Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-22
GRIEVANCES OF GRIPMEN.
Street Railway Employees in Philadelphia
Form Association.

Form an Association.
The traction gripmen of Philadelphia last
night formed themse elves into an organization
to be known as the Railway Employees Pro-
tective Association of Philadelphia" and it
will be Incorporated under the state laws within
a few days.
The association will have all the railway en-
ployes within its pale and will take steps to
ameliorate the conditions under which they are
obliged to labor from time to time.
The meeting called for IL O'Clock, but the
men were late Settirg there and it did not get
fairly started until midnight. Mr.. Cox called
the meeting to order and explained its object
The chairman explained that it was not the in
tention OF the organization to antagonize the
Philadelphia Traction Company or any other
company, but the men think that they are en-
titled to some consideration and they will de-
mand il. All that they desire is fairness and
they will ask il.
petition was drawn up which will be pre-
sented to the Traction Company. 1t will be a
peaceful demand for twelve hours work and
81 day. The men say that they do not care
TO work overtime, as the compensation is made
quate and they prefer to have regular hours
and regular pay.
Another thing that will be asked is that some
system be naugurated whereby the grIpmen
will not be hauled over the Goals when the cars
come III late because of the delay in leaving the
car shed four or five minutes late. They saw
that this is often the and when they lose
time by reason of the crowded condition Of the
thoroughfares and more recently of the fire.
auent stops occasioned by the order from head
quarters. the timekeepers and bosses at the
sheds tell them If they cannot do better they
Will have to get other men to L. their places.
They say they do not mind being blamed for
anything tor which they are responsible. but
r.,ev, tt,nr= IL tt,A,-o
The Traction Company. so one OF the leaders
in the movement said last night have employed
detectives to spy out and report the actions Of
the men in meeting. detective at the
rooms yesterday, but as soon as he discovered
that he was suspected he left. The organiZa-
ton of street Car employees will number over
500 and they say they have strong backing and
intend to carry out their plans to the letter.
MoEE CROSSING srors.
The Ridge avenue line of horse cars yester-
day began stopping at each street crossing,
whether there were passengers or not, and the
men began to grumble. The trolley lines car :
have been doing this street corner business
since January but the men have made no OBJ
lection thus far.
One of the gripmen at the hall last night said
that the detectives of the Traction Company
had reported that the men at the grips were in
the habit OF passing passengers at the crossings
and that the recent order was intended TO pat q
stop to this. Yet the men SAY that they do not
neglect the people ard that any time that they
do run past crossing it il because they have
been detained at some point along the line and
are only trying to make up time to save them
selves lecture and the company from trouble.
As the cars supposed 20 run ninety seconds
apart there is no reason why passengers should
complain. When the run by crossings
without stopping there is always some reason,
and if riders would understand these things
there would be no need for complaint.