St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-02-28

with the understanding that any effort
would be put forth in the way Of attack or
interference with the railway company.
Inc men diSclaimed any such intention
An organization was perfected, each man
paying dollar into the hands of the Secre-
tary elected. and this money is still in the
hands of that officer. / wish the matter To
be placed correctly before the public, and
10 have it understood that no strike has
been intended or even any agitation leading
10 a strike authorized; further, that no one
mas Deem bleeding the men at 81 apiece. +"
MS statement was corTObOrated by an
otneI n. OF !. officer. and the men present
teStihed that Il was perfectly truthful &C
count Of what occurred at the meeting.
number Of the car drivers and stable
men present took the opportunity of stating
Their grievances against the street car com
gany. There can DC little doubt as to the
uuthfnlness OF these assertions, which 90
toward proving what is popularity believed
that the Minneapolis Street Railway COM
Pany Is treating its employees in 4 manner
amounting to
ABSOLUTE CRUELTY,
and which will not be tolerated by the pub
lie which catroniZes IT, From these differ
ent accounts it is gathered that the life of a
Minneapolis street car driver runs about like
this: He makes a deposit of $40 when
first hired by the company from
which any deficiency in cash is
deducted. He is paid So per day
and throughout the year works on an aver
agc OF fifteen hours per day. his hours
varying from thirteen 70 seventeen. In
addition TO this he is often required to
work on put outs or extra cars. for
which he gets none or very little eompensa-
lion. lie IS not allowed to leave his car.
must be responsible for everything, and
only gets day off when the extra man
( takes his place, which is I'm accordance
with the number OF cars on his line.
The barn men get only 81. - per day.
and are required TO work nearly as hard
and long as the drivers. Some of the
principal grievances made last evening are
as follows:
Washington avenue cars cannot be washed
at night, but must be in the morning, even
II II Is 400 below zero. Cars leave from
$50 TO o o'clock.
Drivers are allowed twenty TO twenty
four minutes 10 get dinner or supper. ANY
time lost Is deducted. no matter what caused
the delay. even if by broken rail.
If a driver is late even few minutes he
is discharged peremptorily.
AAN AhihNAN4hC uNCuklt uIlNcIS not
allowed to leave the car three minutes from
the time they 90 cut i'm the morning until
noon. supper or the close of the day.
Barn men. who get only Sl.25. are often
required to drive cars for days without get
ting any additional pay.
The average hours OF the drivers are from
10 TO l6 hours, some working as long as 90
hours. and the shortest Is hours.
Barn men commence at a. m. and work
until or Z p. M. as the boss sees lit. and
then are often required TO drive an hour and
half tn take drivers place.
Ii snow storm comes up. the men are
required often 10 work all night. twenty
four hours constituting days work then.
The Grand opera cars get TO the barn
about midnight. and the driver is required
To take his regular trip, even if he is the
iTst out in the morning.
At the rate OF ten hoars day. a street