Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-05-14

officials"
Senator Jones asked If the company Of
hcials had been emphatic in their decli
nations to accept mediation.
Objected to Mediation.
Mr.. Brownlow quoted Mr.. Kings re
mark about the ama1gamated. MI
Brownlow said that Mr.. Ham, the vic
president of the company, had objected
to mediation with a committee simila
to that Of last year on the ground tina
the union would really be behind ii
and that 1t would practically amount t.
a recognition of the union.
''The suggestion about taking the mel
off. the first cars that came along wa
laughingly declined" said Mr.. Brown
low.
Mr.. Valley of counsel for the strikers
asked Mr.. Brownlow If Mr.. King hat
said anything about the police during
the conference.
Mr. Brownlow replied that he hat
and If the committee insisted. he woult
give the conversation as he recalled it
The committee insisted.
MI King v said ia, continued tSs no1 Mr.
sleek and fat had been saying tc
the officials of the company that we, the
Commissioners, particularly desired
there be no strike at that time. in view
of the international situation: that the
police force was inadequate in num-
bers, anyway. We said that we would
not put police on the street cars.
ut was some time after this, how
ever, that Mr.. King made his remark
about the police. In justice to Mr.
King. I will say that he was speaking
largely in a facetious vein when he
made that statement"
Mr.. Brownlow repeatedly stated that
the Commissioners had asked the COM
pany officials If they would agree to
mediation if the recognition of the
union was waived in the negotiations
and that the officials had declined.
Tells Of Conference.
Mr.. Valley then questioned Mr.
Brownlow about the conference be-
tween the Commissioners, Secretary
Wilson of the Department Of Labor and
representatives of men at the Depart
ment Of Labor the night before the
strike Mr.. Brownlow said that the
Commissioners and Secretary Wilson
had appealed to the representatives OF
that Mr.. wilburt and others had re.
piled that they did not think the mer
could be prevented from striking, par.
ticularly in view Of the fact that the
company had discharged from 100 tc
$50 employees the day before, who were
union. These meh. Mr.. Brownlow said
were not covered by the 1916 agree
ment between the company and the
men.
These men were offered pink slips to
sign. I understand" continued Mr..
Brownlow. stating they would with
draw from the union. II they signed
they were not to be discharged"
MIR. Brownlow testified that none OF
the men had told him directly that they
would waive recognition Of the union
In the proposed negotiations. He said
however, that he had been told by Com
missioner Newman that the representa-
tives Of the men had authorized such
a waiver, provided mediation could be
had.
Before Mr.. Brownlow took the stand
the committee Strengthened out the
question of information requested by
counsel for the strikers from the COM
pany, and by the counsel of the COM
pany from the strikers.
The first demand by the strikers
counsel was for copies of agreements OF
correspondence with agencies of any
sort to furnish men to the COMPANY
before and after March L.
Accuses President King.
Explaining the reason for this de-
mand. Mr.. Vahey said:
Z. WANT " SNOW tnat MI. King was
fnsincere and deceitful in his dealinrs
with the men; that while he was at
tempting to lul1 them to sleep he was
getting in strikebreakers; that he was
paying the strtkebreakers more money
than he paid the old men: that he per-
money they collected as fares, taking
in as much as SIS or $40 a day"
Mr.. Hoover of counsel for the railway
replying to the charges contained in
this statement by Mr.. Valley, insisted
there had been no deception on the par,
of Mr.. King. that he had thought there
was going to be a strike and had mere.
ly prepared to meet it.
The committee ruled that up to thu
strike, March IL. the correspondent
might be material, but that after the
break occurred it was not. Counsel fo]
the railway agreed to furnish the cor
reSpondence up to March H.
Another demand of the strikers wa.
for information regarding the practic,
of the company of photographing me,
applying for places, and whether this
practice had been continued up to anf
after the strike.
Mr.. Hoover told the committee tina
the company had not continued thf
practice up to and Immediately afte
the strike.
THE company was forced to get me,
| to operate it's cars when hundreds of IL
employees went on strike" he said. H
added that he would ascertain and re
port just when the practice was dis
| continued.
| The strikers also wanted to know
about the earnings of the company, an,
it was finally agreed that the compan,
| would furnish statement showing tn
earnings up to May 8. Mr.. Valley pu
into the record the statement that dur
[ ing the month from March IL to April /
the revenues had dropped off $4,000
as reported by the public utilities com
/ mission.
| The strikers also wanted to know
| whether the company had re-employe
any men who had been discharged 70
drunkenness, recklessness. dishonest
or incompetence. to meet the strike
charged by any other company.
| Mr.. Hoover read a letter from e. {
! Elliott, superintendent, stating that n
such men had been employed to hi
knowledge, except one man who ha
| been discharged for recklessness Will
!, had been re-employed specifically as
| 1t was finally decided to let the evi
dence develop any facts along this lin
! that might be necessary.
| The question of how many strike
1 they were kept the company agreed I
! Senator Pittman suggested that, a
| the company admitted using strike
! breakers. it did not seem material t
have this information. But Senate
Jones insisted upon it.
Counsel for the strikers agreed t
1t could along thu line Of the com
/ pany's requests for documents, etc.
The committee will continue the hear
ings at $3.50 o'clock tomorrow morning