The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-26

be able to determine the result of the
II the ,' oflcers Of Of the company
had gone at the readjustnent Of ex-
nenses In the most natural way, mis-
Item of motormen and conductor wages
would have been The first one that would
have come In for reduction" Perhaps
this would have been the most natural.
way which would have suggested Itself
to Mr., Huff, but We feel satisfied that
the most natural" and "appropriate''
xxx you'd have been G 20 to the high
ernl manager. and the fancy-salaried help
IN those positions, where no sweat Is
shed and where no dangers are, encoun,,
providing for their families on s1.57 per
day, whose efforts bring to the company
all It's revenue. In the same paragraph
from which We have quoted MT. Hnn
conductors and motorinen are seeking to
overthrow an agreement entered into last
August. This is absolutely misleading
There was not a line In the, agreement
entered into last August which stipulated
any length Of time for the agreement TO
run and the. question of wages could
have been taken up again In ten days
after the agreement was entered into
without any violation OF good faith on
tho part of employees; The. company has
certainly controlled the Board of Arbi-.
,ration and the failure to stipulate a
TINE e, for the agreement to run IS wholly
Rs faqt e snoY Es
matter up In the most natural" way.
they would not have continued to work
since last August for less than the cost
advanced. as they have done materially
within the last six months. and house
rent became so much higher. they would
have ere this entered a demand for a
In ras stf,,, h<tr ,ntt 70
says that the increased cost OF living was
taken Into considera ton by the Board OF
arbltration last August Then. II this Is
true, , i 70 most excellent argument
take place. for we can furnish afiidavits
to prove that many street car men are
now paying more for the necessaries OF
were last August.
Mr.. Hun says ''by your own choice
you are now working nine hours per
Mr. Hun since he pays the men by the
hour! lie only pays for the hours worked.
and It ls greatly to the advantage of the
company company 70 work the men only nine hours.
vigorous and competent men than 1t
could hope TO have under long-hour
system. N
PETERSBURG LINE.
Mr.. Hun gays to increase the nav OF
the the men nsn.,! on the Petersburg. line tthey
t nhonr }, would bankrnpt the property. Yet
shrcwd and able characteristic, Gould-as
an investment, after q careful examina-
ton OF its receipts and expenditures and
nc knew when he purchased It that this
men could not long afford to work for
the wages they were receiving. for they
were far below what Mr.. Gould was pay
Ing In his own section of the country.
arbitration would take tho control OF the
road out OF his hands and his usefulness
would be at an end, yet he intImates
t IN the result Of the last board Of ar
the men for what he terms desire to
depart from is findings. II arbitration
was good thing last August, and the
why Is It not good thing now?
Now we believe we have called atten-
ton TO the leading objections Mr.. Hun
So far as an examination OF balance
sheets are concerned we do not lay much
stress on them We do not believe that
road II its haanee sheets
had not been satisfactory and would sim
ply add that II street car investment in
Richmond Is not a paying one. then We
geek such investments for the travel
here Is as large as In any city our size.
and the charges for riding are just as
high.
There Is one feature OF the business
that 1t may be our citizens are not gene
rally familiar with. The conductors OF
ey e ase an bay to 1uE at hs Tey
buy them in IS lots, and the company
gets the money. deposits It in bank and md
draws interest on y before f, 1t ever earns rms
months before they are used. and many
OF them are never used at all. This Is a
hardship on the conductors In that they
they use. and do not get reimbursed UNI
til they can sell the tickets.
In conclusion. we desire to call atten-
ton to the fact that the Virginia Pas ;,
efficient, honest, painstnking and court
eous an equipment of employees as can
be found in the United States: They de-
In fact they cannot live becominsly and
comfortably on the wages they are re-
ceiying. The compony receives from our
a spot cash business the company loses
nothing from q credit system that causes
a loss to most all other enterprises; the
company Is n nsl gnostnns and
ed at least one employe 500 per month.
Now we appeal to our citizens to give
US their aid TO betterment OF our con
ly appreciate their cooperation and as
sure them that in the future. as in the
past everything will be done to make
and expeditions as possible. We simply
ask that our citizens take into considera-
ton the character of the work we have
to do. the dangers we have to encounter.
uniforms and furnish the money In adj
vance for NIL the tickets we use and II
so unfortunate rs to have an accident,
the courts. And after carefully weighing
these facts to give us verdict to tho
effect that motormen, are entitled to 81 .0S
and conductors $1.S9 per day and that In
making a demand for these figures We
are not seeking to take any advantage
Of our employers. We remain
Respectfully,
(slgned.) W. j. GRiGGs.
Chairman.
P. II. DE FORREST,
t. w. REDFORD
w. II. CLEATON,
j w. WIIELTON