The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-10-13
ORR .RAPS
CAR Plan
Doesn't Take Care of
Workers, Says Union
Official

Resin orr. treasurer a the ANAL
eamateA Associattoa Or etrest and
EIectxic Railway Employees Of
America. dsaivego1 . slsdgs ham
ner bs0w AGAINST The proposed rail-
way purchass plan in the debate
held under the auspices Of the Dc
trott Federation q Labor. Orr At
tackled the purchase plan not only
frUU me Standp0lnt OF union ~
bor advocate. but a . citizen Of De-
troll and . user Of d. q. r. service.
''On the basis that the advocates
Of this plan would have ~ buy the
street chr system" he declared. mot
one Of ~ would have any means Of
knowing how much Ne are going to
boost our taxes n We vote Yea Il
the tax rate h Increased. who suf-
fess most! The wage sarnsrs, the
ones who are going TO decide
whether or not this plan shall
carry ! don't know of any reason
Why The Price shouldn't b named
Agreement @ price - the basic
principle Of buying and selling. Still.
the citisens Of Detroit are to he ask
ed to buy while biind-folded ~ TO
price"
Orrs talk regarding the aboiition
of the arbitration clause. giving ths
street railway commission absolute
power In the handling OF its men.
was one Of the most impressive bits
Of the debate. He told Of his b.
ginning - . driver Of horse cars
Il worked for IL cents an hour
then" he said I'm those days. and
for many years after. q street car
man was considered less valuable
THAN common laborer. Il was
taken for granted that Q man W0ull
turn 10 street-earins n he had fall
cd In everything else. We he'd NO
protection. Street car systems could
do with Us as they pleased. when
men became old. after they had Civ
"a the best years Of their hives 20
the company and to the public, they
were called IN aad told that they
were no longer needed. They had
lbNsusd out the dynamos Of their en-
IerU, doing service for another at
|pitfeslly low wage, 90 they were
| thrnun ont.
Tb0 the street rnilway com.
pany M0nId aend to the farm dis.
|tricts and bring In fresh raw mate
rial. Thess youngsters could be
handled easily. They never would
become disgruntIed over WORKING
conditions In their first years OF
service. They didn't know enough.
These were the conditions we
fAced when we began to organize
strongly. We gained in strength,
and finally we became strong
enough to demand and win our right
to . hearing In case our employers
sought TO drive us from cur Jobs.
We gained the right to arbitrate.
and We gained the right to appeal
to our executive committee after
being discharged Those victories
were among the browning achieve
msuts Of our history.
And n0w, here In Detroit-the
city which II my home-I see some
|ef our Influential citizens asking us
~ give our vote in support Of plan
that would rob HE street car work
~ 81 the right to arbitrste ana to
appeal 70 our own organixati ton.
vhicn 3 the only thing We have to
fou ben o.. A. . street ear man.
! ~ that the CIR workers @ well
- othsr unisn men viii vote
aeainst any plan which dossn't give
~ chance 10 defend tlslr jvbs
tseA arSitfst5ca o. appeal"
Is. HomsSody- There! pidnst I
~ ! ssulA tAseet . needis
- IA ysu could Sharpen
~ vasat fair. I could
- - = ! hadnt run out
Is .I :. N 8