The Washington times., 1917-06-01
W.R&E. REVENUE
Loss 20 Per CENT
c. P. King Tells Of Finance
at Hearing Today.
TOTAL SHOWS $245,OOO
Company Head Maintains More
Than Money Is Issue.
tcontIAued from Fir.t P.Ee.l

was to operate its cars and furnish
service to the public. This the COM
pany has done, he said. The witness
added that the company did not want
q strike. and was willing to try to
avert IL by increasing wages through
the individual contract or dealing
with the men collectively with the
union eliminated.
During his cross-examination by
Attorney Clayton Mr.. King admitted
that shortly before the Inauguration,
at a "get-together meeting" Of citi-
Gems Of Washington, he stated that
the company had a splendid set Of
courteous men. comparable with any
corps OF trainmen in the country.
This statement was compared with
his repeated characterization OF the
same men today as ''disloyal' because
of their affiliation with the union.
EVaded Law Eight Years
Attorney Clayton drew from Mr..
King the admission that he did not
object to a merger OF the Washington
Railway and Electric Company with
the Capital Traction Company. The
witness indicated, however, that his
idea Of putting all the traction COM
panies under one management also
contemplated a straight nve-cent fare
and universal transfers.
Further cross-examination by At
torney Clayton elected the fact that
although Congress, in an act passed
In 1900, required the Washington
Railway and Electric Company to run
its Brightwod cars down town the
law was not complied with until
afRhf LAT ~ A.
pulsion, through an order by the
Interstate Commerce Commission
Mr.. King admitted that while the
same act called for the merging OF
the Georgetown and Tenleytown line
with the city lines of the Washing
ton Railway and Electric system this
had not been wholly done. Attorney
Clayton charged that the Georgetown
and Tenleytown line was carried
separately by the Washington Rail
II would always show that II was
way and Electric Company, so that
operated at a loss and thus discourage
residents OF the territory traversed
by the suburban line from asking for
improvements. Mr.. King denied this.
Puts Blame on Union.
Responding to questions by Attor-
ney Clayton. the witness said the Of
fcials OF the company realized that
their work was OF q quasi-public
character and expected the employees
to take the same view OF their la
bors. He said the company had the
interests OF the public at heart
he added, when the
strike was declared the company
would have put It's cars in the barns
and shut them up. ---- -
The witness repeated his assertion
that the investigation is a continue
ton of the unions efforts to compel
the company to recognize It.
The strike OF 1915 was due to the
union" said President King. The
strike OF 1917 is the result OF the
just a post mortem over the 1917
strike. When said that did not
think the Government was interested
In this investigation, meant II was
a city affair, the usual result OF for
nation OF a union by the Amalga-
mated and the consequent strike that
follows"
Mr.. King emphatically reiterated
his statement that at no time did the
Commissioners or anyone else ever
give him or any other official of the
company any assurance that the en-
ployes could be dealt with collective
ly with the union eliminated He
said that after attending the sessions
Of the. investigating committee he
was more convinced than ever that
the men would not have waived rec
IGNITION OF the union. The witness
said he believed that he had per-
formed his full duty in trying to
deal with the men and avert an open
break.
Wants Anti-striIze Law.
In response to q question by At
torney Clayton, the witness said that
he believed that Congress should en-
act legislation. making strikes on
public utilitieSimpossible
And also to make strikes unneces-
sary?" asked Senator Pittman-
The witness replied in the affirma-
tive.
Senator Pittman announced that
the committee would meet tomorrow
morning. land convene tomorrow
night at 8 o'clock and sit until some
one is tired out
The attorneys representing both
sides said they could not finish tomor-
row night.
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