The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-05-24
DENIES W. R. &c.
TRIED DECEPTION
No Purpose to Mislead Its
Employees, Says Barbour.
EXPLAINS LETTER OF FEB. II
Sent to Grievance Committee in
Order to Give No Recognition.
(contInued from FIrst PaEe.l

ISOLATION with which this company
has had no agreement II you were
dealing in good faith. why didn't you
add and with which we will have no
agreement"
Attorney Barbour said the letter
was addressed to the grievance com
mittee and not the contract commit
tee representing the union and that
this address carried with Il the I'M
Outstanding that the union was not to
be recognized.
Senator johnson then asked:
AT the time this letter was writ
ten, telling the men the company
would deal with them collectively
after the Inauguration, what did YOU
think was to be done with the individ-
ual contract which you say the com
pany prepared last SUMMER"
Il suppose the individual contract
had entirely passed out Of my mind
replied the witness.
Prepared fer Emergency.
In reply 4 other questions the wit
ness said he did not know strike
breakers had been brought to Wash
ington on February Is, but he added:
II did know that the AmAlEamated
Association declared q strike on this
company last year without notice,
and knew the company was not to
be caught In any such position again
this year. The company very prop
erly prepared itself for any emer-
geney that might arise"
Owing to the illness Of Senator
Key Pittman Of Nevada, acting chair
man Of the investigating committee,
~ "a
committee will meet at $50 o'clock
tomorrow morning, at which time
Senator Pittman il expected to be
present and Announce the commit
tees ruling as to whether William
Blaekman, conciiiator for the Depart
ment Of Labor, must disclose the name
OF persons with whom he discussed
the finances OF the company.
The committee has indicated that II
will not go into the finances of the
company. and Il is probable Blackman
will not be called upon to divulge the
name he withheld while on the stand
last week.
Says Regulations Were Good.
Upon taking the witness stand At
torney Barbour described himself as
4" country lawyer with thirty years
experience. ne QGbCElDGQ Ms QullGS
as general attorney for the company.
and said he had been impressed with
the good feeling between the COM
pany and its men prior to the forma-
tion OF the union in 1915.
The witness detailed story Of the ne
gotiations leading up to the settlement
Of the strike last year did not differ
materially from the versions Of the COM
missioners and CounciHator BlackmAn-
shows Point OF Difference.
Attorney Barbour said that after the
unionists insisted that the word "em-
ployes" should mean only trainmen.
later they tried to have the word ap-
piled so a. to cover other than train
men. The company. he said. refused
TO agree to this.
Lack Of harmony between the mem
bers OF car crews because of afflia-
tion and non-afnliation with the union
was told OF by the witness. He said
he had one case In mind in which II
was claimed a union conductor gave
a non-union motorman the wrong sig
nal and caused an accident. The
motorman, he said, was subsequently
harassed into Joining the union.
After stating he was present when
the letter OF February % was writ
ten. Attorney Barbour was asked:
what was the purpose Of that
letter.
ITO tell the men II would be a seri-
Gus breach OF the contract OF 1915 for
them to strike before the Inaugural
tion and that II would be unpatriotic,"
replied the witness
Another purpose was by address
ing the letter TO the grievance. com
mittee, to make II plain the company
would not deal with the union"
Claims Good Faith shown.
Attorney Barbour said President
King invited all employees OF the com
pany having grievances to visit his
office on March 8 ito fuIflI the prom
Use made By the company in its letter
of February n that II would deal with
the men The company acted in en-
tire good faith"
The Individual contract, prepared
by the compGny's legal department
last summer, was intended to prevent
strikes, the witness said.
At the District building conference
on March 10. Attorney Barbour said,
Commissioner Brownlow announced:
Il am authorized to say the employees
will make a contract with the Wash.
ington Railway and Electric Company
identical with the contract with the
Capital Traction Company"
Declines to Make Contract.
The Washington Railway and EIec-
trio Company officials Immediately
declined to make any such contract
the witness said.
The attorney latef testified: INC
statement or intimation was made BY
the Commissioners that such a con
tract a. was made in 1916 would be
acceptable to the men this year"
"Was there anything said before
the strike or at any other time that
would have led the company to be
lieye Il could make a contract with
its men without recognizing the
unIon?" asked Attorney Hoover
Demanded Union Recognition.
NO" replied the witness. THE
issue was strongly presented, with the
man insisting that the union be rec
oRniEed, and standing firm in that po-
sitIon and the company being abso-
IuteIy unwilling to deal with the
union"
This testimony agreed with that OF
William F. Ham. vice president Of the
company, but was at variance with the
statements OF the Commissioner and
ConcilIator Blackmsn.
These three witnesses testified the
company was told the men would
- ~.