Evening star., 1896-07-28
AGAINST THE RAILROAD
Central Labor Union Discusses Metropolitan
Oompany's Affairs.
More Charges of Unfair Treatment
Other Business Relating to
District Labor.

way Company and its recently discharged
employees, to which frequent reference has
been made during the last few weeks in The
Star. received fresh impetus at last even
ing's meeting of the Central Labor Union,
and only the GOODNESS and wise suggestions
Of President Milford spohn. who was in
the chair. prevented, 1t is believed, the adop
tion of declaration Of war against the rail-
road company by that organization.
AS was heretofore stated in The Star, a
committee was some time ago appointed by
the Central Labor Union to Investigate O
rumor. which reached the c. L. u. that
President Phillips of the Metropolitan COM
pany had discharged some of his employees
other than the twelve mOtOrmen and con-
ductors belonging to the Street Railway
Assembly. simply because they were mem-
the most intense indignation was displayed
and bitter feelings of the delegates were
engendered after the report of the commit
tee was submitted.
Committee Reports.
The chairman of the committee stated
that, after q most careful and painstaking
investigation, they had ascertained that it
was now. as 1t had been for some time past,
the custom of the Metropolitan Railroad
Company to find out whether any man who
was given employment by any Of the Off
CldlS, especially II the man was TO Work al
the car barns in East Washington, was a
member of labor union, and, If so, the man
was required to do twice or three times as
much Of task as was in the mans power
to perform.
An instance was cited that previous to the
occurrence here referred to 1t was the Gus
tom to assign three men to detach wheel
from the trucks of a car, and that on ac-
count of the weight to be handled three
men were necessary to do the work, but
that under the express orders of President
Phillips one union man was required to do
it.
In another instance, 1t was stated, a union
man While at work was told that the union
scale of wages was too HIGH and that un-
less the man could do more work. SO as to
make up for the difference between the
union and non-union scale, he would have
to give up his place.
In both instances the men were dis
charged. and each made an appeal to Presi-
dent Phillips to know If it was for the rea-
son that he was union man. The railway
president replied, 1t was said, that he had
had nothing whatever to do with the dis
missals. and the men then went to the fore
man. who had informed them that their
services We're no longer required.
The subordinate replied Il cannot help
what any one else says about the matter.
l say you were discharged by the express
orders of President Phillips"
A resolution was offered to use every
power within the command of the Central
Labor Union to endeavor to enlist the SYM
pathies of the patrons of the Metropolitan
road on the side of the discharged employees
and to influence as many persons as pos
sible to refuse to ride on the cars of that
line, but, after considerable discussion, it
was determined to make one more effort to
see If the company will not yield the posi-
tfon taken by President Phillips, and treat
the members of organized labor societies
with more consideration than has lately
been the case.
Letters Written
The committee of which Mr.. William Sill
ask Mr.. Phillips 20 give the Central Labor
Union statement of the pending troubles
between the Metropolitan Railroad Com
pany and its locked-out men. submitted a
report of the efforts made by this COM
mittee to see Mr.. Phillips, and stated that
they had been unable to do so. Secretary
Torrens also laid before the union a'letter
from Mr.. Phillips on the same subject of
which the following is copy:
Il am in receipt of your letter Of July
%, asking for personal interview with
me on Friday, the Path instant, and In an
swer beg to state that I assume this re-
quest Is in regard to the men who have
been lately discharged by this company.
The discharge of these employees was
the act of the board of directors, and not
my own, and that being the case will lay
your communication before the board. at
its first meeting.
I'm the meantime, however I beg to call
your attention to the inclosed statement
of the board of directors, which was pub
lished on July in The Evening Star
newspaper. and also to the following let
ter of my own, published in the Morning
Pest of July %. These statements repre-
sent. notwithstanding the assertions of
others, the true attitude Of the directors
of this company and myself" Inclosed in
Mr.. Phillips were copies of the two docu-
mentS mentioned.
Secretary Torrens was directed to write
a letter to the directors of the Metropolitan
company, similar to the one sent some
days ago to Mr.. Phillips, and to which the
communication Of the latter was a reply.
in order to see If an interview can not be
arranged between the committee on the
part of the Central Labor Union and the
directors in reference to the cases of the
locked-out men.
Other Matters.
The secretary WAS also directed to write
a letter to the Baltimore Federation of La
Dor and call their attention to the fact, as
reported by the Brcklayers' Union, that
the power house Of the Columbia and
Maryland Electric Railway Company at
Lakeland is being erected by non-union
labor. and to request that the Baltimore
Federation will use it's influence to have
the work done by union men.
communication was read from Presi-
dent Gompers of the American Federation
of Labor. asking that the members of the
unions here affiliated with the A. F. of l..
refuse in future to patronize a New York
firm of cigar makers, whose product is
largely consumed in the District of Column
bia. Mr.. Gompers said the firm referred to
run filthy tenement house cigar factory,
employing one hundred families, men, wo-
men and children, where cigars are manu-
factured under conditions repugnant to all
classes of society and in direct violation of
all laws relative to health and morality.
They also run machine shop of 500
hands. the majority of whom are girls, and
the cigars made by them are foisted on the
public as being handmade.
THE firm absolutely refuses to pay liv-
Ing wages. as are paid in other shops in
that city, but on the contrary, made fur
ther reduction on the scanty pittance earn
ed by their employees until at last, patience
having ceased to be a virtue, the cigar
makers unions of the city OF New York
have taken up the cause of these poor, de-
fenseless creatures and appeal to all MEM
bers of organized labor throughout the
land to give their moral assistance to those