The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-12-12
Carmen Close Case With Evidence for
Shorter Hours and Higher Wages

why did the fuse blow out and scare
the passengers almost to death?" and
other questions apparently as imma-
terial from the standpoint of economics
marked the opening yesterday of the
defense of the United Railroads before
the Arbitration Commission, TO the de-
mand of its employees for higher wages
and shorter hours. The United Rail-
roads was given the floor at the open
ing of the afternoon session, and held
it until 4 o'clock, when an adjournment
until this morning at 10 o'clock was
granted on the ground that expected
witnesses had not put in an appearance.
Based on the testimony introduced by
the corporation yesterday the infer
ences is drawn that the United Rail-
roads will make its defense along the
lines that the men here are paid as
much as elsewhere in the country, that
their work is no harder and that the
company has been put to such expense
reconstructing and re-equipping it's
lines that il should not be further bur-
dened by increased salaries to its men.
Just how the company will meet the
fact that the cost of living and rents
have greatly increased is still a mat
ter of conjecture among the employees.
Counsel for the carmen closed their
case at noon by reading extracts from
the speech on the eight-hour day de-
livered by William Jennings Bryan at
Denver and remarks on the same ques-
ton by President Roosevelt. Both of
these statements agree that more time
for study and diversion will uplift the
workman and give him higher aims and
ambitions Their views were offered in
confederation of the statement of Pres
ident Cornelius of the Garments Union
that q reduction of the Garments hours
to eight day would make life for them
more worth the living.
ILLNESS OF CARMEN
DR.. A. S. keenan,. a surgeon of the
Street Railway Hospital Association,
testified for the union, saying that
he had large experience with the all
ments of street railway employees. and
had found that many of those employed
here suffer from severe muscular pains
in the back. due to the constant jar
in their work. This condition, he said.
was not permanent. He also found
that many of the men suffered from
varicose veins in the legs and fiat feet,
due to long standing. These troubles
would yield TO treatment only when
the sufferers ceased work. Nervous
dyspepsia, neuralgia and rheumatism.
due to exposure, he said, were also
common ailments.
The point was raised by the corpora
ton attorneys that last year the United
Railroads agreed to construct a hos
pital for its employees. and conduct the
same on the lines of the Southern
Pacific Hospital.
Yes" interrupted Attorney Albert
Johnson, of counsel for the carmen,
and we can prove that the Southern
Pacific makes money out of its en-
ployes through this hospital The street
railway employees, in our opinion, are
contributing enough profit to the Unit
ed Railroads without any hospital"
The opposing attorneys were silent
so debate was avoided, and President
Cornelius was recalled to conclude his
tertimony.
LINEMEN ARE FAVORED
Since the disaster he testified, "the
hours of the linemen have been reduced
from ten to nine and their wages adj
vanced 10 cents day. To get in their
eight hours a day il is necessary for
platform men to work from ten to
eleven hours, and to get in ten hours
they are compelled to remain on call
from twelve to thirteen hours a day.
A small percentage of the linemen work
approximately eight hours day, these
men being on continuous runs, without
stoppage privilege even for meals. A
smaller percentage are on duty nine
hours" he said. "and about so per cent
are practically on duty from ten to
eleven hours to get in eight hours
work.
1T is my opinion" continued Presi-
dent Cornelius, that we can arrange
an eight-hour schedule for the men
that will be more advantageous than
any the company can arrange on a
Il 49,
and then life for the employees will be
more worth the living. All the Austria
liam and New Zealand companies have
eight hour schedules, and they work
perfectly
Ten-hour schedules as in force at