The San Francisco call., 1906-08-29

to you on the 18th instant The con-
sideration you offer is TO be to your
own satisfaction exclusively, and you
vouchsafe no specific assurance that
you will increase our pay or reduce our
hours.
I'VE refuse.
This union observes all that you
have written as to its course in ceasing
to work for you on Sunday, but is not
persuaded that it was either unjust or
unwise in what it did.
We ceased work on that day, rather
than on later day, in part because
Sunday is time when few of the in
habita.nts of this city absolutely must
leave home-for we exceedingly dis
like to Inconvenience the public; but in
part for other reasons, namely, be-
cause we had been informed that be-
fore yo7lr president started westward
with his Give branch you were already
hiring professional strike-breakers and
gun-fghters to be used in coercing us
into abandonment Of our just claim to
SO day and the work hours prevalent
throughout the civilized world; because
we were further Informed that this en-
ployment of non-union men proceeded
diligently while your Mr. Calhoun jour
neyed hither to give us consideration
and because we absolutely knew you
were vigorously forwarding his peace
full mission by stocking your car barns
with cots, food and arms sufficient for
a multitude
INDUSTRIAL HESSIANS.
Our information about strike
breakers is now abundantly confirmed.
You have hundreds of Industrial Hes
slams on the way to San Francisco.
Rather than confess your gross viola
tions of our contract with you every
day since the April calamity-rather
than bind yourselves to pay us moder
ately henceforth for work imposed by
you on US quite outside that instru-
ment-rather than protect the public
against future accidents and your men
against future nervous breakdown, by
reducing the unconscionable length of
work days in your service-ytu have
been proving yourselves, and go on
proving yourselves, willing to plunge
this unfortunate community into pro-
Ionged paralysis of its street railway
system and the bitterness and tumult
inseparable from bringing into city
friendly to unionism a mob of pur-
chased traitors to the labor unions.
Can you wonder, sirs, that we dis
trust you? Can you think it strange,
whenI we see your Mr.. Calhoun's pc
culiar olive branch fianked by clubs
and guns, that we are suspicious about
taking up our work again on no better
assurance, with Jour boughten trouble
makers hurrying toward us, than few
sickly-sweet sentences containing no
frank, honest word holding you to re-
form the contract you have for four
months broken again and again-hold-
ing you to pay is for work not in the
bond-holding you to cut your ex-
travagant work days to the measure
of safety and good health?
.sMEANINGLEsS GENERALITIEs."
You cannot wonder-you cannot
think it strange. Your brilliant,
subtle, resourceful president would
have for us fine contempt We're We
so credulous as to build our faith upon
the meaningless generalities whereby,
on behalf of a dividend-pursuing COR
poration quite needless of our welfare
as men, altogether careless of the lives
and comfort of our families, he seeks
to place us at a disadvantage in our
bargaining by having US work on until
the hour the Hessians are at hand.
Your Mr.. Calhoun is quoted in the
morning press as saying that while on
his way to San Francisco he prepared
a writing, setting forth concessions
you were disposed to make to us. Let
the city know the contents of that
paper, gentlemen. Do not hold off. |
Say now what you mean to do toward
broken. There is no need of waiting
another hour. Be specific. Promise
something def1nite-something we can
lay hold upon and know it to be
tangible We are willing to go to |
work We are eager to spare our
sympathetic friends, the public, the in
convenience, the losses the turmoil of
a strike prolonged. You cannot justify
the Introduction into San Francisco of
a single strike breaker, gentlemen. |
Pay us justly, work us within the
bounds of reason, and your cars shall |
move forthwith
Respectfully,
"AMALGAMATED ASSOCIATION OF |
STREET AND ELECTRIC RAILWAY |
EMPLOYEES OF AMERICA, DIVIS-
ION NO. eos.
"By RICHARD CORNELIUS,
President
JAMES H. BOWLING,
Secretary-Treasurer."
Prior to the issuance of the
evening bulletin the Garments Union |
issued one statement at noon yesterday
and another at in the afternoon,
The first took the president of the
United Railroads to task for having |
declared that it was simple thing to
get 1000 men to come to this city and |
work at the scale of wages paid previ- |