The San Francisco call., 1906-10-03

lowing grounds, among others:
ta) This schedule of hours and wages
existing conditions of life in San Fran
cisco
(b) The present demand for labor
is IN excess Of the supply.
tc) Similar rates of hours and wages
prevail elsewhere in California,
.(d) The price of labor in all branches
OF industry has greatly advanced in
, oah Francisco since April, 10, and It Is
only fair to the werkmen in these lines
that they should receive share of this
general Increase
Street Railway Construction Work
ers, LOCAL No. 1926. American FEEDER
W. @. FULLER, Business Agent
ALBERT NJ. JOHNSON, Counsel for
CASE of THE CARMEN.
The Amalgamated Association of
Street and Electric Railway Employees
OF America, Division No. 205 (the
of the United Railroads and now sub
nits the same to the board of arbitra
tion, viz:
l., A uniform eight-hour day for all
men under the unions Jurisdiction, en-
bracing platform men, carhouse men
Except those who belong to some ma
tional or International organization),
switchmen. levermen, track sweepers
and oilers, car washers and janitors,
car cleaners and signal men.
2. A fiat rate of So a day for platform
men instead of the present schedule
Which is 25 cents an hour for the first
year, 26A cents for the second year
and ~ II cents for the third year and
thereafter. and proportionate increase
fer all other than platform men.
advances the following reasons, namely:
/. Present conditions in San Francis
GO, Which have existed since April 1S,
1908, demand this schedule of hours and
2. This schedule is necessary to en-
able men TO meet the present standard
OF living in San Francisco, the cost of
living, especially house. rent having
largely increased since April Is.
3. The wages previously received by
the men were in any event inadequate,
considering the nature of the employ
ment and the business.
I. Since April Is the work OF the men
has become more difficult and danger
Gus, requiring higher degree of skill
and demanding a greater exercise of
ance.
5. The United Railroads is a public
service corporation, not a private en-
ployer of labor. IT'S right to transact
comes from franchises granted by the
people. and 1t owes a duty to the peo-
pie, among whom are its employees, not
only. to render to the public the most
efficient service, but also to deal most
literally with its employees and to pay
them the highest wages possible.
By the earthquake, and fire of April
Is the United Railroads was greatly
benefited BY reason thereof it has
received from the people for nothing
privileges worth hundreds of thou
could not have obtained. These privi
leges have enabled the company to re-
duce its operating expenses and In
crease It's earning capacity
s. In every department of industry.
economically considered, the amount of
profit to the employer is one of the
main elements determining the wage
of the employe. Where competition is
possible the benefits resulting from inn
proved industrial appliances, greater
skill of the workmen, reduced cost of
operation. etc, are necessarily distrfb-
uted, ed, though not equally, , or even equi-
prices), the employe Gin higher wages)
and the employer lin greater profitsJ
but where competition Is impossible,
as in the case Of natural monopoly,
of which the United Railroads OF San
francisco Is type, all such benefits
are appropriated by the employer, the
public, whose organization is often
ineficacious, getting nothing and the
employe receiving only what a power
full organization and a sound public
opinion can compel the employer to
give.
The union insists, therefore. that in
the case of public service corporation
the men are entitled to share of the
Increased profits to which their in
creased labor has contributed. What
that share should be in any given case
depends upon the circumstances of that
particular case. In this instance the
union confidently submits that the
street railway employees of San Fran
cisco are now earning for the company
more proportfonately than is earned by
the employees of any other business in
the world. and It is only fair that the
company should recognize this by
granting the schedule asked for by
the union.
Z. All labor has increased in price in
San Francisco since April IS, and the