The San Francisco call., 1908-05-24

LABOR ASKS CHANGE
IN TELEPHONE LAW
Protests Against Elimination of
Safeguard Clause in the
Ordinance
Council Would Remove Private
Exchange Operators From
C0mpany's Control

1dMEMmo The following is
Cikzhf M a0owSO the eliminated sec
NSFIN tion OF the tele-
phone ordinance
council last Friday to adopt resolutions
protesting against the action of tho
supervisors and asking that the sec
tion be restored:
ANY person, company or corpora
tion engaged IN the business Of supply
ing telephone service in the city and
county shall upon demand furnish
classes or kinds specified In this ordi-
nance, without discrimination, qualifl-
cation or restriction as to employees OF
subscribers or otherwise, at the same
rates to all persons, companies or COR
porations who shall elect to take or use
any of such Glasses or kinds OF serv-
ice."
The committee presenting the resolu-
tions, consisting of Theo Johnson Of
the walters union, George A. Tracy Of
the typographical union, James Bowlan
OF the hackmen's union, B. B. Rosen-
thai OF the upholsterers union. Andrew
j. Gallagher. secretary. and J. w.
Sweeney, president of the council pre-
sented the following argument in favor
of the adoption of the resolutions:
If said bill Is passed by the board
Oh Bup6EVl0OT8 anu becomes a law with
the above paragraph eliminated it will
place in the hands Of the telephone
companies the power to employ or dis
charge at will, with or without cause
any person or persons now or here
after employed at any Of the private
switchboards In use In this city and
county and will enable said company
to WELD an unwarranted influence over
the business Affairs of persons, COM
M oil
lutely to control tho present and future
employment in this particular service
Of many individuals now thus engaged
without at the same time assuming the
burden and expense of paying the
salaries of the class Of employees herein
referred to.
The conditions thus sought to be
permanently established in the tele-
phone service Of this city and county
are at variance with all esta blished and
time honored business customs of the
community and are especially repuE-
nant to tho members Of this council be-
cause we believe there is nohing In
connection with the use of the city's
telephone service that warrants or
the citizens the right to claim protec-
tion from the telephone companies
when they seek an unwarranted super
vision, il they care to use It, over the
business of their subscribers and a
vicious influence, IL they care to WELD
it, over the operators employed by sub
scribers to manipulate private switch
boards"
At the weekly meeting Of the board
OF directors of the musicians union,
local No. s, Ave candidates were elected
to membership and initiated. Nine
members were received on transfer
cards and three applications for mem
bership were referred to the COMMITTEES
on investigation. Two members with
drew from the union by transfer cards
The local will hold special meeting
next Thursday to act on the question
OF holding monthly instead of quarter
ly meetings to act on the price list
appertaining to rehearsals and to hear
the report Of the delegates who were
sent to the American federation of
labor.
There Is considerable satisfaction In
labor circles in this city in relation to
the passage by the house In Washing
ton of bill to provide compensation
to government employees who are In
jured through no contributory negli-
gence while employed in hazardous oc-
cupations. The bill provides that in
case of injury the wages of the victim
shall be continued for one year unless
he is sooner able to resume work, and
in case of death at the time of accident
or death following an accident the full
amount OF a years pay shall be divided
to his dependent ones named in the bill
M. P. Scott, organizer for the bar
tenders, cooks and walters, is again In
Vallejo in an effort to unionize all the
saloons In that place. He is flooding
tho town with circulars asking union
men to patronize only the rs saloons
that employ union bar keepers. The
bar keepers who are not in the union
have formed the Unity club with at
tractive clubrooms on Sacramento
street and intend to stay out despite
Scott's efforts to have them take out
union cards.
Information has been received at
labor centers In this city that If there
are any men out of work they will un-
doubtedly And work for a time in the
orchards in the vicinity Of Vacaville.
The growers say that at this time they
have all the help they need to handle
the cnerry crop, but that difiiculty
about help may arise In about three
or four weeks when the apricot crop
will have to be handled. The indica-
tions are that 1t will be exceedingly
large this year.
Complaints were received by the
building trades council Thursday night
from the housesmiths, cement workers,
the ordinance which requires that safe
guards shall be provided in buildings
In course OK construction are not en-
forced by the authorities. 1t was stated
that In the past two months eight men
In various crafts have met death and
16 have been seriously injured because
Of such neglect. The matter was re-
ferred to the councils attorney, who
was requested to take steps to see
that the authorities do their duty in
faulty to draft one that shall make
provision for the safety of the work.
ingmen.
Carpenters union No. 4S3 Is to hava.
an entertainment and dance IN !. the