San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-06-06
STREET CAR EMPLOYEES PETI-
TON.

way, San Antonio. Texas.
| Sir: Your petitioners respectfully rep
, resent, that since you cannot know all
/ the embarrassing facts incident to our
employment we deem it but fair to you
and just to ourselves to present this
| statement.
The average day of motor men and
conductors is seventeen TO eighteen hours
! on our motors, our time for meals is ff-
teen minutes. We start out at 6 a. N.
and run indefinitely TO II and u p. m. We
are dosked If we lose an hour in this in
| determinate and elastic day.
The physical man cannot and does not
| endure the strain, and day taken for
| recuperation is lost to the over fatigued
worker; therefore he does not draw his
| full pay and often falls short of receiving
$40 per month.
If he holds to his place his exhaustion
OF body and the dizziness of SleepinesS in
vites danger to the public, to the COM
pany and to the emplOye.
III a new AMI inexperienced man Is
placed in charge of the motor the inva-
riable rule is the burning of the switch
boxes, loss of time by stoppage on the
entire line for fifteen minutes or more
possibly an hour or more-cOmplaint from
patrons and loss to the company.
Nine-tenths of the accidents. and
wreckages, can be traced directly or iDdi-
rectly TO the weakened mental and physi
cal condition of mOtOr-men who have
stood on their motors day after
day endeavoring to make full months
wages; nature reaches her limit aud
a few seconds Of obliviOuS fatigue suffice
to wreck a car.
New men are taken on one day to be in
Structed in the handling of a motor, the
following day they are often given the
complete control ola motor. They will run
the motor as an inexperienced man only
can, trusting TO luck 10 carry him safely
through the day. He is in complete ignO-
rance of the strong or weak parts of his
motor, the track is an unSOlved problem
also the trolley wire, the motor is put in
motion; no reduction in speed is given for
good or bad track, his motor runs off the
track, causing loss of time, extra labor
and loss of passengers, or the trolley
leaves the trolley wire and trolley pole
is broken, and the conductor is made to
pay for same.
You, Mr.. President, may not be aware
of some of the facts but there have been
as many as three motors turned out to
one man in a single days run. All regu
lar motor who have regular motors
take pride and pleasure in keeping their
motors in good running order and often
consume the few minutes they have for
rest at the end of each line in rectfying
my hO uClCNG III IhC SLIOOOu vi hiu
of their machines.
We, as the conductors and motor-me
who have regular runs make this city our
homes. We earn our money and wish to
spend 1t here, many of us expecting to
give years OF our lives to the company,
while single day man is only anxious to
get few dollars ahead and leave the city
for other fields of labor and the record he
leaves is one or more motors so crippled
that they have to be run into the shops
for repairs.
We, therefore, suggest this remedy.
Give us day of twelve hours both for
motor and conductors; the first to be
paid forty-five and the latter fifty dollars
per month; for additional hours allow us
fifteen cents per hour, and when in case
OF emergency crew keeps Their car over
time, they shall be paid fifteen cents per
hour for all over twelve hours, any time
over ID minutes to go for an hour; relief
crews to be allowed the same, and to be |
ready when regulars go off.
That all new and inexperienced men be |
turned over to a thoroughly competent
motor man, who will instruct him in his |
duties; no man to be given a motor until |
he has at least six days instruction, and |
not then, unless pronounced competent by |
his instructor. Promotions to be governed !
by length of service, faithful performance |
OF duty and ability.
Feeling assured that you will give this |
your prompt attention, we are,