The Washington times., 1917-10-06
SENATORS BLAME
W.R. & f. CO. FOR
STREET CAR STRIKE
CONTINUED from First Page)

They declare, moreover, that II any
power existed to compel the company
to take back its employees they woulo
exercise II. They express the nope
however, that old employees will be
taken back as vacancies occur.
Senator Pittman, in his statement,
laws the cause Of the strike to re-
fusaI to discuss with It's employees
collectively the conditions unoer
which they were to continue 10 work.
The separate statement OF senators
Jones and Johnson, which accom-
panied the full report, lays the blame
Tor the 1917 strike at the door OF
President King.
"WhiIe some of the demands first
submitted by the union cannot be
justified" the statement says, the
men and the union showed a con-
ciliatory spirit and desire to settle or
compromise the differences. But MT
hing was obdurate. He apparently
had determined to deal with the situ-
alton as he saw At, and to impose
upon his employees an Individual con-
tract and bargain with them in that
fashion lone.
Attitude Caused Strike.
'It was this attitude upon the part
of Mr.. King which, in our opinion
caused the strike or lockout OF 1917.
and which brought in its train the
consequences with which the people
of washi. gton are familiar.
The cause Of the strike was Clar-
ence p, King, primarily, as the prest-
dent and representative of the Wash
ington Railway and Electric Com
pany.
IF any power existed whereby we
could require or .mpel the company
to take back its employees, we would
exercise 1t. II any appeal from US
could accomplish that result, We
would and do make such an appeal
to the company. We earnestly hope
that as vacancies occur they may be
filled by old employees"
ATraiEns King Further.
Continuing. the statement said:
IN our opinion. IL NJ. King had
not been obdurate; II he had under
stood present-day social economies;
II he had been willing to meet at all
not half way, but measurably-the
men, some Of whom had worked for
him more than a quarter of CEN
trry, the would have been no strike
in the city of Washington last March,
the public would not have suffered
the grossest inconvenience, the Cap
ital OF the Nation -ould not have pre-
sented a sorry spC Iacle to the world.
and, what Is more important. there
would not have occurred the misery
and heart-breaking OF men admittedly
of good character, and Of their wives
and their children.
The Washington Railway and Elsc
trio Company broke the strike, and
possibly destroyed the union, but 1t
did IL at a cost financially of some
hundreds Of thousands of dollars, and
at a cost, too, that the Washington
Railway and Electric Company can
never repay to the District of Colum-
bia and the city OF Washington, and
in a fashion in which they can never
repair the injury lone to many lnno-
cent people.
Wage Increase Needed.
THE company refused a few cents
advance to old employees at a time
when the necessities OF life were SO
high that 1t seems incredible its con-
ductors and motormen could have
even existed .upor the wages paid.
It developed in the evidence that this
corporation was singularly prosper
Gus, paying remarkably high divi-
dends, and not only this, but that
within a brief period, II has increased
the presidents salary to sos, 900 a
year in addition to the more than
$4,000 which he received in dividends
on stock OF the company which he
owned, and the salaries of its vice
presidents, its general counsel, and
its attorneys in like fashion, and its
exceedingly high dividends were be-
ing paid upon a capitalization double
the value of its property.
The demands OF the men could
have been met without the slightest
financial strain, almost without lessen
ing the dividends paid, and the
enormous salaries given to the of
hcers o fthe company would have
continued without interruption.
Preferred Strike Breakers.
"But rather than do this and have
a united community, and an organiza-
tion of which the company and the
city of Washington could be proud,
Mr.. King preferred to expend hun
dreds OF thousands OF dollars, paying
sums to strike breakers that in COM
parison with the wages paid his men
seem fabulous.
'In some instances he paid to his
imported men ;25 a day, in no in
stance less than IS a day, to take the
places of men who were earning be-
tween a little over $50 and hardly
more than $40 per month"
The summariZation of facts, sign
ed by Senators Pittman, Jones, and
Johnson, goes into details as to the
cause OF the strike, and of conditions
which led up to 1t. Substantially, It
is as follows:
Summary of Facts.
After the formation OF the union in
1916, the employees struck for higher
wages, better working conditions, and
of union, but the Commits
sioners mediated. and the strike was
settled, an agreement extending till
March IL, 1917, reached; that PresI-
dent King, "who seemed to have auto
cratic authority over the affairs OF
the company" had determined not to
recognize the union at any time. and
in February, 1917. the company began
bringing men into the city, and train
ing them to operate cars; that Mr..
King declared he would not recognize
the union, nor renew the 1916 con-
tract: that he refused to act on any
basis other than the individual con-
tract. This left one of two courses
open to the men-either quit work, or
sign the individual contract. A ma
jority Of the men quit work.
That the Washington Railway and
Company he's been exception
ally prosperous. 1t paid dividends of
from to 7 per cent, and Increased