Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-21
NU M Err OF HOUR S
Hearing on the Bill Regulating Street
Railway Labor.
The Men Don't Ask for an Efght-HOur
Law-What They Would
Accept.

The Commissioners today granted hear
ing on the bill to regulate the wages OF
conductors and drivers and other employees
Of the street railway corporations OF the
District OF Columbia. The bill was intro
duced in the Senate on December IL last
by Senator Call, and provides that eight
hours of continuous duty shall constitute
full days work for drivers and conductors
on street railways in the District and they
shall he entitled to extra pay for all time
in excess of eight hours. When the ma
jority OF men employed as conductors and
drivers on such street railways shall con-
slider themselves asgrieved by the insult
ficient wages paid them the bill provides
they shall have the right to notify the
Commissioners Of the District of Columbia,
who shall then notify the railroad COM
pany complained of to select some per-
son to be an arbitrator. and shall also no.
tify the street railroad conductors and
drivers to select an arbitrator, and these
two shall select third person, and the
arbitrator shall hear the complaints and
take evidence therein, and decide whether
the complaints are well founded, and such
decision shall be binding OH the corpora
ton, and give the right to such employees to
sue for and recover the amount of wages
so decided to be just and fair, and the
judgment of such case shall be first lien
Oi lHC piopSil ~ VI the
The bill was referred to the Senate COM
mittee on the District of Columbia and
in turn transferred to the District Com
miSSiOnerS for report
The hearing today was before Commits
soners Ross and Powell, the participants
being Messrs. Frank n. Dent, 1. w. Gwynn
and c. Beckwith, representing the Protec-
tive Street Railway Union, which was or
gained the Cay following the recent tie
up on the Metropolitan line. The three
members of the committee are all employees
Of the Metropolitan Railway Company.
President Dunlop of the Washington and
Georgetown Company took a minor part
in the discussion.
Mr.. Dent acted as spokesman for the
party. Il speak for all the railroad en-
ployes in the District he said in opening.
I'VE do not consider an eight-hour law
practicable, for on the Metropolitan road
each car is in service mir eteen hours daily.
and If two sets of men were employed
each eight hours daily, that plan would
leave three hours unprovided for. What
we want is compromise on the schedules
now in operation on some Of the lines, and
that provided in Mr.. Calls bill. the plan
in operation on the Washington and
us.
Some roads in the District work their
men thirteen hours and some work them
twelve" continued Mr.. Dent. Ten hours
for 81 is the average in force on the Wash
ington and Georgetown. road. The Bright
wood line pays 81 for twelve hours, the
Rock Creek $50 for nine hours, the Co.
lumbia 81 for twelve hours and the Metro
politan 81 for thirteen hours. Under Col
Truesdell the lexington and Soldiers Home
Company treated its employees fairly, but
under it's present management 1t is dis
grace to Christianity and civilization.
Those men receive 81. 60 for thirteen hours
work. 1 cannot see how any man can pro-
vide himself with the uniform required by
the company and support a family on that
amount of pay.
Rather than submit to a reduction in
wages We will put up with the existing
schedules" said Mr.. Dent in conclusion.
"4All we ask is a compromise, and, I repeat,
the plan in operation on the Washington
and Georgetown road would suit us eX-
actly." Messrs. Gwynn and Beckwith,
when asked If they had anything to say.
stated that Mr.. Dent had expressed their
views on the subject.
President Dunlop remarked that in view
of what had been said by Mr.. Dent he did
not consider it necessary for him to say
anything
NO. your road has been indicated"
said Mr.. Ross.
Mr.. Dunlop, however. explained that ten
hours is the longest time in operation on
his road. and not the average. The short
est time. ne said, is nine and one-half
hours.
The Commissioners promised to give the
matter their earnest and careful considera-
ton, and the hearing was at an end.