Missouri Valley Times

Workmen Will Return at Once and Leave Differences to Be Settled By Board of Arbiters.

MAYOR SOLVES PROBLEM

Thompson Locks Union and Traction Officials In Office and Holds Them Until They Agree.

Chicago, June 17.--The strike of 14,000 street car men was called off at 8 o'clock this morning. All points at issue will be settled by arbitration. Operation of cars on all lines was to be resumed as quickly as the striking men could be notified.

The end of the strike which has tied up electric transportation for two days came with the selection of Mayor William Hale Thompson as the third member of a board of arbitration, the main question at issue. Officials of the companies will select an arbitrator by Saturday, it was announced. W. D. Mahon, international president of the street car men's union, probably will be named to represent the men.

The selection of Mayor Thompson came at the end of a 12-hour conference which began yesterday afternoon. Union leaders, officials of the traction lines and members of the mayor's aldermanic strike committee were in attendance.

Mayor Saves Situation.

Threatened breakups were frustrated after both labor leaders and traction officials announced they could reach no agreement, when Mayor Thompson invited the conferees to take off their coats.

The mayor then locked the doors of his office. He told the men that he would keep them there until a solution of the situation was reached. The mayor took a gold horseshoe from his desk and hung it over his desk clock.

"That was given to me for good luck," he said, "so I'm going to wish that it will bring good luck to this conference."

After a heated discussion on the question of selecting a third arbitrator Leonard A. Busby, president of the Chicago surface lines mentioned the name of Mayor Thompson. Names of scores of prominent men previously suggested had been thrown into the discard.

The committee representing the street car men headed by W. D. Mahon, retired with his associates to another room to consider the proposal of accepting Mayor Thompson. Within 10 minutes they returned. "We'll take him" was the simple announcement that electrified the weary group of men.

Handclapping and cheering echoed through the corridors of the city hall.

Locks Arbitrators In.

Mayor Thompson unlocked the doors of his office. The labor leaders put on their coats and marched out their faces wreathed in smiles.

"Wait a minute," called the mayor. "I want to tell you men how much I appreciate what you have done." he said. "I will accept this responsibility and know that it will be hard. I will do the best I can and see that a square deal is given all around."

Sessions of the board of arbitration probably will be begun early next week, it was announced. The plan decided upon stipulates that all questions at issue will be heard without any advance concessions having been made.

Announcement of a settlement came too late to start cars for the rush hours early today and the great armies of workers were obliged again to depend on the thousands of motor busses, moving trucks, ice wagons and railroad suburban trains for transportation.

Stop Strike Breakers.

Officials of the traction system telegraphed to eastern labor agencies not to employ any more men as strike breakers. Six thousand men already had been started here, it was said. Sixteen hundred strike breakers arrived last night and were placed under guard in lodging houses and terminals of the companies.