Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-30
WILL ASK WAR BOARD
FOR SCENT FARE
Buchanan Promises Motormen
and Conductors Raise if In
crease Is Granted.
UNION ORGANIZER is HERE
Has Promised Government Not
to Cause Any More Trou-
BILE Than Necessary"
UNION ORGANIZER is HERE

Ing among the motormcn and conduc-
tors OF the Virginia Railway and Pow
er Company came the announcement
from the company last night that it
would appeal to the Federal War
Trade Board for authority to increase
fares to cents. and that when such
permission was granted. would raise
the pay Of all employees
General Manager c. B. Buchanan
stated that car fares In this city were
class in the United States. The mat
ter has been brought before the City
Council on petition to increase fares
from siX-for-a-quarter TO cents
the charge was made that the com
pany had juggled figures by making
one statement of it's property valuation
to the Council Committee on Streets as
a basis for income and another to the
Corporation Commission as a basis for
taxation.
The present Council goes out Of Of
nee SATURDAY night, and no further
Gil organizes next week, but the an
nouncement OF General Manager Buch-
anan that an appeal would be made to
was taken to mean that the company
proposes to go over the head Of the
City Council. In n test case decided
curing the pas. week. the State Cor
did not have the power to alter rates
fixed by franchise.
BUCHANAN GIVES NOTICE
TO HoTORMEN AND CONDUCTORS
Mr.. buchanan. as vice-prcsident and
general manager Of the Virginia Rail-
sued the following notice to the mo-
tormen and conductors in service on
the Richmond and interurban divisions
of the street railways of this CITY:
N ich
than any city in the United States at
present. only 3 cents per passenger
carried. Including transfer For this
ice and pay. for materials and labor
II Is imperative that the fare be raised
equal can TO- other cities. Therefore. the
for a 6-cent fare, and when granted
the company will raise the wage scale
70 Al cents per hour. hrst-year men:
5s eents en ns per ,n,n ,hHnr. ,S SsHeond-yea men
cents per hour. fourth Year men: az
cents per hour, ffth-year men and
This scale to remain in effect so
long as the company is alIowed ~
charge cents fare.
>. ms statement is made to you for
no doubt like to know what yo,r can
expect In increased wages when the
company secures increase in rates of
THAN NECESSARY, SAYS SHEA
Not motorman or conductor on the
richmond street railway lines, as far
as my knowledge goes. is member OF
nafan,zed naeinnai la60r declared T. /. Shea
mated Street Car and Electric Railway
Employees Association OF North Ameri,
ca, when he was interviewed late last
nighi II at his headquarters at Murphy's
aotei: do not mean to say" he
continued. that no man in the emplov
OF your street railway company is a
member OF labor organization; in
suppose IN. Ncre are good
ranks OF the wo-kslo,, EMPLOYEES and
among the men who are engaged in
occupations other than operating the
Labor is far from organized in this
city. TO this fact 1 attribute the strong
SSppositl9n Spr 10 Sy the various organizations.
street car fare increase
propose TO go very slowly in Rich
mond. ! do not want any trouble: for
union labor has given it's pledge to the
any more trouble than necessary T
cannot afford to butt into the ranks of
your municipal governing bodies and
oemana cea a., an expression on the fare in
| cannot say whether there will be any
uenhite attempt TO organize the labor
mere. FIRST 1 must confer with the
within couple of days. and meanwhiie
l am not ready to give any statement
IN regard to my plans, outside of my.
intention TO cooperate with the local
movement In regard to the matter of
1are increase as far as possible"
SkEPTICAL AS TO WHETHER
INCREASED FARE IS JUSTIFIED
MIR. Shea professed ignorance as to
the trend of public opinion in the mat
ter of an increase. but stated that the
members of organized labor in Rich
mond were decidedly skeptical" as to
whether an increase ras justified.
y. ~ nce%i VIII L., say ;;, this. however" he ad
the street car fare if the service, as
1t is now, Is to continue. Were labor
organized here, there is no doubt but
what the strong opposition to the plan
p;., would cease; certainly. the strong oppo-
sition which, l hear, is being evinced by
the men belonging to the organizations
among various branches OF labor"
Shea remained taciturn in regard to
his plans OF operation. Just at what
time he Will confer with the labor
chiefs, he did not say. His effort TO
various lines of the Virginia Railway
and Power Company, is said to have
the official sanction of the Richmond
Central Trades and Labor Council.
NO UNION HERE SINCE
STREET CAR STRIKE OF 1908
Street car men in Richmond have
not been unionized since 1903, which
there was a prolonged and unsuccess-
full strike, traffic being moro or less
interfered with for several weeks.
while several companies Of the State
militia were called out to guard p.s-
sengers and property. There were fire.
Quent reports of disorder, though 1t was
not always clear whether this came
from the strikers themselves or from
more or less disorderly element of SYM
pathizers. Since that time the COM
pany has discouraged plans to,unionize
the lines but has promoted the Street
Railway Y. NJ c. A. and benefit asso-
Citations among the men. Since the war
broke out there have been series of
increases In wages, the average having
risen since the unsuccessful strike Of
1903 from % cents per hour to SO cents
the Scent fare Is allowed will make
the wage from Al to AS cents per hour,
The fight for increased car fares be-
gan In Richmond before the outbreak
Of the war in Europe. Several years
ago the company suggested surrender
Ing It's various franchises and accept
ing new blanket franchise, and while
the clause as to fares was left blank,
the Inference was that school, labor
) CONTINUED on Second Pase,5