Evening star., 1917-05-24
INSISTS RAILWAY letter
WAS NOT T0DECE|vE MEN
John s. Barbour Testihes for W. B.
and z. Company at Senate Hear
ing on Strike.

A fiat denial that the officers Of the
Washington Railway and Electric Com
pany had any intention to deceive its
employees in the letter written by Presi-
dent King to the grievance committee
February 27. in which 1t was suggested
that controversies between the men and
the company could and would be settled
by mediation of some kind after in
auguration had come and gone, was
made before the Senate strike investi-
eating committee today by John s. Bar
bour, general counsel for the company.
who testified that he was one of the
officials who aided in framing the
letter.
Mr.. Barbour held to his statement
that the letter was not intended to de-
ceive the men, that 1t did not deceive
them. or any one else, when he was
sharply cross-examined by Mr.. Vahey
of counsel for the strikers.
This letter of President King has
been made much of in the investigation
before the Senate committee, the strik-
ers and their counsel insisting that it
was written for the purpose of lulling
the men into the belief that the COM
auguration, If they would not strike
before or during the INAUGURAL period.
Wasn't 1t fact, as brought out by
the testimony of Mr.. Ham. the vice
president of the company, that strike
breakers had been brought here by the
company as early as February Is. be-
fore this. letter was written" asked Mr..
Vahey, land do you still insist. In the
face of that fact. that the officials OF
the company did not intend to deceive
the men when it held out to them In
this letter the hope that you would
mediate later?"
Mr.. Barbour said that he had no
knowledge at the time the letter was
breakers. He declared that the letter
was not intended to deceive.
Struck Year Before Without Notice.
1.-THE men struck the year before
without any notice whatever to the
company" said Mr.. Barbour, referring
toi the question about the introduction
Of strikebreakers. "and have no
caught In that position again"
Didn't you know that If the men
struck just before Inauguration the
company would have to settle with
them: that the public would not have
stood for anything else at that time?"
demanded Mr.. Vahey.
mo. did not" said Mr.. Barbour.
To rapid fire of questions along the
same line from Mr.. Vahey Mr.. Barbour
answered No."
When the committee met today SEN
ator Pittman, the acting chairman, was
absent on account of illness. The ques-
tion as to whether the committee would
compel w. L. Blackman, conciliator of
the Department of Labor, to state who
1t was with whom he talked over the
financial condition of the company,
therefore. was left to be decided later,
and Mr.. Blackman was excused until
tomorrow morning, when the hearings
will be resumed at $50 O'Clock.
No Recognition Of Union.
The company then put Mr.. Barbour
mn he CTS nd ny1
by George P. Hoover. counsel for the
company, Mr.. Barbour testified that the
company had insisted there should be
no recognition of the union in the
none, despite attempts made by some
persons to make it appear so. The COM
pany, he said, was extremely careful
in regard to this matter and was firm in
its determination not to recognize the
union.
Company Carried Out Its Part.
out its part in connection with this let
ter when it invited the men to meet
with it March 8. The men refused, he
said. s.,.,t =. \
He told the committee that she. had
discussed the individual contract with
Mr. Bowen, secretary of the company,
several months before the strike, but
that was the only time he had dis
cussed 1t.
Later senator johnson of California
asked what the company had intended
to do with this individual contract.
Mr.. Barbour replied that he had not
been informed; that he had not again
discussed it with any of the officials
prior to the controversy with the men
this year.
He testified that the feeling between
the men and the company appeared to
be very good prior to the organization
Of the union. and told of meetings he
had attended between the men and the
officials of the company.
The witness insisted that the District
had given no intimation
to the company officials at the confer
ence March 10 last that the men would
waive recognition of the union.
Forced to Join Relief Association.
At last night session of the commit
tee, under cross-examination by Coun-
sci Vahey for the employees, 1t was
elected from Mr.. Ham. vice president of
the railway company. that since 1907
practically every employe had been
made to join the relief association, be- !
cause new men applied for membership |
when they sought employment and ap-
plicants for pensions must be members
Of the relief association. Mr.. Ham said |
In answer to direct questions that there !
was no Interior motive in establishing !
object was to benefit the men and was |
not to prevent the men organizing.
The witness was then taken in hand |
~ Counsel Hoover for the railway COM |
oany. He said the system of paying the |
men daily was thought to be acceptable |
10 the men and there had never been |
any objection to 1T by the men. The |
Capital Traction Company union men,
1e said, we're reported as contributing |
- a week each to the strikers as we'll |
as their dues OF a month to the union
Mr. Hoover brought out In connection |
with the anonymous communications |
hat no complaint was made to the COM
oany or the public utilities commission |
md the communications might well have |
been the work Of agitators outside the |
ranks of the employees.
Mr.. Clayton Takes Hand.
w. NICK. Clayton, in behalf of the citi-
sens' associations. questioned Mr.. Ham |
about some details of the pension sys-
tenn and the bonding of officials and the |
men. The employees pay for their bonds |
while the company pays for the officials |
bonds.
NEST OF SPIES rs FOUND.