The times., 1901-05-16
TRACTION EMPLOYEES MEET.
Vote to stand Together in Refusing
TO Buy SI4 Uniforms.

The employees of the Washington Trac-
tion and Electric Company, in mass meet
ing last night at 609 c Street northwest,
determined to make an issue with the
syndicate, pledging themselves to abide
by the action of the executive board of
the local division Of the Amalgamated AS
sOciation of Street Railway Employees in
the matter of uniforms. Between three
and four hundred employes-motormen
and conductors-on the syndicate roads,
were present at the meeting and without
dissenting voice resolved to oppose the
order of the syndicate directing certain
of its employees to provide themselves
with uniforms TO cost them s14 each.
The mass meeting was called at the in
stance of the local union of street rail-
way employees TO consider the following
order recently adopted by the union;
''All street railway men are notified that
the union intends to secure $l2 uniforms,
and no employe, union or non-union, who
has his own interests and those of his
fellows at heart will purchase uniforms
from the New York Clothing House until
further notice from the union"
The meeting last night was called to
order by the president of the union, J. E.
McCracken, who asked for the endorse
meHt and cooperation of the men in the
resolutions adopted by the order Frank
Morrison. Secretary of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor; J. II. Babcock, Of the
Typographical Union; William L. Ken
nedy. of the Electrical Workers Union;
Milford Spohn, President of the Brick
layers Union; George L. Squires, Presi-
dent of the Retail Clerks Association,
and other prominent labor leaders of the
city addressed the meeting.
the syndicate the assistance of all OF the
members Of union organizations in the
city, in whatever action they might take
He assured his hearers that the sympathy
Of the citizens and business men of the
District of Columbia was with them
His religion, politics, ana the dulIurs in
MS pocket Mr.. Babcock assured the meet L
ing, were mans inalienable possessions,
to dispose Of as he saw 1T and urged The
men to oppose the attempt Of he sVndi-
cate to dictate where they should Dur-
chase uniforms with their own earnings.
Mr.. Kennedy, commenting upon the
fact that George II. Harries, Vice Presi-
dent of the syndicate corporation, vas a
member of the Typographical Union, and
a supposed friend TO orga nized labor, said:
He may have said that he was sorry that
the paving stones in the city were to be
taken up because they might provide bar
ricades and weapons for labor men. He
may have been, once the friend of the
labor union, but he is not now. The Pooh
Bah. or the Mikado," as MIR. Kennedy
characterized him, is no longer the
friend of organized labor"
Mr.. Spohn suggested that the men had
as much right to order the officers of the
syndicate to purchase and wear certain
uniforms at prescribed places as had
the officers to direct the men. The gem
eral trend of the speaking was to i'm
press the men with the necessity OF per-
fecting their organization. The non-un-
ion members were urged to join with their
fellOwemployes for the common cause
The following resolution, placing the
question in the hands of the executive
board OF the union for action, was adopt
cd unanimously by a standing vote:
Resolved, That we pledge ourselves to
support the action of the Amalgamated
Association of Street Railway Employees
in its expressed determination TO pur-
chase no uniforms from the New York
Clothing Company at the price of $14 and
that Il the worst comes to the worst we
will follow the lead of the executive
board, and take such action as it may
deem necessary"
A large number of the non-union en-
ployes applied for admission to the or
der during the evening. After the mass
meeting a business meeting of the eXecu-
tive board was held and a committee
of those appointed to confer with the syn
dicate officials.