The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-12

The officers of the Washington Tracticn
and Electric Company refused last night
to make anything more than an informal
statement regarding the charges presented
to them yesterday against Register Clerk
Mccain of the Metropolitan line,-by
| number of the employees of the line who
| resigned yesterday morning on account of
numerous alleged extortions and unfair
methods on the part of Mccain. They also
declined to make any answer to the state
ment of the men. published exclusively in
the Times yesterday afternoon, that wages
have been reduced by the syndicate and
that no union laborer is allowed employ
ment. Vice President Harries was seen
at his Office in the Washington Loan and
Trust Building. Speaking for the syndi-
cate he said:
I'VE do not care to make any statement
as yet. We have not examined into any
Of the charges and do not know II they
are true or not The men resigned this
morning, nine of them. They were en-
ployed on the Metropolitan liza They
called at the general office later and we
have arranged to see them, or one of them,
made his formal charge, and it has been
investigated, 1 can say nothing
Il suppose, however, that it is case
Of small Jealousy between two or three
OF the men. Perhaps one Of them had q
little more authority than the others and
is trifle overbearing, as many men are
in like position, unless they are pretty
we'll balanced.
THE men who called on me this morn
ing promised not to make any statement
to the newspapers or to anyone else, until
after their hearing tomorrow, and / regard
the article in The Times as an evidence
Of bad faith on their part
General Harries intimated that he did
not believe the matter would prove to be
serious one, and that the syndicate eX-
poets to dispose of it without causing gen.
eral friction on the lines.
Nine Of the employees of the Metropoii-
tan went on strike yesterday on account
of the methods Of Register Mccain, and
refuse to go back to work unless their re-
quest for his discharge is complied with.
They express the belief that a general
strike will result on the Metropolitan and
other lines Of the syndicate unless
satisfactory action is taken. They say
that there is very general opposition not
only to Mccain, but to other official en-
ployes Of the system and to many Of the
new metnOOS employed Dy IL.
The chief charge presented to the syndi-
cate is that the conductors of the Metro
politan are unjustly charged for alleged
shortages in their accounts, as shown by
their registers, and that they have no APP
peal or redress. Many minor charges in
volving the character of the man Mccain
were also made. 1t was stated that as
Mccain reads the registers In the cars
they rarely tally with the returns OF cash
L. d. ,H1i
shortages are as high, sometimes, it was
said, as $40 in one day, and vary from that
down to so cents. These shortages the
men are obliged to make up. The state
ment was made that such large shortages
could not be a mistake all the time. and
II was intimated that Mccain might be |
culpably involved. 1t was also charged |
that the registers are old and worn and |
that frequently they fail to register cor
rectly. ----.s, ..-. .-s-=7 |
The men also charged that the time |
schedules of the company make 1t impossi-
Bile to avoid running the cars at an unlaw-
full rate of speed. In order to keep up to
the schedule they said they are forced often
to run between stops at a high rate Of
speed. The company has a penalty of a
fine or dismissal for failure to keep up to
schedule time, and it also fines or dis
misses the men when they are arrested by
the police for violating the speed ordinance.
Another grievance of the men Is that they
are not allowed any time to eat their meals
under the present schedule. During the
twelve hours, which is the average days
work, there is no layover OF longer than
three minutes. Within this time breakfast
and dinner or dinner and supper must be
eaten.
The men have two other complaints, In
the matter of which they ask no immedi-
ate remedy One Is the fact that wages
have been reduced by the syndicate. and
the other is that employees are prohibited
under pain of dismissal from joining the
ranks OF organized labor. On the Metro
politan Road before Its absorntion by the
syndicate, conductors and motormen on
.welve hours work earned 81. This, 1t Is
said by the men, WIS the average days
wages. The average earnings of the con-
iuctors and motormen on that road today,
g said to be SIP. There has, ii is main
aimed, been corresponding reduction In
he wages OF all the track and shed en-.
)loyes OF the company other than train
men.
When the syndicate absorbed the Metro
,olitan the men were informed that il they
lid not withdraw from the labor unions to
which many OF them belonged, they would
10 discharged. A majority OF them obeyed
he orders. Some who refused to obey it
we're discharged.
Enquiry among the employees Of TIE
and OF the railway lines Of the
yndicate generally, yesterday afternoon
md last night. showed that few men
we're willing to repeat the charges made by 1
he men who resigned yesterday. Others
themselvs as satisfied with the
and stated that 1t treats its en-
,loyes well as a general rule. 1t was diff
ult TO obtain entirely unbiased statements !
rom employees. There was an apparent a
ear that the company might dismiss them 4
or talking too much" .
GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS. p