The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-15
DEMANDS NOT GRANTED
No Concessions Made to Dissatisfied
Street Railway Men.
Committee Representing EmpIoyc.
Told by the Syndicatc's SuperIn-
tcndcnt Tint Grievance Wns Not
Properly Presented - Compla;pts
OF Motormcn and Conductors,

Inc grievance committee representing
the employees Of the Metropolitan branch
| Of the Washington Traction and Electric
company. consisting of David Smith, J. f,
Hazen. Patrick Donohugh, Charles Tobin
Alexander Buscher. NJ f. Brown. and
Chancellor Marcy. reported yesterday tha;
the officers of the company have refused
to accede to their demands. AT CON
| ference between the committee and the
president. vice president, and general man
ager of the company on Thursday it was
| agreed by the officers that the complaints
of the men would receive due consideration
and 1t was also agreed. it is said. that a
second conference should be held on Fri
day morning at 1890 The committee
called at the offices of the company. but,
1t Is said. the other parties to the agree
ment failed to appear. Yesterday morning
the committee called at the Office of Mr..
aarries. but could not find that gentleman
In They then sought Mr. Stevens, Presi-
dent of the Traction and Electric Com
pany, who. by his clerk. referred the COM
mittee to Mr.. Hart. the general superin-
tendent. That gentleman informed the
committee that. in his opinion. the men
had not presented the grievances in a
manner which the company deemed proper
and that no action on their demands would
be taken.
The committee makes certain charges
against the management of the Metropolitan
branch of the traction system. In the first
place. they complain that -the schedule on
which the cars are run contempstes a
violation OF the law regulating the speed
OF cars. The time for the runs from
East Capitol and Fifteenth Street to
Prospect Avenue and Thirty.sixth Street is
fo-ty minutes. Between these points there
are sixteen compulsory stops, forty three
'cut-outs." where--the current must be
shut of and the car "drifted," and an
average of ninety-three stops for passen-
gers.
Motormen say that this means that over
parts OF the route cars must be run at the
rate of twenty miles an hour. whereas
twelve miles an hour is the limit of speed
allowed by the law. Mo;ormen can run
their cars only at two different speed
gauges. one at five point" and the other
at mine point" The FIRST is too slow to
make the schedule time and the mine
point is faster than the law permits.
1t Is claimed that the motormen and
conductors on the Connecticut Avenue line
whereas before the syndicate took possess
sion of the road ten trips constituted a
days work. These men, it is said. have
no way of getting drink of water without
violating the rules Of the company by
leaving their cars. They are not allowed
TO use tobacco in any way, and the avn
ings which used to afford them some shell
ter have been taken away and the places
OF the awnings are now taken by the
swinging signs which thump the motor
man in the face and the conductor in the
back of The head
Trackmen work from a. IN. to 6 o. m.
as day and then report at the barns at
p. m. and remain until 2, to be on hand
IN lhe event of an emergency. Switchmen
VINO stand at their posts all day are denied
passes in going on and coming off duty
and either walk or pay their fare. A mo-
torman after his last run must remain at
the barn until the conductor counts his
traps" and turns in, which means
from one to two hours extra for the mo-
torman.
The charge is made by the men that
the brakes on number of the cars are
defective and that they are frequently
sent over the road charged" One man,
1t is said. is expected to look after the
brakes an. repair twists and other de-
rangements on fortysix of the big yellow
cars. twenty Of the Connecticut Avenue
cars. and thirty-six green cars
Thirty cars are allowed to stand in
the street at or near the main barn and
the boxes are cleaned and packed there,
the refuse being allowed to remain in the
street. The committee will call the at
tention of the District authorities to the
grease that is dropped between the tracks
over the whole line.
The committee said yesterday afternoon
that the course to be pursued by 1t has
not as yet been determined on.