The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1893-05-17
+" CONTRACTS"

copy was puDllshed or Cn0 c0nGrRcb upon
which one OF the leading street car COM
psnies engages it's employees. Appointed
out at the time, the contract was carl
cature Of the conception Of the word
Contract" it was unilstersl to an inde-
cent extent; the applicant for employ
ment pledged himself to give surety, if
desired; he relinquished his statutory
rights to damages for physical injuries
tOshlmseIf, and at the same time assumed
the duty of indemnifying the company
for any damage that might accrue to it
through his fault; he agreed to be en-
ployed at the pleasure Of the company,
thereby taking himself out Of the opera
tion of the board Of arbitration; he
waived all rights to wages, if suspended;
and he was made to lift his boss, the
company, out of the penalty clause.
Such contract, it would seem, reached
the extreme point Of capitalist tyranny
and marked the extreme depth Of labor
vassAlsge. Yet not so. Hotel keepers
"break the record" Of the street railway
companies. Here is the " contract that
one of them exacts from it's employees,
the walters:
Fl. M. Kinsley & BsumRnn hereby
employ. =. by the day, to serve as. -.
in the Holland House, New York City,
from the. 4. day Of :. 189-, and hereby
agree to pay him for such service at the
rate OF. dollars and. cents per
month, payable on the. day OF each
month, at their Office in Holland House.
In consideration OF the employment Of
said. by said II. M. Kinsley & Bau-
mann, it is agreed that they reserve and
have the right to discharge the said. >.
at any time, and his wages shall there
upon cease; that the said. shall not
leave the service of the said Fl. M. Kins-
Icy & BsumRnn, without first giving
them at least three days notice thereof
in writing; that if the said shall leave
their employ without first giving them
such notice in writing OF his Intention so
to do, he shall thereby forfeit as and by
way OF iquidsted damages to the said
III. M. Kinsley & BaumRnn any and all
sums of money which would otherwise
be due and owing to him, and that the
said shall have no cause OF action
whatsoever against the said II. M. Kins-
Icy & BRumRnn, or either OF them, for
any loss or personal injury OF any kind
which he may suffer or sustain while in
their employ by reason Of any cause or
thing whatsoever.
For q unilsterRl, leonine arrangement,
by which the boss takes everything
worth taking and leaves the working
man the refuse and dry bones, this ICON
tract" takes the cake. While to the boss
is granted the privilege Of absolute dis
charge, at any time for any cause, the
workingmsn is bound to give notice;
while the workingmRn works "by the
day." his wages are paid "by the month" "
!. O., the employer not only withholds
from him the pittsnce Of his own labor
for at least twenty-nine days, but utilizes
those funds himself; while the boss is
held free from all damages for any ln-
jury that may befall the smploye, the
employe allows the boss to keep his
wages as "liquidsted damages" while,
should the employe have case at law
against the boss he must 60 to court,
and, through the court, get at his "dam-
ages" the boss starts in with his indem-
ni6cation, which, without any assistance
from the court, he pockets in advance
and keeps.