Evening star., 1901-10-22
Washington Traction and Electric
Company Haeedaon BLACKLIST "
ACTION OF CENTRAL LABOR UNION
Discharge Of a Motorman Alleged
as the Cause.
THE COMPANY's POSITION


grievance against the Washington Trac-
ton and Electric Company, the Central
Labor Union last night ''blacklisted' that
corporation as unfair to union labor" and
requested all members of organized union
labor and their friends to withhold their
patronage from its lines until union labor
shall be given better treatment. This ac-
tion was taken with apparent unanfmity
and was indorsed with cheers by the men,
bers of Local Division 161, Street Railway
Employees Association
The resolutions adopted by the Central
Labor Union follow:
Whereas, the long-continued and per-
sistent action of the Washington Traction
and Electric Company in opposing union
labor by the discharge of members of
Street Railway Employees Division No. 161
deserves our condemnation. The Central
LABOR Union. therefore, declares the Wash
lnSton Traction and Electric Company
fair to union labor, and we earnestly re-
quest all members of organized labor and
their friends to withhold their patronage
from said company: until it recognizes the
fSht or men to organize, and accordS its
employees fair conditions of employment
Samuel Gompers, president of the Feder-
alton OF Labor, is understood to have prom
ised the street railway men the unlimited
support of that order, and there Were pres
ent at last nights meeting to pledge sup
port the following officers of other labor
bodies: Samuel D. Nedfy, organizer of the
Federation of Labor; President Szegedy of
the Plate Printers Union, Vice President
Hammerstrom of the Central Labor Union,
who is also president of the Machinists
Union; Milford Spohn, president of the
Bricklayers Union, J. w. Mahon interna-
tional president of Street Railway Men.
Alleged Cause Of Friction.
The dismissal of Motorman John E. Nc
oh I,a-,f Of tIa Doll
Employees Association, is said to be the
immediate cause for this action by the or
ganized bodies of District worlSmen. Nc
Cracker reported his discharge to his as
scciaton about ten days ago. and is un-
derStood to have stated that the ground
was that ne had talked with another mo-
torman. An appeal Of the case was taken
to President Feeney of the Central Labor
Union, by whom the officials of the COM
pany were asked to reinstate McCracken.
The officials of the company refused for
reasons not given out for publication A
report substantially as above was made to
the Central LABOR union at last nights
meeting.
Several other conflicts between the Trac-
ton and Electric Company and its men
tedate the disagreement over Motorman
McCracken's DISMISSAL For many months
it is said, the men haXe been appealing for
a shorter working day, Last spring there
was clash over the question of summer
uniforms. The belief is general among the
members of the el6caf 1Inion that the COM
pany has endeayered 10 oppose the organi-
cation with all the persistency possible.
If, as was thought very probable last night
the union shall demand the reinstatement of
McCracken. the whole controversy may be
brought to a head andothe entire list of diff
ficulties adjusted by mediation.
Within the last year it is alleged 1T2
members of the Organization have been dis
charged, and Others have been intimidated
and dissuaded from Joining the union
Held q SLeeting-
After the action of the Central Labor
Union the organized employees Of the COM
pany held a largely attended meeting at
600 c street northwest which was ad-
dressed by number of the prominent
members Of the Central Labor Union. The
situation was discussed by the various
speakers, and resolution was adopted re-
ferring the entire matter to the central
body. w. d. Mahon, president of the In
ternat tionaI Association, was also present
at the meeting. 1t is stated that he Is in
the city at the invitation of the local union
for the purpose of adjusting the trouble
If possible, and that, with President Samuel
Gompers of the American Federation of
Labor he will endeavor to confer with the
officials OF the company at an early date
Statement by General Manager.
Mr.. Geo. II. Harries, general manager of
the Traction and Electric Company, made
the following statement to The Star of the
railroads attitude:
"McCracken was discharged for definite
violation of a rule. Somewhat more than
a week ago he rode four squares on the
front Of a car and talked with the motor
man while the latter was on duty-an in
fraction of a rule very we'll known to Nc
Cracken. That was the Iatter's second Of
fense. If had known of the first, which
occurred several months ago. he should
have been discharged then. The fact that
McCracken happens to be president of the
local union of street railway employees has
nothing whatever to do with the case His
conduct was in such absolute violation of
an importan rule of the company he could
not possibly be retained in the service He
will not be reinstated, not while a rail of
the road lasts. This must not be taken as
indicating that the company is in any sense
opposed to organized labor Our position
has been that no union man should inter-
fere with any non-union man and that no
ncn-union man should Interfere with the
union men. We hold to that view now as
much as ever
Views of u Conductor.
Speaking upon the subject today, Mr.. E.
o. Elliott a conductor on the 9th street
line. who has been, he states, in the en-
ploy Of the company for ten years, said:
Being lover Of Justice and having seen
several articles Of recent date which are
calculated to mislead the public in regard
to the treatment of the men employed by
the w aSh1ngtOn IfaCllOn and Electric Com
pany, feel it to be: my duty to publish a
few facts. s-9
"A little more than two years ago. when
the syndicate acquired control of the yart-
Gus car lines, all thevroads with the excep-
ton of the Metropolitan and Columbia lines
paid the men less than 81 and worked them
from 121s to ,13 hours per day.. As fast as
each road was equipped, with electricity the
pay was increased to- for an eleven hour
day This alone bias trRenefited a majority
OF the employest1ianaoit,w would not have
been done had not the ,pfilcers of the com
pany been willings to nhelp their employees.
They also refunded their men about 5000
which had been saeposated for badges and
punches and which ,wss held as collateral
by the former papagers7 of the different
roads. sinl yrIocs-ls
Upon becoming vice president of the
company, Mr.. George II. sHarries organized
a relief association 4 Among the employees
which has proved sbenefcial to large num-
Der Of men In addition to this, club rooms
have been nicely fftlrpiahed and given to the
men at the coplpaHN,s, expense. It can
truthfully be said that the men belonging
to any union aresnos being blacklisted and
discharged for triYial ,pffenses. as the pres
ent general superjnt eadent. Mr.. Lee, is
man of known fairness; and shows par
TALLY to none. 81 : sIIs
mo man Is ever discharged by the COM