Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-08-29


being bad), and what hard time he has,
even counting in tips and overcharges, to
make both ends meet it would seem In
better taste to pity than to censure him.
In this age of organization it Is pleasing
to know that cabby has banded himself to-
gether into what is known as the Cabdri-
vers' Benevolent association. This society
has fund amounting to nearly sixty
thousand dollars. To this the oabmen of
London contributed Last year about eigh-
teen hundred dollars. In return for what
they pay they are helped in sickness, are
befriended when some blue coated minion
of the law hauls them before the magis-
trate, and are guaranteed pension of q
hundred dollars year in old age.
In the whole vehicular traffic of Lon
don something like seventy-five thousand
men are engaged. This word "yehicular"
Ia used not because We like 1t, but because
it has become trade word, which we see
constantly on the prospectuses and hand
bills of what is called the National Vehic-
ulsr Traffic Workers union of Great Bri-
tain and Irsland.' This is high sounding
title for what is as yet, being only in its
infancy, somewhat feeble organization.
The president is a we'll known labor agita-
tor, Mr.. Fred Hsmmill, and the general
secretary is Harry Mowbrick, of whose
nohlty ~ 10 0hOuSh W boy laot ho uab 1oi-
merly one of the smsrtest of London's
bus conductors. To show how desperate
are England's toilers in their struggle
against low wages and oppressive hours, 1t
is woIth noting that this society originated
year ago last June in connection with
the general strike of busmsn for shorter
time, and that the money needed to open
an Office was raised by Mr.. Mowbrick
through the pledging of his time piece.
To- day the organization which started un-
der these desperate auspices has a well
furnished suite of offices in Fleet street,
and is evidently moving forward to great
usefulness. From the courteous gentle
men above named some astonishing facts
were elected Bus life in London, We
were told, had undergone latterly COM
plete change. We had suspected this from
our own observations. Revisiting the me-
tropolis after an absence of two years the
bus service had seemed quieter than it
used to be. 1t has toned down, so to
speak, into tame sort of respectability.
Formerly busmen were the life OF tine
| thoroughfares. Their esgerness to have
you patronize them was the most fiatter-
| ing thing you met, and their jovial chsff
amongst themselves was "as good as q
show" And, withal, they decked out
generally in spanking attire, the coach
| hat of the latest style and an overCost
| which was the envy of many a passenger
But now it is different. The stunning
| garb is less conspicuous. Occasionally
| you see nobby looking gentleman on the
box, but it is not the rule. Conductors,
| too, are less enthusiastic than they were
in appealing for your patronage. They
| still GO through some of the motions,
but the old spirit is not there. AS to
cbsff, it has been blown to the four
| winds, 30 far as the general run of bus
men are concerned. You do hear joke
| occasionally, as, for instance, when one
| driver bantered another, who was going
slow, and would not allow him to pass,
by calling out: Say, governor, where
are yer going to pick up the cofinf'
This was truly grave attempt at wit,
and it aptly illustrates the gravity and
| general soberness with which this class
of men, who were formerly brimming
over with buoyancy, are now persuing
| their daily vocation. All this we had
observed with our own senses, and by
the officers of the Traffic Workers un-
ion we were now enlightened as to the
cause of this great change.
1t is all due to the harder conditions
under which these men work and to the
diminished pay falling to their lot.
Formerly, If the bus averaged good re.
turns the owners were satisfied, and un-
der that arrangement those in charge
| felt that a sort of tacit permission was
given them to piece out their meagre
stipend in other ways. The only COM
plant then was of long hours, and IL
was on this point that they struck. All
right said the shorter hours
and a stricter system" Instead of six
teen they were to work twelve hours q
| al ooo1a nf rrnrld he
maintained, but all perquisites would be
barred. And 80 it is to-day. The London
General Omnibus company has a standing
offer of five thousand dollars for any in
vention which will prove an effectual CHECK
upon its men and is spending three hun
dred pounds a week upon a system of es
pionage; which is probably quite right
for the workmen onght to deal honestly
with their employers aud those who pay
wages are justified in all necessary precau
tions against the help yourself tendency
But where the shoe pinches is in the fac
of the wages paid being go utterly trifiu:
and insufficient. Conductors of omnibus
es get about dollar and ten cents day
| and drivers about dollar and thirty cents
This is the rate at which they begin. AT
ter year of service there is promise of
slight increase, and still another slight in
crease is provided for at the end of tw
years. But what the officers of the Trafh
Workers union say in regard to this
that more frequently than otherwise tn
companies manage in some way to get ri
has elapsed, thus keeping the wage at tn
l minimum. for the greater number of thei
hands, year in and year out.
Altogether the streets of London ar
q traversed to-day by something like twer
| ty-three hundred omnibuses and eleve
> hundred tramway cars. The tram servic
= differs from the omnibus service in bein
: more comfortable to the passenger, and
E the fact that it costs more. The averag
. tram rate is about q penny mile fo
u moderate distances, though there 81
J. trips you can take of from three to fy
8 miles at rate below that. On buses 20
q go quicker as a rule, and the rate on man
routes is not more than a hs'penny (or
J cent? mile. From the standpoint of Il
. workmen tram life is a grade below br
l. life. 1t requires less skill and the comp
> nies do not fail to take advantage of tn
). fact. Bus wages are low enough, but Il
u busman, to which ever class he may b
,. long, is better off than the tram operate
10 by about dollar fifty or a dollar sever
- ty-fve week. Drivers ON tram cars b
;. gin at little over dollar a day al
II conductors at shilling less day. I'll
|
"a continued service, is held out to these
No to the busmsn, and, unfortunately,
what we hear and see does not mislead q
T. it proves just as often in the one case
If in the other to be only a delusion al
1t snare.
l. On trans the hours of work are fro
thirteen to fifteen and one half daily. {
~ buses the agreement at the close of Il
Or strike was for twelve hours day, but
X is openly alleged that for months pc
IN most of the companies have been honoril
this engagement in the breach rather th
,o in the observance. The action of the bi
20 gest of these, the London General OmI
"a bus company, is severely censured both
Ia the Traffic Workers union and by t
ts press. To get men to work sixteen hou
n q day instead of twelve, it is offeril
X them a pittance of twenty five cents f
,v the extra four hours. and shameful
he such an offer is from any point of vie
n who can wonder if men who are not q
of ting enough to live on should be tempt
ra by even go poor a bait to make slaves
q themselves. The attitude of another
ar concern, the London koad Car compar
H. affords delightful contrast to this sti
a of things. This company, which CARR
h. in the last six months about twenty-thl
- | of 10 eaid tfa ha atis