The San Francisco call., 1906-11-01
RA|LROAD DELAYS
ARBITRATION.
Judge Beatty Waits for a
Car, Then Hears johnson
Denounce Entire System
ELECTRICIANS CASE

| - II Il -
Chief Justice Beatty, mediator In the
arbitration proceedings between the
United Railroads and the unions of its
employees, had two lessons on the COM
pany's method of operating its lines
yesterday-one practical, the other
found in the violent eloquence of AL
bert M. Johnson, attorney for the
unions.
When the hour set for opening the
conference arrived Judge Beatty was
not present He came in at 1880. a
half hour late. Turning. to Attorney
4 A. A. Moore of the United Railroads
he said suavely: 'T would have been
| on time were it not for my inability
to- get car. had to wait at Franklin
and Sutter streets for ten minutes. and
at Fillmore street the first car which
came would not stop for me. The sec
ond was disabled and I was ordered
off, and there was a delay of fifteen
minutes before I got on a car" That
| ended the morning lesson.
! In the afternoon the theoretical les
son was presented. H. L. Worthington,
president of the district council of
| electrical workers. was testifying that
the lines of the United Railroads were
not equipped with guard wires to pro-
tect the trolley wires and he drew the
conclusion that this lack was menace
to the employees and to property. by
creating a fire risk.
What is the purpose OF this ques-
tioning?" asked Moore.
"THE IMPERFECT SYSTEM
Attorney Johnson was on his feet be-
fore Moore had reached the interroga-
tion point. Il am going to show" he
cried, "the imperfect system de-
vised and maintained by the United
Railroads and that will support that
part of the case we expect to make
before this board; that the United Rail-
roads main tains the most inefficient
service in the. United States and that
the danger is a danger to the men. A
danger to the men involves the work
done by the men and naturally in&
wolves the question of hours and wages,
because if men are engaged in hazard
Gus and dangerous occupations to a
greater extent than are other men en-
gagged in similar employment in other
places they are naturally entitled to
increased compensation for the in-
creased hazard and risk. In addition
to this the company blames the men
for the risk and accidents to which the
public is subjected and for which the
'company is responsible"
On cross examination conducted by
Stanley Moore for the company Worth
ington admitted that he did not know
of any streetScar system where guard
wires were used extensively. But
know of no modern street-car system
on the Pacific Coast" said the witness.
WAGES AND HOURS.
When the arbitration board met yes
terday morning after Judge Beatty had
overcome the difficulties presented by
metropolitan transit he stated that the
board had decided that the matter to
be passed upon by it should be only
the question of wages and hours, as
provided for in the arbitration agree
ment, and the dispute between the COM
pany and the men on the question of
whether the company had violated It's
agreement in forcing heavier work
on the men than they had contracted
for, was not to be touched upon. In
accordance with this ruling the arbi-
traitors later decided that they had
no power to pass upon the question
of the number of apprentices which
thes company might engage. but they
could decide on the pay which the ap-'
prentices shall receive.
. Owing to the limited accommodations
of the hall on Fulton street it was an
nounced that hereafter the sessions
would be held in the hall at 321 Devisa-
dero street. Clement Bennett and
Charles r. Gagan of the United States
District Court were appointed stenog-
sraphers to the board. e. P. e. Troy,
president of the Municipal Ownership
League, has volunteered to assist John
son in the presentation of the unions
case and appeared yesterday.
WANTS NO DETECTIVES.
johnson, jealous of the rights of his
clients, opened the hearing with a
protest that the United Railroads had
a detective present at the meeting.
Judge Beatty asked what difference it
. 3, <I4ta two
present, adding that he considered that
the meetings were to be open. But
johnson would not be spacified until
Moore gave him the solemn assurance
that there was no United Railroads
sleuth present Then the hearing went
on with temporary tranquility.
Worthingten, the witness to present
the case of the Electrical Workers
Union, was first examined. He said
that 100 members of the union of which
he was the head were in the employ
of the United Railroads, the majority
being slinemen. He began to talk of
armatures, generators and motors,
when Judge Beatty interposed: 'Isn't
there some short textbook on this sub
ject which will give us some idea of
this?"
Father Yorke and Major Mclaughlin
nodded their approval of the Judges
question.
NO. CONDUIT SYSTEM.
1t appeared that there was a differ
ence between the classification of en-
ployes made by the United Railroads
and that made by the union in it's
statement and this was cleared up by
Worthington and Stanley Moore. For
instance, the union has set a rate to
be paid underground men,"
we do not intend to have conduit
SYSTEM" said Moore, calmly. There
was a grave silence between Troy and
Johnson, who had fought together for
that sort of road.
Worthington testified that the wages