The San Francisco call., 1907-03-31
TELEGRRPHERS' DEMANDS
OPPOSED BY RAILROADS
Corporation Says 1t Can
not Well Give Men
Time Off
PROMOTION MATTER
Advance by Seniority to
Charge of Stations De-
clared Unwise

That it was totally impracticable. if
not impossible. TO give telegraphers
working for the Southern Pacific seven
hours off out OF the twelve on Sun
days. and that promotion by seniority
from telegraphers TO station agents did
not yield the best results for the COM
pany or for the public, was the gist
of the testimony given yesterday be-
fore the arbitration committee by off,
cials OF the Southern Pacific Com
pany.
w. A .McGovern, superintendent Of
the Tuscon division Of the Southern
Pacific Company, testified that the tie
houses along the line in Arizona, about
which complaint had been made. were
comfortable and also cooler during the
day than the station houses, which
were built OF thin boards.
w. H. Norton, assistant superintend-
ent of the Western division, testified
that telegraph operators made good
agents.
w r. Scott. superintendent OF the
Western division of the Southern Pa
cific Company, consumed the remainder
OF the session with a dissertation as TO
the dispute between the company and
the Order OF Railroad Telegraphers. He
gave II as his opinion that IL the order
should legislate for the train dispatch
ers the dispatchers would feel morally
obligated to favor the operators in
case any matter came up that would
be a question OF discipline. He had
found men who had been In the service
OF the company for years, and who
had always given satisfaction, persist
emily complained against by the train
dispatcher, and had found after inves-
tgation that these operators did not
belong to the order, while the dis
patcher did. On the other hand. he
knew OF cases where dispatchers had
refrained from reporting delinquencies
on the part OF the operator because
both were members OF the order.
Scott was decidedly of the opinion
that IL would be impracticable to limit
the working hours of telegraphers on
Sundays to FIVE. None OF the main line
stations could be operated that way.
1t would be impossible to limit the
number Of hours except by putting
other men TO work at the close of the
fve-hour run. He said that operators
were comfortably housed in the desert
and were supplied by the company, free
of charge. with light. water and fuel.
H G. Walker, counsel for the teleg-
raphers, asked whether IT would not
be possible to give each operator
month of each year, under pay. in COM
pensatfon for the twelve hours work
on Sundays. and Scott replied that 1t
could not be done at all. lie did not
think that IL would hurt telegraphers
TO work s65 days in the year He him
self had done It for years and had ex-
perienced no evil effects.
Stanley Moore on behalf Of the
Southern Pacific Company, handed in
the following list of stations that IT
desired to have exempted from the
/ schedule:
Western division-Alsmeda. Benicia- Liver
more Lodi Modesto, MADEIRA. San Ieandro.
Suisun Tracy, East Oakland. Hayward, Men
dota Nerced. Napa, Oakdale, Santa Rosa Port
Costa Davis, Newman
/ Sacramento divisiOn-Auburn, Ashland, Colfax,
Dunsmuir Kennel. Woodland, Chlco. Msrysvtne
/ Newcastle. Oroville. Rocklin, RoseFiDe, Red
Blun Reddng. Sisson. Reno. Truckee-
/ Coast diyision-Eollister. Dompoc, Monterey,
| Pslo Alto, Redwood. Salinas, South San Fran
cisco. WatsonFille, Los Gstos, Santa Cruz
/ Guadalupe.
San Joaquin division-Coslinga, Lindsay, Por
terville, Ventura Santa Paula. Tnlare, Bakers
4 field Hanford, Mohave OF City, Oznaro, Reed
lev Santa Barbara. Nisalia
/ los Angeles division-Covina. Long Beach
Riverside Redlsnds. San Pedro Wharf. SAINTS
Ana Cotton Ontario. Pasadena. Port Los An
/ celes Pomona San BerDRrdinO.
Tucson division-Benson, Bowie, Deming
Salt Lake division-winnemucca. Nina
Hazen, Sparks Elko, Carln, LOyelOcks.
oregon lines-Albany, Grants Pass. Portland
(Je6erson-st. station. ROseburg, Salem, Cor
wallis. Eugene.