New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-30
SUIT OVER THE TEN HOUR LAW.
JOSEPH B. COOPER AN EX-CoNDUCToR
SAYS THE TROLLEY COMPANY

Joseph p. Cooper. formerly a trolley car con-
ductor. has lodged a complaint with District At
torney Hiram R. Steele which will form the basis
for suit 20 test the ten hour law, which cooper
asserts violated in his by the Brooklyn
Rapid Transit Company. AS soon as Cooper made
his complaint the District Attorneys office secured
a summons from Magistrate Bremen. reading as
follows:
To the BROOKLYN Rapid Transit COMPANY; You You
are hereby summoned to appear before me al Frs,
District. at No aS Adams 81. IN the Borough c5 OF
at 10 O'Clock in the afternoon thereof. 10 answer
charge made against you, upon the inrormati2n "a
Cooper FOR Violation Of Subdivision OF Section 5s4
Dated at Brooklyn, city OF New York, the twenty
sixth day OF August. 1899.
Coopers deposition says that on July 10, 1899. he
was conductor OF an Eishty-sxth-st. trolley car
operated between Uniouville and Park Row. and
that the company compelled him TO perform more
than ten hours work. including half hour FOR
dinner. within twelve consecutive hours. He says
that on July Is he worked from o'clock IN the
afternoon till 2:o4 o'clock the next morning or an
actual period OF l. hours and IS minutes. Cooper
says that he expected 10 make five round trips
day his route, and that while Shf running time
was two hours, he vas required TO teort from ten
10 twenty minutes before starting time. and after
he had finished his days work he compelled
TO spend from two TO fifteen minutes In putting his
in the barn. In many instances. he says. he
had TO eat his meals on the cay,Vhle in motion.
He deposes that the schedule time his route
30 short that II the were run on time accidents
would have been unavoidable.
President Rossiter is In Pittsburg and Colonel
Williams. secretary Of the road. al the
company's office when a Tribune reporter called.
John l. Wells, attorney for the company said:
III won't know tust what there IL In this case till
the claim department has passed the papers along
10 me. with q report on the schedule on which this
rf,nuf han
says he was compelled to report from ten to
twenty minutes ahead OF time, and that It took
from two to fifteen minutes to put the car in the
barn at the end OF the days work President Ros-
sitter and I went over the schedules carefully In
July In order 10 know that there violation
OF the ten hour law When Mr.. Rosster took hold
OF the road only So per cent OF the
getting over s. 80 day. Now more than 60 per
cent get above s. so a day On the Ions runs, where
a round trip uses UP hours II Is close work for
the men to get in full days work IN ten hours as
there are likely be delays which will overlap the
next run. Where the men are unavoidably de-
tanned they paid for the extra time. The only
way 10 avoid occasional overstepping OF the
mark on these hve run routes would De 10 give me
men only four runs. That would mean a loss OF
one-ffth OF the day and the men do not want
that. year more ago an action similar 20 Mt
Coopers was brought against the company ana
with the time tables. and showed the complainant
to be in error. There was no Indictment and the
go sbeaS With the trial Of the action then and We
are ready to go on with this newest action. There
are good many instances where our men are
working more than SO minutes. but not where they
work consecutive hours. On many OF the lines
man works certain number OF hours and lays on
three or four hours FOR swing. and going 10
not violate the ten hour law, however. as the labor
is NOT performed IN consecutive hours, including
MI Nj Wells said the company would be represented
in court on September ~