The San Francisco call., 1906-11-22
HEAR
MORE EVIDENCE
Case of Electrical Workers
Is Concluded and That of
the F'iremen Commenced
CHIEF ON THE STAND

The court of arbitration which is
United Railroads and its employees on
the questions of wages and hours fin
ished yesterday with the first of the
four cases, that of the electrical work
ers. and took up the case of the sta
tionary engineers and pump men. At
the present rate of progress it will be
several weeks before the testimony is
concluded.
At the morning session Brondson, the
company's chief of motive power, was
recalled and on cross-examination ad-
mitted that he considered the work of
dynamo tenders to be employment that
called for brains rather than muscle,
and that while it was not laborious
1t required a man to keep his wits
about him. This testimony is in line
with the contention of the union that
the electrical workers are skilled work
men.
Worthington then testified that the
local union of electricians employed
by the United Railroads in 1903 had no
connection with the larger organiza-
tion, but that it was a union con-
Quoted by the company ITSELF This
testimony was objected to by A. A.
Moore. But Albert johnson replied
that it was no more hearsay than the
statement by Foster that he had heard
that some one said that 1t was reported
that the current opinion three years
ago was that this local union had said
that they would rather have an in
crease in wages than cut in the hours
which constituted a days work. With
this incident the case of the electrical
workers was closed and at the after
noon session that of the men employed
in the, steam power plants was opened.
CALLS THEM 'sFAT SINGERS.
Charles w. Stryker. who had worked
for the company as oiler and over
haul man, enlivened the court with a
definition of an oiler as "a man who
was commonly called fat-slinger."
The oilers, however, are not keenly
Stryker said they wanted $3.50 a day,
while the company's attorneys opined
that they were already getting So.
Justice Beatty remarked that it seemed
they were asking for reduction.
The stationary firemen now receive
S2.70 and they ask for SO and eight
hours. Evidence was brought out to
show that all the other plants in the
city are paying So for an eight hour
water tender pumpmen now receive
$3.50 and they ask for So and eight
hours, while the wipers get 81 and
want $3.50. Stryl<er described the
nature of the work and was cross
examined by Attorney Moore. who
wanted to know if a wiper was not
"a man who wiped up the grease
around the engine"
Brondson was then called for the
United Railroads and gave his opinion
that it would be impossible for the
company to arrange an eight-hour
schedule. as the plants are operated
eighteen hours in a day and the eight
hour shift would not apply. Stryker
claimed that there was some work be-
ing done during all of the twenty-four
hours, and that three eight-hour shifts
could be operated. Brondson said that
each man was given one day off each
month with pay, and that IL the men
chose they could save their days off
and take the whole twelve in bunch
each year as a vacation. He said that
one man had done that.
WORKS EVERY DAY IN YEAR
Being asked by Father Yorke If he
were not aware that it had been a
principle of the race for the last 1900
years to take one days rest in each
seven, Brondson replied that he sup
posed that a mans health was i'm
proved by that practice, but that he
himself worked seven days week the
year round
Would you mind telling the court
what you are paid for that?p asked
Johnson. Brondson did not reply. He
said that Sunday was the railroads S
best day"
Don't you think that if the men
work on holidays they should share in
the advantage derived by the com
pany for the increased traffic that
comes to the railroad on those daysg
asked Johnson.
1T would not be convenient to ar
range the pay in that way" was Brond-
sons answer.
The hearing will be continued tomor-
row morning.