Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-03-06
Direct Attention of Utilities
Commission to What They
Call Violations of Law.
FIVE CHARGES ARE MADE;
IMMEDIATE ACTION URGED
Claim Boys, Discharged Men, Clerks
and Others of Inexperience Are
Being Used to Run Cars.

| The street car employees union today
| began an attack upon the companies
from an oblique angle by directing atten-
ton of the public utilities commission to
what they called violations Of law by the
companies in the manner in which the
cars that are running are being operated.
| They addressed a formal complaint, 'in
the interest of the public they said. and
on behalf of the safety first movement.
consisting Of five charges against the
companies. The complaint, which is
! signed by L. A. Sterne. acting president
of the Street Car Mems Union. and J.
f. Toone. organizer Of the American
Federation of Labor. on behalf Of the
men, says that boys under seventeen
years of age in some instances are being
permitted to operate the cars; that men
who have been discharged by the COM
pany for intoxication have now been
taken back and are operating cars; that
clerks. claim agents. barn men and track
hands, who have had no experience
( whatever in the operation of street cars,
are now doing such work; that motormen
| are continually running by fire stops at
high speed. endangering the public life,
| in an effort to make quick trips, and to
| make 1t appear that a large number of
cars are in operation. contrary to the
| facts, and that men, who have been re-
| duced to the position of switchmep or
who have been dismissed from the SER
vice OF the companies because they
caused serious accidents by carelessness
| have now been placed in charge Of oper-
ating cars.
| The complaint states: "Details of the
| above violations will be furnished upon
| f<~af to-. .
already noted the violations. Having
| the safety of the public at heart, and
| believing in the principle of Safety
First the undersigned urge immediate
action upon the above"
| Larger Hall for Meetings.
AS the hall of Typographical Temple
| on G street, where the union street
car men have been meeting, will only
hold about 600 persons. and owing to
| the fact that all the strikers who de-
sire to attend the meetings of the men
| cannot crowd into it, arrangements
were made early today for meeting in
| the future at National Rifles Hall, ac-
| cording to an announcement by acting
President Sterne.
AS arrangements had been made to
meet at Typographical Temple at q
o'clock today. and the men generally
understood that was where they were
| to go. strikers were placed on duty
| there to warn their fellow strikers to
go to National Rifles Hall for the meet
| ing there this afternoon.
| The new meeting place, it was an
| nounced, was placed at the disposal OF
Of the strikers at a nominal rental, be-
cause OF the sympathy of those in
charge Of the building with the strike
Many curious evidences Of sympathy
with the strikers was observed at their
committee headquarters at room s12,
ouray building. the home of the Amer
| lean Federation of Labor, this morn
ing. Ernest H. Fulton. secretary Of
| Local No. 1913 of the machinists union.
| appeared to offer the services Of ma
chinists as chauffeurs for cars in case
the strikers wish to establish jitney
lines to carry the striking car men to
and fro. The street car men are not
| using tho street cars in their progress
| about town. The men on the Chevy
Chase line who live in MARYLAND were
and were about to establish a motor
bus line when Mr.. Fulton appeared