Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-02-12
THE STREET RAILROAD INvEsTI.
CATION.


CATION.
President Hurt, Of the W. and 6. Rail.
road Company, Before the Senate
Committee on Education and Labor.
At 1880 p. m. to-day the resolution Of sena.
tor Van Wyck, directing an INQUIRY into the
hours OF labor required Of street railway EN-.
ployes, was read to the Senate committee on
education and labor, and President Hurt, OF the
Warrington and Georgetown company, was
called. He stated that his company was in.
corporatsd in 1862 and the road completed
within sixty days. He gave q detailed state.
ment OF the affairs Of the road, the number OF
employees their hours Of labor and pay, run.
ming time OF the cars, etc.
Mr.. Hurt said 1t would not be practicable FIR
the company to reduce its working hours before
the nrst OF May, as they must have additional
norses stables, employees and facilities for the
change, and the reduction will cost SO DER cent
paid $12O, 900 year; it viii cost 10000 more
Mr. Hurt and the directors had always re-
garded 16 and IL hours as too severe upon
men; too much for them. They had not in
not care to go IN advance OF other companies
elsewhere, and because the revenues Of the
Somgsny would not Justify II Last year the
dividends had been Ola per cent The real es-
tate Of the company amounts to q million dol.
lars.
Senator Van Wyck inquired very closely into
the financial transactions OF the Company to
show that considerable proportion OF the earn
in s ss
with haif6our iay-od, and as Mr.. Hurt Is
asked If he would be willing to ok his new
schedule at twelve hours, with half an hour
iay-of Mr.. Hurt replied that 1t is
q fixed hour; that he must have a margin OF
time to get the cars in, and leave he arranged
from ~ to 13 hours. He said the company
Senator Van Wyck was willing to accept IL
hours as compromise, but Mr. Hurt repeated
that no rigid schedule could be fixed. He added
that the company would endeavor to give
that il was ready and willing
people and Of the employees. He would promise Use
TO do all in his power TO ameliOrate the condi
ton OF the employees. 1t would cost at least
duction. Mr.. Blair urged that the schedule be
reduced to eleven hours day instead Of twelve.
Mr.. Hurt said It could not be done without re-
ducing the pay.
mittee.
Mr.. Pearson, president of the Metropolitan
Street Railway company, stated that drivers
average fifteen and q half hours q day, the hill
boys fourteen hours. He said sixty-five PEI
cent of all the street cars in the country are
one-horse cars. The company employs 125
men, 1t was harder, he said, upon the man
who had to drive and make change than upon
the man who had to drive only. Last year
the company's receipts were larger than ever
before: The company had recently spent about
S2O 200 in building at the stables, and 1t owes
for that. It owes no other debts. 20 per cent
Of the gross earning are paid to drivers, per
cent in taxes. The company earns
about $3.50 annually on each share.
The stock is worth about ninety, and all can
be bought that anybody may want. There are
hours Mr.. Pearson said he suggested at the last
meeting Of directors that the drivers should be
paid more money. The drivers get %
number Of trips. The men would rather
have more money for the service they are
rendering now than to have the hours reduced
and get the same pay. Mr.. Pearson said some
men employed at the Capitol are worked from
6 a: m to p. M, and he was sure that was as
bad as any corporation.