The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-11-02
Cable Road Employees Answer
Mitten's Traducers.
HOW THAT coNrRAcr 7 WAS MADE
Agreed on at Conference Between
Officials and Employees.
rnsig gnifcant Ded actions Made for Dam
ages-More Proof of Van de yanfer.s
High Character aud His Slandsrsss'
villAiny.

A. 4
Mitten. Republican candidate for county
treasurer. have accused him of naming tie
sum of sl.5o per day as all that any work
ingman is entitled to. and of having inn
posed upon street car operatives a form of
contract with the management of the
lines which was very unjust and tyranni-
cal The following communications rcla-
tive to these accusations are presented as
satisfactory answers 10 them:
SEATTLE. Oct. 81. 1894
To the Editor Of fAs Poss-fafelligeaoer:
The statement has been made by the Sc
attic Telegraph that said that so ner
day was enough for workingmen. The
statement Is so absGrdly false that II
hardly seems necessary for me TO deny it.
In order, however, that there may be no
mistake about the matter desire to brand
the statement IS an absolute. unqualified
and malicious faisehood without any
foundation In fact, and manufactured out
OF whole cloth for political purposes
A. +. MITTKs.
We. the undersigned. employees OF the
Front Street Cable Company, have been in
the ploy of the same company tor sew
eral years. Upwards of three years ago
We were asked 10 sign q contract which
had been used by the cable companies of
San Francisco and was brought mere by
Mr.. Gibson, now superintendent of the
Madison street line. Before signing We
desired better understanding of some
portions of the contract that seemed 10 Us
objectionable. Mr.. A. b. Stewart, presi-
dent OF the company, and Mr.. Nj. Nc
Micken, secretary. met with Us to discuss
any features of the contract that might
seem unjust. They stated that in their
opinion some of the accidents on the road
were the result of care.essness, anu their
nj ri al strr
was TO make the men more careful of the
company's property and secure more safety
e the patrons of the road AS an evidence
of good faith thew offered to leave all mat
ters requiring adj ustment 10 q committee
from our number This was very salts
factory to us and the committee was APP
pointed by US and accepted by them dur
ing that meeting. Our negotiations were
with Messrs- McMicken and Stewart, as
DIR. Mitten at that time had no part in the
operation of the Front street line.
Messrs. McMleken and Stewart were sat
istied with our understanding of the con-
tract and no further reference was made
to it During the operation of the road
under that contract not a dollar in fines
was asked or found necessary, and our
relations with the company remained the
most pleasant.
J. s. Bado.let ]. Daoust.
III. +. Bailey, Ii. ;. Myman,
W, NJ. Caldwell. ]. b. McCielland.
Z. s. Laird. George Deigh,
j. w Randall, Frank Logan
Paul Lanfeid, j. Nj. Houlahan,
X. l.. Litsey, +. \. Ryther.
The signatures to the above statement
include all Of the employees OF the Front
street road who were in its employ at the
time the contract referred to was intro
duced, with but two exceptions.
We, the undersigned employees of the
Madison Street Cable Railway Company,
desire to correct the impression that we
regard the contract published by the Se-
attic telegraph as unfair to US. The con-
tract is the same as that in use in san
Francisco. and was brought here by Sn-
perlntendent Gibson. Ii has been in
force about three years. and the damage
by neglect has in that time amounted TO
less than $50. The absolute fairness of
the company when accidents have oc-
Cured convinces US that the only object
OF the company is to secure good service
and safety TO the patrons OF the road as
well as TO the employees While the reduc-
tion in wages was not desirable. we know
that DIR. Mitteu was not connected with
the management At the time the cut was
made and was in no way responsible for it..
We would further state that knowing
Dr. Mitten as We do TO he an honorable,
upright. capable gentleman, We intend to
vote for him and use our best efforts to
sIsct ht,n treasurer OF King county,