The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-08
A General Reduction
Asked, With 8 Per
Cent on Grain.
AN ATTORNEYS LOGIC.
MIR. Martin Says the Ocean
Steamers Will Get a
Benefit.
WORKMEN FEAR THE Ak.
The Railroad Commissioners Will
Cast Their Votes Next
Thursday


ing 10 per cent horizontal reduction on
the grain rate tariff of the Southern Pa
cific and the vote will be taken on next
Thursday.
But in voting upon that measure they
will also vote on DR.. Stanton's substitute
offered at yesterdays meeting of the
board, which cont emplates a % per cent
reduction on various commodities with an
s per cent reduction on grain.
The board listened to the argument of
Attorney Martin at the morning session
yesterday, which took on the form of a
discussion through the interruptions of
Mr. La Rue. Mr.. Martin dwelt on the
necessity for the decision being made upon
the testimony, which DR.. Stanton pointed
out in his opinion was not necessary part
of the proceedings.
petition was presented from working
men in Sacramento protesting against a
reduction of freight rates because it would,
as they say, be taken off railroad employees
by the company.
In the afternoon DR.. Stanton presented a
written opinion on the resolution offered
by Mr.. La Rue and offered his substitute.
He rounded up the railroad company and
declared that a reduction was necessary,
but he insisted that credit should be given
for the recent reduction made
At the opening of the morning session
OF the board George w. Ficks, Superin-
tendent OF Cemeteries of Sacramento
appeared and asked the privilege of pre-
senting the following petition, which he
introduced with a few remarks, saying it
was signed by skilled and unskilIed
Iaborers to the number of nearly 1000:
SACRAMENTO, Sept. &, 1895.
To the Honorable the Board Of Railroad Com
plisSioners Of acknowledgements The I'M
dersigned employees OF the Southern Pacific
generally, represent TO your honorable board
that they have not been prompted in this pc
tition by any officer, member, agent or employee
OF the Southern Pacific Company, directly or
indirectly, by suggestion or in any other
manner, but that they thus act OF their own
motion and without the knowledge of said
company or any member agent of it.
We, therefore freely, with entire comprehen-
sion of all the matters and things involved
respectfully protest against the proposed hori-
zontal reduction OF freight rates on grains
moved by your honorable chairman, and for
these reasons to wit:
Such reduction will be inequitable, and will
SO affect the income OF the Southern Pacific
Company that it will make-and we be-
lieve of necessity-a reduction OF wages, as
about all other charges and burdens of said
company are fixed and unyielding.
The reduction of wages by the said company
the largest employer on the coast-will be g
great injury and permanent harm to the
grower OF grain and all produce, and to all
furnishers of the supplies OF life, and, there
fore, will more than Offset the supposed gain
for the wheat-growers by reason OF the pro-
posed reduction, because OF lesSened consump-
ton ana for other obvious reasons.
We are perfectly and fully aware that this is
equivalent to saying that the present rates are
equitable, and we say this, because we are con-
WINGED that such proposed reduction as moved
by your chairman viii compel said company to
cut down the wages in order to retrench sufi-
GENTLY 10 meet its obligations of maintenance
and operation. Any such result would be
little less than g. calamity to this State and
every interest in it.
We therefore, in the name of labor, skilled
ana unskilled, protest against any such reduc-
ton proposed by the Hon. H. NJ La Rue, be-
cause, if made, it will strike down fair and
living wages to deplorable level, and that
example will be followed by employers outside
OF said company, and the consequences Will be
felt deplorably all along the line OF industry
and trade.
Mr.. Ficks after reading the petition ad-
dressed the commission as follows:
The skilled mechanics and unskflled laborers
OF Sacramento are deeply and vitality inter
ested in this question for the reason that we
believe and say it without fear of being con
tTadieted, that there are more homes owned in
Sacramento by skilled and unSkilled laboreTs
those who work in Sacramento than can be
found IN any other railroad town in the United
States.
II this horizontal reduction, this cut in the
grain freight rates, is carried into effect
where Will the railroad company go to make
the revenue TO meet its expenses of manten-
snce and operation. AS an employer OF labor,
Mr Chairman, you know quite well that the
vital strike will be at labor always. This COM
pany would not make any exception.
The farm labor of California is probably the
r,oSd fy,f SfCFa 4
the manufacturing industries and enterprises,
both for skilled and unskilled labor, rank
higher than on the farm. Then if this cut
shall be made in the direction we have spoken
OF, it win have its disastrous effects all over
the State, because the wages of all skilled and
unskilled labor is governed largely By the
wages paid by the Southern Pacific. So we
hope that in your deliberations on this ques-
ton you will consider the laboring mems side
as presented in this petition in connection
with the railroad companys side and farmers
side of the question. ii you do am satisfied
you will do justice to the laboring people who
speak to you from the lowest condition OF labor
TO the highest.
The laboring men of California have nothing
to expect from the great land barons of the
Sacramento Valley. Now shall we strike at the
very foundation stone of our State in order to
satisfy few land barons who are growers of
wheat--a few theoretical farmers l was going
TO say, but that is probably too severe2
Mr. La Rue glanced over the signature 8
to the petition and asked Mr.. Ficks if they
were not mostly employees. Mr. Ficks in
formed him that they were not, and Mr..
La Rue said he recognized four of them at
first glance. The petition was filed.
a communication was received from T.
I. Williams, business manager of the Ex-
aminer. stating that witness for the rail-
road appearing before the commission had
commented on the income of newspaper
employees. The communication contra
dicted the witness, and showed an i'm
provement in the wages of newspaper en-
ployes in the past ten years.
Denis Kearney, instantly upon the con-
clusion of the reading of the communica :
ton, branded the statement that he was a
witness for the railroad as a lie, though he
was the person who presented the state
ment as to newspaper wages to the COM
mission. de was called to order by the
chairman.
Mr.. La Rue asked Mr.. Martin if he was
ready to proceed with his argument or
statement or summing up of the South ern
Pacific's defense against the reduction in
grain rates and hoped he would not ex-
tend his talk to great length. Mr.. Martin
announced his readiness to proceed and
was about to do so when DR.. Stanton
begged to interrupt him, intimating that the
speech was not necessary so far as he was
concerned.
gtantnn II will saw that I have investigated