Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-20

have proofs, and plenty OF them, that an
ordinations without number are beipR car.
rled on against the members OF DiTsion
SS OF this city. Now, we regret that very
much. And II there was any way OF bring
ing about a good understanding, / want to
say this, that there Is nobody would be
more DESTROYS Of doing so than this COM
mittee. But taking the position that YOU
have taken, and ignoring all the demands
your men have made-tRat you cannot see
your way clear to signing any statement
to them, and that you cannot grant an ar
bitration Of any OF their demands, really
this committee would be In no position to
do anything but &C back and tell the true
facts.
And IL there was any way that you
could see your way clear to arbitrate this
matter. 1t would be to the benefit OF thu
employees, 1t would be to the benefit OF the
company, and II would be to the benefit
Of the public at large. For / want to say
to you, sir, that this matter has got to .
serious stage, and II diplomacy and good
judgment Is not used, that Il Will throw us
into a place where probably we can never
get to the same relations that we had. Now.
| regret that very much; but I see that
IT Is the disposition, taking Il from the
superintendent Of TRANSPORTATION to the
president OF the road, that II is the desire
TO Ignore the organization completely. Well
II Is the position OF the men at this tiS
that they are going TO insist upon recogniis
ton, and that they are not going TO be igA
nored. That is the position they take al
this time, and ! am stating the true feelN
I'm the vote taken on Friday or Monday
evening II was the unanimous consent that
the committee must bring back something
substantial, and what results may follow
our failure to do so God only knows"
Mr.. Wattles: Now, Mr.. Linahan, you
assume a lot Of things in your statement
Mr.. Linahan well. / would like 70
have you show me"
Mr.. wattles: You say that you cam.
up here and l refuse to hear any OF the
grievances that you have got to submit
and that 1 refuse to say what the COM
pany will do In regard to any of them.
Now, that is not so.
The matter pertaining to the operation
OF this company, as outlined in this con-
tract are, first:
A motormen and conductors shall have
the right to select their runs; such righN
snail be based upon the time Of continuous,
service with the company, seniority in
such service to prevail in such selections
mat is one OF the things you want, is itF"
Mr.. Gillian: We rave that now"
Mr.. Wattles: That is as / understand
H. Now, the next question in your con.
The wages and hours Of all motormeA
and conductors and shopmen shall be al
follows Wages for motormen and con-
cents an hour; for the second years
service, q cents an hour, and for the
third years service and thereafter 2S cents
That is one Of the things you wqat,
Mr.. Linahan: Yes. sir; that is one OF
Mr.. Wattles: do you think that lie, q
just demand?'
Mr.. Linahan; well, il you can show
us II is not a Just demand" .
Mr.. Wattles: You show me that Il. ia
will you? Let us hear your side OF It.
Now let US hear what the men have to
Mr.. Linahan: '"Well, in the first. place,
the newer men in the service-which d a
great m%any-only receive p cents an pur
are limited for them so that they cannot
make any amount OF money-any reason
able amount of money to support them7
selves and their families"
Mr.. Wattles; do you know how muoH
they do maker
Mr. Linahsn; Wei, / have got an
idea"
Mr.. wsttles; We'll, how much do they
maker
MIR. Linshan We'll / presume they Will
average from $5 to $50, running up 10 SIS
a month. l think they will"
Mr.. Wattles: "Forty-five to SIS is what
they average"
Mr.. Linahan: "of course, do not say
that they will all average that. That is
a question upon which I have no certain
average woul1 be the year around; but 1
know that they will average that during
the summer months. but In the winter
time, when the traffic is less, they gill
not do so WELL"
Mr.. Wattles: Let me refresh your ns4n-
Gsy on we Sh got T tSs FRl5 Safes fro mere the enc se EtGsI
manager, ne had me books. DO you re-
member what II was?"
Mr.. Gillian: Il believe the conductors
made So to so and the motormen. So =
Mr.. Watties: About ISL"
Mr.. Gillian: "Fifty-one dollars ! b.
lieve."
understand that the cost of liVtng IL very
high. The cost OF living In Omaha now 10
considerable higher than 1t has beeb,
higher, and you can easily understand
yourself from the way the men are quitting
every day that they cannot make q decent
living any more under the present con-
ditiOns in the street railway service. They
are quitting, as the records will show, 81
the rate OF Is TO 80 every month, and, Of.
course, that puts the older men In a bad
place; for the simple reason hat there Is a
shortage OF help most OF the time and as
a result ne IL overworked, and those are
the CONDITIONS that we are trying to slimi-
nate We are trying 10 get a class Of men
that VIII appreciate their Job and stay
%lth Il and be good employees. and II they
had better remuneration from the CONF
pany, the company would have better men
and they would stay with their positions
NV fe eys tS would SO more satlsfSo,Sr-
NOW / do not think that Is an untA
position 70 assume, and II these men's
wages could be raised up 10 a fair staRd.
be better. ~
The discrimination between tn. 4 old
TOO great. where the old man is SsStiRA
ten 10 ten and a half hours at rs cents
an hour, he makes a pretty fair hviIS.
men. Another thing that takes place 10
a certain extent Is the fact that for very
trivial causes sometimes the higher priced
Mr.. Wstties: fwho has bsen7"
Mr. Linahan: well. / have not col q
record of the men that hSvsfbs1r dis