Evening star., 1899-11-21
S TREET RAILWAYS
Testimony Given Before the Indus
trial Commission.
The STRIKES IN CLEVELAND
How Organization Has Benefited
the Employees.
NJ L UNICIPAL WNERSHIP

! NJ L y ICl PA l. OW \ + Il S II 7
VIM. ID. MahOn, president of the Interna-
tional Association of Street Railway En-
ployeS. was before the industrial commits
| sion today, and testified especially con-
| cerning the street railway strike of Cleve-
land, Ohio. a few months ago He de-
scribed methods employed to improve the
condition of employees of street railways.
In 1892 in forty cities the hours of labor
of these employees were from twelve to
sixteen. and in some cases eighteen, and
the wages varied as at present. The high
est wages at that time was 16 cents an
hour. The result of organzati ton of labor
had been to improve these conditions.
Improved Conditions.
The average wages now for this class
of employees is 20 cents an hour, and the
hours as a rule had been reduced to twelve,
in some cases to nine. They had secured
the passage of a law in twelve states re-
quiring vestibuled cars on street railways
to protect the motorman from the weather.
About loco of these employees are now
organized. They have formed 12T organi-
cations since 1892.
IE regard to the Cleveland street railway
strike. he said he could not tell what the
results would be, as il is not yet settled up.
Tine cause of that strike was the absolute
refusal of the Big Consolidated Company
Of Cleveland to recognize the organiZa ton
OF the employees.
Wanted n Change of Rules.
The latter desired a change of rules; ther
was no question of money involved in it.
The had nc security of his position
no matter how satisfactory he might do
his work The men asked for a change ot
these rules. and they were absolutely re
fused hearing or any recognition and the:
then OTdvICd a strike.
Were Two Strikes.
There We're two strikes in Cleveland. The
first lasted sixteen days. and through the
influence of a committee of the common
counsel an agreement was entered into.
The second strike vas ordered because of
what the employees assorted was violation
Of their agreement. That is the strike that
has lasted until the present time few
of the old men had gone back to work. but
as rule the places of the old men We're
filled. He said their people were not impli-
Gated in the lawlessness that took place in
Cleveland during the strike. although one
Indicted. among others. for attempting to
destroy property. He and his organization
were opposed to the destruction of prop
erty and lawieSSneSS of any kind and had
always worked To prevent them. Such
lawleSSness always hurt them. If any If
the members Of his orga nization were in
any way implicated in the destruction of
property 1t was against the will and rules
of the organization. He said their members
We're not found in the crowds on the
streets They went in their own nall in
public places where they We're atterde! by
members and employees of the roads.
Reason for Indignation
As a reason for the public Indignation
{y,
he said the fast schedule put in force on
the roads on Orange street had resulted
in the death of eight children in d very
short time. This created a very bitter
feeling. While the organization endeavored
to keep its friends from riding on the cars
there was no effort to boycott business men
who did ride on them. Business men were
apt to take advantage of such occasions
to get trade for themselves and at the ex-
pense Of their competitors, but the local
officers of the union worked diligently to
correct any misapprehension in regard to
reported bOyCOtted firms.
The witness did not know what the pur-
pose was of the inspector of the railway
company in inducing people to barricade the
railway tracks and to destroy property as
II was alleged he had done but he pre-
sumed that IL was in order to bring dis
repute on the strikers by making it appear
that they were ldwless.
Organization Increases Wages
He said that in places where there was
no organization the wages of the street
railway employees were much lower than
where there is organization. In the south
in some places they work for as little as
10 cents an hour.
There is no emplOye in any of the trans
pcrtati1n departments of the country" said
MI Mahon. who has more responsibility
than does the motorman of the street rail
fE4 hal fha
on the alert every minute of the DAY To
prevent accident, and their work should
pay them accordingly. Their work was
more responsible, he said than the work
Of a locomotive engineer. There was he
thought, no class of men who should have
more comfortable conditions than the mo-
t"rInen- In one case it was believed that
ii mOtUrman was actually frozen when he
allowed his car 10 run into the river when
the dr3WDridge was opened on him killing
himself ana three passengers. The cor
oEcrs jury had reported that they believed
the accident would not have happened had
the car been YES stibuled for the protection
of that mOtorman
He said many of the unions have a rule
against the employment of men who use
Intoxicating liquors.
Favored Municipal Owmership
Mr.. Mahon rather favored municipal own
erShip of street railways as a means for
securing better treatment of street rail-
WHY tlHpi"ytS- lney could not see how
their conditions could be worse than they
are now under private ownership. Judging
from the treatment received by employees
in other lines Of municipal work he thought
they would get better treatment than they
now do. II they could get proper treat
ment for the employees under private own
eFship OF railways they would not be so
anxious for municipal ownership. They
had little hope of getting that treatment
- gTSh I'm,
municipal ownership also because they
though: II would result advantageous!y to
Jhe pubic. They did not think the intro
uucuoh OF ponies III the street railroad
question was any argument against n for
the reason that he thought the street rail-
ways are today in politics. For himself
ne would be willing to see the street rail-
way compa1 es paid a reasonable amount
for the franchises which had been given
them for nothing.
Could Not Operate at Three Cents