The evening times., 1899-08-01
IT MAY BRING A STRIKE
Syndicate Street Railway Emp yes
Complain of Changes.
The Number of Cars Reduced on Sew
eral Lines-Motormen and Con-
tra List-They Also Protest Against
Running Cars at Dangerous Speed.

There is considerable complaining among
the conductors and motormen of the new
syndicated street railway system comprs-
ing the former Metropolitan Railway Com
pany, the Columbia Railway Company the
Belt Line, the Anacostia road and the City
and Suburban Railway, or Soldiers Home
road, and one or two other transportation
lines.
The trouble has been brewing for the
last two or three days, and it grows out of
! disposition already practically shown by
already overworked employees duties more
onerous.
Within the last few days, it is asserted
by the men, nine cars have been taken
| on the F Street line, six cars off the Ninth
Street line, and two or three off the Column
bia line. These changes have shifted the
conductor and motorman of each retired
car back on what is known as the extra list,
or the swing"-that is to say, the men who
are sent out with cars at busy intervals of
the day and who are paid by the hour and
only for the actual time put in on the
street, and who act as substitutes when the
regulars LAY off,
Another complaint of the Ninth Street
men is that since the advent of the new
regime their duties have been multiplied by
the additional transfer system established
at Four -and-a- Half Street and Maryland
Avenue, Ninth and E streets, and at the
Boundary to Brightwood. Formerly this
line only issued transfers at Ninth and II
streets and at New York Avenue This ex-
rrrl nrlr f1Ax
physical fmpossibility between Pennsyl-
vania Avenue and New York Avenue, since
the maximum speed of twelve miles an
hour is imperative. When transfers are also
exchanged at Ninth and G streets, an extra
duty will be added et
II is also complained in this connection
that on account of the requirement of the
schedule TO reach the termini at given time
on each trip, these new transfer delays are
compelling each car to exceed the legal
rate of speed at points along all the roads
of the company. This state of affairs is es-
pecially noticeable on each trip to locations
between Maryland Avenue and the Arsenal
grounds, New York Avenue to the Bound
ary, East Capital Street to the terminu.
east, and from Seventeenth Street and
Connecticut Avenue through Georgetown
and Connecticut Avenue extended $50
Along these portions of the route, in
cluding lne populouS nelghD0rhO0dS, the
speed, ii is said, is far above twelve miles
/ an hour. The cars must run at this rate
In order to complete their schedule
The railroad men insist that this is
manifestly unfair to themselves, because
of the increased danger to life and of the
fact that they are held responsible both
by the company and the police for the
safety of the public.
They urge that the withdrawal of the
cars has thus augmented their own duties
and responsibilities, greatly increased the
danger, and is unfair to the public and to
themselves.
The situation has been freely discusse
| among the railroad men within the last
day or two, and exchanges OF views have
been common. Some are radical in their
opinions and mutterings of a strike are
heard. 1t is said that the old beneficial
organization of the Metropolitan Railway
still exists. This or a similar society, it
will be remembered, was prominent in the
| strike on this road few years ago.
The only branch of the new consolidated
system almost which no complaint is heard
from the men is the G Street or yellow
line. which has, since putting in cleo
tricity, increased the number of its cars
from ten to eleven. Each road, it was said
at the Office of the consolidated compan-
les this morning, will continue TO operate
under its old name, and conduct it's rou-
tine affairs independent of the other.