The Sunday globe., 1901-07-14
THE TRACTION MEN
Subjected to a Discipline bOIn
SenseleSS and Unjust.
A DANGEROUS CAR, NO. 1903
How Men are Discharged by The Traction Com
prny and Green Men Put in Their Places
The Danger 10 The General PublO-SpIng
on Employees when off Duty aAd many
Other Unheard OF 0utrages

The Washington Traction Company
is endangering the lives of its patrons
bv the policy il is pursuing in the
MANAGEMENT of it's employees. The
Globe has the right to criticise TINS
MANAGEMENT when it is running coun-
ter to public safety, inasmuch as the
Traction Company is a public corpora
tion. granted special privileges by the
taxpayers and the Government
To establish the, allegations MADE
The Globe warns the pulic not to ride
on car 1Os of the North Capital line. This
ear is unmanageable, and every e&-
perienced motorman on the road has
complained of It, The foreman says 1t
is all right. and insists on using the
car. To demonstrate that the foreman
is wrong. and that patrons Of the car
are in danger of their lives who ride
in it. tire following facts andmhmhm
in it. The Globe Tecites the following
facts. and defes the company or the
| foreman TO contradict the same:
Week before last an old motorman
was ordered to take out 1O8. He fat
Iv refused. Another car was given
him. An extra man came on a little
/ later. and he was given 1OS. Not
/ knowing the car was unmanageable
/ he took it out, and ran into another
! car. There was a smash up. The mo-
/ torman was given his choice to pay the
| damages or be discharged. He took his
/ discharge.
On Saturday last this car was ta-
I ken out by another mOtorman ac-
/ quainted with its dangerous character.
He protested, but it was no use. The
usual smash up happened on a down
grade He did his best to stop it, but
the car can not be controlled. He, too,
got his choice to pay damages or be
"fred." He sensibly chose the latter,
as at his munlhcent compensation Of
six or seven dollars per week, it would
take several revolutions of not only the
earth, but the sun, moon, and other
planets before his stipend would ag-
gregate enough to pay for the repairs.
The only time this dangerous car is
not running is when is in the shop
for repairs. and whenever the foreman
or superintendent wants the scalp of
some union motorman this car is as
] SlRhGu " llllls anu Nllt AcA hONe NAAN
rest. 1t must be a very comfortable
thought to the patrons of this line that
they endanger their lives whenever
they board 10S.
A recent order is working consider.
able hardship to conductors and mo-
tormen of the Traction Company
The men are allowed every eighth day
off Heretofore it was the custom,
very properly, for the men to use this
day for their private recreation, bust
ness. etc. Now, however, they must re-
port at the barns by eleven o'clock, and
remain all day as extras" That is
if an extra car is run out to Cabin
Johns, for instance the waiting con
ductoT and motorman is assigned tC
it for the trip, which takes over two
hours.
A recent case of one of the most
faithful conductors on this line was
brought to The Globes attention. The
employe was i'll several days from the
heat and overwork. He lives in Alex
andria. and telephoned the boss" thai
he would be ready for wort next day
He was ordered to report and take out
his regular car. 1t is the custom to re
port the day before going on duty
from illness or other cause about
noon. This employe did so, and wa'
about to return home and spend the
, day quietly and recuperate his strength
for the duties of the morrow. But hi
was ordered to remain at the barn al
| an extra" and if he did he would
, have to make a trip to Cabin Johns
, He refused to do this, as he was OF
sick leave. Next day he was Informed
his car was assigned TO another, and t
report at the Office. There he wal
asked if he refused to remain as "ex
ira" Answering affirmatively, hi
badge was demanded, and he was dis
missed from the service Of the compa
ny, Notwithstanding his long and ex
cellent record
over two hundred men have beer
| discharged for one cause or anothe,
the past year, and green motormen al
we'll as conductors unacquainted will
the city have taken their places. BE
2 sides the danger incurred in the con
2 stant employment of green motormen
, there is the inconvenience to the pub
p lie of conductors so ignorant of tn,
city that specimen one of this clas
: although opposite the Lafayette Thea
tre was unable to answer a passen
I gers inquiries as to its location.
The sub-superintendents of the TraC
! tion Company have developed int,
spies These employees ingratiat
themselves with the men ana secur
: their confidence. 1t is alleged that thi
confidence is then betrayed TO the off
cials, with the result that the unfortu
= mates are fired"
Nine men of the Maryland line ai
ter their hard days work on the 4th
! purchased a keg of beer and, goinl
, out, in quiet way, to the suburbs, en-
/ ioyed themselves in a nttle celebra
, tion all to themselves of the day dea
. to the hearts of all patriotic Ameri
q cans They were reported and withou
!. a hearing discharged, An employ
who never drank glass Of beer in hi
. life happening TO pass the celebrator
2 and standing to talk to them a littl
4 while, was spotted and discharged
:. The clerk i'm the Office who drank a sir
!. gle glass of beer out Of the keg, in sig
!, of good fellowship with the employees
, was reported, Dut ne tOrestdlled an
:, action being taken by promptly SEND
ing in his resignation.
n The motormens' and conductors
,. lives are certainly not happy ones, ,whe
r not even off duty have they the sam
a privileges that other toilers enjoy. tn
( impositions on the men of compellin
e them to remain at the barns the eight
e day, which they are supposed to hav
4 to themselves. is an outrage, inasmuc
as on that day they have absolutel
e less rest, and never make to exceed fl