The San Francisco call., 1906-10-12
UNITED RAILROADS
MAKES ANSWER.

Nossdeclaration of what the United
RAILROADS viii do for the men in its
employ is contained in the statement
] of the company fled late last night
with the board of arbitration which is
to pass on the differences existing
between the corporation and the sew
eral unions to which its employees be-
long. The document is in answer to
the statement presented by the con-
ference committee of the unions. The
arbitrators. Chief Justice William
Beatty, Rev. Peter c. Yorke and
Francis p. Heney will now prepare for
the taking Of testimony in the contro-
versy.
The question of a fat rate of SO a
day and a working day Of eight hours
still remain the crucial points of the
argument. But the company declares
that a graduate scale of wages is best
for the service and for the men and that
the eight-hour working day is not
feasible for the car system.
COMPANY WRITES.
The communication of the company
is but a history and an exhaustive
special plea 1t contains $4,000 words
in fifty-three pages of typewritten
matter. NOLW lAuStdnu1nS ll6 i6IlS III Ol
its argument the position of the COM
pany is simple. 1t is that there are no
points at issue other than the question
of an increased wage and a lessened
working day. The. company asserts
that the contention raised by the union
1st that it. the United Railroads, has
violated the existing agreement which
holds till May l, 1907
The statement admits without en-
phasis that rents have increased in the
city since April Is. but modified the
admission by saying that the condition
which caused the raise is transitory,
and not permanent, and further de-
clares that save in few articles of
food there has been nc increase in the
cost of living.
FORTUNATE BACHELORS.
"Since the disaster of April 49," the
reply reads, while rents, as a transi-
tory condition, have increased, yet food
supplies, clothing and the like. have
not appreciably increased. The in
crease in rent since the fire is only
an increase in one factor of the cost
to the family man, and no increase to
the cost to a single man." The COM
pany then says that so per cent OF its
employees are in the bachelor class, but
this fact the company deplores, ex-
pressing the desire to employ citi-
3
stake in the country"
The communication is signed by A.
A. Moore as attorney for the company,
and John CARRIER and Tirey L. Ford,
of counsel 1t opens with a history
of the relations between the company
and the men from the time of the pur-
chase Of the road in March, 1902, to
date, and includes as documentary evi-
i-dence all agreements between the
United Railroads and its employees, and
much of the matter issued by President
Patrick. Calhoun during the recent
strike, as well as the communications
/ witch passed between President. Cor
-nelius of the Garments Union and
! Thornwell Mutually and Patrick Cal
! houn for the company.
OFFERS FAIR DEALING.
AS a preamble to the text of its
statement the United Railroads de-
clares that 1T has always has been and
now is ready to deal fairly, equitably
and literally with the Carmen's I'm
ion" Then comes a clause in the state
ment mhich puts it thus: "At no time has
an increase in wages or a decrease in
hours been sought by the Carmen's Union
as a matter of favor or Of equity at
the hands Of the company. On the
contrary, the Garments Union insists
that this company mas violated it's
was contained in the charge by the
/ carmen that the company has imposed
{ more labor upon the employees than the
! contract called for. This accusation
! Of course is denied by the company.
Much of the matter contained in the
statement to the arbitration board by
/ the various unions is declared to be
/ irrelevant matter. Many of the issues
raised by the carmen are asserted to
be unsound. After the elimination of
the reputed 'unsound" issues the cor
/ poration replies generally to the re-
naming clauses.
+ THE EIGHT-HoUR DAY.
tt is declared that an eight-hour day
/ is not feasible and does not obtain
elsewhere. 1t is insisted that the grad
uate scale of wages for carmen, by
which old employees are paid more than
new men, is the best and has supplant-
1 ed the fiat rate on the most progressive
systems in the country. The personnel
I of the operatives is improved by this
/ system.
In separate sections the demands of
K the unions other than the carmen are
treated and the majority of their
claims are denied.
The statement was issued too late
/ last night for perusal by many mem
bers of the board of arbitration.
I