Buffalo will be back en the job with their shoulders te the wheel, and accept the Mitten Plan. Before
the year is out they will knew that they have just come out of a darkened past into a bright and prosperous
future. We had the same old story te tell in Philadelphia in the days of unionism which is a man's worst
enemy. Who suffers by it? Why, the ones that he loves and holds dear. Ask any or all of the trellevmen
of Philadelphia, and then check them up and see hew many of them own their homes, with money in the bank.
Men that could never save a dollar until Our Big Chief came te the rescue. He came when it was a man's
job, but he was the man of the hour. And te a man the empleyes of the P. R. T. will fellow their leader.
Winter is coming en and we all knew what that means te the homes of the working men. Se troHey treHey
men of Buffalo, are you ashamed te declare your rights as Americans te' de as you please as long as you
are within the law? Don't break the law, and you will have no trouble, except from these who have net the
brains te knew right from wrong.
Threw off the yoke of unlawful unionism and be a man, and when you say man that means everything
that is American. Think of your loved ones at home and protect them from the ravages of a hard winter.
Threw out your chest, lift your head, fear no one but Almighty Ged and say, "I WILL GO BACK."
Buffalo, August 25, 1922.
ELWOOQ J. WHITLOCK, Allegheny. Car Barn, Philadelphia,
SERVICE TALKS
PHILADELPHIA RAPID TRANSIT COMPANY
STATEMENT TO THE PRESS
"Ctrl Your Pie in Thirds, Mr. Mitten,, Se reads the heading of a leading morning newspaperta
editorial enumerating the advantages of P. R. T. men and management under their Ce-operative Plan,
'Tensions, sick benefits, $1,000 life insurance, saving fund, co-operative wage dividend fund, every
activity planned and executed en a SO-SO basis empleye and employer."
It Is true that "the street railway system is by no means 50-30 concern," and equally true that the
third-party, the public, must net be overlooked.
The suggestion "Cut your pie in thirds, Mr. Mitten," is a fair one; hence we new present this bill of
particulars covering happenings of the past, and in addition, encouragement te the public through premised
co-operation, for the future.
P. R T. men and management have for mere than 10 years past increasingly advanced their mutual
fatereiti by co-operation of the kind that counts, by producing increased wages and ether advantages for
the men andtttablished dividends for the stockholder, all of which has been accemplislied' through faneved
salesmanship of car rides and increased efficiency in operating methods.
P. R. T. today supplies te the public a street car service unequalled elsewhere. In no ether city is a
combined ride ever surface and elevated lines given for a single 7c cash 4 tickets for 25c fare, this fare being
25 lower than the 10c3 tickets for 25c fare charged in Pittsburgh for a distinctly inferior service.
P. R. T. has recently agreed te abserfl the less resulting from the operation of the Frankford "L"
without additional fare, and is new preparing te improve its sen-ice te the public by adding trips te its Fall
schedules averaging 8 for the system, as against a present showing of but 2 in added passenger traffic
P. R. T., during the past decade, has made greater progress than any similar system elsewhere, and
this is truly remarkable considering that each of the three last city administrations has pressed for the con
summation of impossible plans, and persevered in attempts te punish P. R. T- by legal proceedings
se destructive te its credit as te curtail its every constructive accomplishment
P. R. T. is new in safe position its physical condition is excellent and bdng well afaf.fni ft,
banking connections are sound and satisfactory. P, R. T. men smd management, 10,000 strong, with tfceh?
families and friends, make up the multitude which-has fought! or PJEl.TuidtmmeraeetnInElwimatt
mountable obstacles.
P. R. T. men and management, with city's aid, can co-operatively accomplish wonders. Bread
Street subway can be quickly built downtown congestion nbatcd by additional subways, the Parkway
cleared of street cars for the Scsqui and "deuble-decker" meter-bus service supplied te the parks. All of
these things are possible, if only the public and their representatives in city government can see the unwisdem
of continued fighting and Jein hands in se settling matters that city and company can together strive fee,
added transit adequato.fer city's needs, i
1 August 29, 1922,
JT. E, MITTENS
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