The times., 1901-03-29
DEMAND HOME PATRON AGE
Railway Employees Want Their
Uniforms Made by Local Firms.
Charges That the Washington Trac-
tion Company Discriminafes in
Favor Of "a Baltimore HOuse-Men
Claim They Can Buy Cheaper.

The motormen and conductors in the
1 employ of the Washington Traction and
/ Electric Company are worked mp over
! what thcy consider an unfair discrimina-
! ton against local clothing firms and an
/ unjust disregard of the rights of the rail-
way employees.
! About a week ago an order was issued
/ by Superintendent Lee, of the Traction
! Company directing that all motormen
! and conductors should report in their
summer uniforms for inspection on Sun
| day. March 81 The order, it is claimed
/ went on to state that all those whose uni
1 forms did not pass inspection should be
measured for new uniforms at the local
/ office of a Baltimore clothing firm. The
/ cost Of the new uniforms is said to be
s1j.35 each. II is in this connection that
the complaint Of the railway employees has
arisen.
The employees state that a number of
local firms that employ union labor have
attempted TO enter bids for the uniforms
but have been prevented from so doing.
For several years, IT is claimed, the uni
forms have been made by the Baltimore
clothing firm. which is said does not en-
ploy union labor. Notwithstanding the
fact that union labor is invariably higher
priced than that of non-union labor, it
I
20 produce the same quality uniform as
| now in use at price ranging from 81 TO
! 8 less per uniform than that quoted by
4 the Baltimore firm. II is estimated that
60 railway employees viii require new
uniforms
In previous years there has been dis
satisfaction among the men because, they
claim, they were Obliged to pay what
they considered an exorbitant price for
their uniforms, but no action was ever
taken in the matter. This was due large
Iy TO lack of organization among the
employees and the fear OF dismissal they
claim TO have felt whenever they at
tempted to demonstrate against the de-
sirss Of the officials of the company. This
year the matter has been taken in hand
by the union recently formel by the street
car .rlployes Division 161 Amalgamated
Association of Street Railway Employees
Of America, is the official appellation OF
the organization, which numbers among
its members nearly 400 motormen and
conductors, more than half the entire.
number employed by the company The
general dissatisfaction which has been
felt, il IS said, since the order issued last
Sunday eliminated in a meeting Of the
union early yesterday morning after most
OF the men had concluded their Work-
There was q large attendance and the
subject was thoroughly discussed.
In the course of the meeting IL was
stated lildI hlefnDtIS oL me utiio1i li,iu
learned that local firms had asked the
Traction Company TO allow them to sub
init bids for the uniforms.
The local firms, it was explained, knew
tf. rate which would be made by the
Baltimore firm, and all expressed an in
tention TO fix their bids at lower figure
Representative of two local firms il was
stated, received no satisfaction when they
conferred with the management of the
company. They We're informed, il was
said. that the contract had been awarded.
10 H. :fsgt a
ment of the officials was the answer
claimed 70 have been given to the repre-
sentative of another local firm, who WIS
-.'7 -e~- ',r r-r'''F he informed whom the