The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-04-23


Therefore, Pratt is the whole thing"
and therefore the union suggested by
Mr.. Bancroft is no longer a factor in
the present controversy
Not an OFFICIAL Communication.
Tho committee that waited on Mr..
Wells this forenoon" said Mr.. Pratt,
had no authority to receive or reject
or to consider any propositions that
Mr.. Wells might make. other than
those which related to the matter they
were instructed by unanimous vote of
the local division this morning to pre-
sent to him. That was that they
should notify him that the conductors
and notOrmen would not instruct new
men until the difficulty which now ex-
lists has been overcome Further than
that notification, the committee had
no authority to go.
IF MIR. Wells or any other author
lied representative Of the street car
company wishes to propose the question
of arbitration to US l will be pleased to
give it every consideration. II Mr..
Wells talk with the committee respect
ing arbitration vas and is meant by
him or by the higher officials to be
communication to me, / would be glad
to take il up in regular form and, in
| connection with other questions in
velved, give it every thought. being
advised by the advisory board after
the manner of counseiors. However,
nothing officially came to me. and, as
the recognized ard authorized repre-
sentative of the men, l caused the COM
| munication which I have just handed
| you to be delivered to Mr.. Bancroft
Wants the People to Know.
1--WE are for peace and harmony. We
<--V-
cOmpany'S officials on square, fair,
equal footing. We are willing and eager
| to talk this question over with any or
all of them. We do not stand on tech
nicalities. In tchen of this, 1 hand you
this statement which l have prepared
with haste, but which may present our
side of the controversy in an iHtelligi-
Bile way"
The following statement was issued
yesterday by the executive committee of
the local division of the Street Car Men
association:
To the Public.
ITO the Citizens of Salt Lake City and
the General Public:
THE street railway employees of this
city deeply regret that it becomes neces-
sary for them to again become the cause
of so much agitation and uncertainty ow-
/ ing to the fact that we have been unable
TO negotiate an amicable adjustment of
differences that exist between ourselves
and the Utah Light & Railway company.
IL Is our desire that the peace and seFen-
ity of our beautiful quiet city be pre-
served, and while we have worked con-
scientiously and faithfully to that end
without thus far having obtained any
satisfactory assurances of our conditions
OF employment and wages of the future,
| therefore we feel constrained to place our
side of the situation fairly before you
for careful consideration, believing you
will be convinced of the justice of our
| cause and the helplessness of our condi-
| ton IL we were to accept a continuance of
| the conditions under which we labor at
| the present time in trying to preserve our
dignity as worthy citizens and loyal de-
| tenders of our homes and the best inter-
ests of our city's welfare.
Detriment to Welfare.
I'VE believe that an injury to the great
1 body of employees of street car men be-
| comes, in measure, a detriment to the
public welfare, for we come in close con-
! tact with the home life of all OF the
people, daily having in our charge the
responsibility of the safety and welfare,
as well as even the lives, of the women
and children who ride upon the cars or
in a moment Of Observation-Disclosures plunge
1 in front of the cars while crossing the
busy streets.
! I'VE are for the most part lifelong
residents of this community. Our homes
| and our interests are centered here.
| Whatever is beneficial to our city's well
| IdEe Is D60eIlCldf 10 tnat which is dis
astrous to our city's best interests is in
| furious to us. 1t was because of all of
these interests and love for our city's
reputation and progress and in favor of
| peace that we acquiesced in the accept
| ance Of the company's position toward us
nearly one year ago. We gave up every
request that was originally presented TO
the company by our entire organization
and we accepted the situation In absolute
silence rather than invoke serious trou-
bic.
What Happened Last Year.
Our international representative was
at that time denied an audience with the
officials. of the company. though he
tiement of the existing controversy and
| 1t was largely due to his advice and d.
rection that a strike was ayerted. though
the company declined to in any way CO.
/ operate to that end.
l Again in presenting a renewal of our
! former requests for a better understand
ing as 10 our relationship with our en-
pioyers and contracting our labor for
another year, the company has again
/ taken the same arbitrary stand toward
granting rs recognition or conceding a
single request that we have asked for
They have absolutely refused to meet our
&C n1mittee officially; they have posi-
lively declined to meet our personal rem
| resentative under any circumstances;
| they have emphatically refused to make
any contract in writing; they have re-
and, instead, have offered a slight in
crease of wage to the motormen and con-
ductOrs. while they state positively they
] will take away the pay for overtime for
shop and barn employee, thus actually
forcing reduction in wages to that class
! of men-in other words, rob Peter to paw
Paul the slight proposed increase which.
in the first place, was unworthy of seri-
Gus consideration.
j Lower In Comparison.
THE wages of car men here are much
lower than paid in cities where like con-
d:tionS prevail. Butte is the nearest com
parative city to Salt Lake in population
and cost of living. The difference IL any.
is in favor of Butte when 1t comes to the
cost of living. Men Of family can i've
In Butte II per cent cheaper than they
can IN Salt Lake City. Salt Lake CITY
has a larger population, to say nothing
of the floating element who pass through
here as tourists, thus swelling the com
i panys Golfers. while at the same time IT
! increases the work and responsibility of