The Washington herald., 1918-03-09
CAR CRUX MAY
CAUSE STRIKE
BY MEN OF CT,
Organized Employees De-
clare Their Patience Will
Not Stand Long Delays.

Developments in the street car
controversy over wages have reach
ed the point where the organized
employees last night were talking
of a strike.
The District Commissioners will
undoubtedly announce that such a
declaration is absurd, but the fact
is that the committee OF employees
arbitrating differences place little
confidence in the commissioners.
Epitomized. the differences be-
tween the Capital Traction Com
pany and its employees have reach
ed this stage:
Company's View.
THAT the company's view is
that the Commissioners. either as
District or Utilities. Commissioners.
have no power 10 grant an in
creased fare and at the same time
expect them to abide by their find-
ings in the wage dispute.
2-The employees argue that no
matter what the Commissioners. as
arbitrators decide on the wage dis
pute. they. the car men. are COM
PEELED to abide by their decision.
But as matters now stand, they feel
that the Commissioners will event
ually decide on the 2-cent increase
over the present sliding scale. and
il more than this amount is granted
them by the commission, the COM
pany will endeavor to prolong the
acceptance under one ruse or an
other until the men become weary,
call off all negotiations and demand
an immediate adjustment within q
reasonable time, or strike.
There are more than a majority
OF the members OF the Amalgamated
who are right now in favor OF a
strike instead OF a parley. but are
bound by action of the national or
ganization at Detroit, which Is
sending members here to advise the
local officials.
The local situation relating to men,
bers of No. SS9. was defined by one
of the officers to The Washington
Herald as follows:
There are members Of the Amalga-
mated who are right now i'm favor OF
| a strike instead of parleying. because
of present high cost Of living. and
they point out that the increase Of
fered them is only l cent more than
is being paid the Washington Rail-
way men, whose membership in the
| union Is only scattered. The Capital
Traction Co. has the bulk of the
traffic in this city. and are making
money and they are as much able to
pay a reasonable increase as this anti
union bunch.
The men feel that the Capital
Traction is going to put one over on
| them. notwithstanding the fact that
all meetings have been on the most
pleasant terms. There doesn't appear
to be any opposition among the gen.
eral public in regard to the straight
| 8 cent fare yet the Commissioners are
without authority to grant the In
crease. Consequently, the men figure
that the Commissioners are not in q
position to do Justice either by the
! company or the men, and the final
outcome may be another strike with
view to getting Congress to act.
The Capital Traction Company. as
well as the other company. have LOST
considerable money in breaking in
new men who do not stick after they
have been broken in, for figures
gathered by the union, show that
| nearly a thousand men have quit
within the past few months without
giving a reason. They just simply
don't show up after being assigned t
crew. They either do not like the
work. or else they pick up something
better while they were being broken
in.