The Washington times., 1919-09-26

make demands on that road. Its
principal demand viii be recognition
of the union BY entering into a con-
tract with &c as 70 wages and work.
ling conditions and insistsncs that the
road pay no attention to the Brother
hood union, which composes q min
ority Of employees. The Wage de-
mands include a 80 per cent increase
Capital Traction officials win meet
with a committee OF that union next
week to consider the request There
Sc a disposition TO make some increase
ia wages II the officials feel that they
can do 50 without impefiling their
operating and net revenues.
In conferences already held with
committees from the w. r. and d
union. President Ham has plainly in
dicated that until the war is oGioially
ended BY proclamation from Presi-
dent Wilson, that road win adhere TO
the announced principles Of the War
Labor board that e is not compelled
ito make q contract with any given
body Of employees but must receive
and treat with duly constituted COM
mittees Of its employees, whether or
Eanized or unorganiEed. he has also
stated that the road has no money
70 pay increased wages and could not
possibly DO so, practically throwing
that question into the hands Of the
Utilities Commission for decision
Inclined To Ne Aggressive.
The ". r. and e. uniop IS inclined
to be aggressive and insistent in its
demands, and the committee appointed
to deal with the road has declared
that the union win push its demands
to the breaking point unless Presi-
dent Mahon, OF Lhe hd mated
Association. interfers5 for q tempor-
ary truce pending the conclusions Of
the industrial conference to be held
in the White House beginning next
month.
President Mahon has been named
by Samuel Gompers as one Of the dele
gates to the White House conference,
and is believed by the men to oppose
drastic action here or elsewhere prior
20 or during that conference. He is
one OF the most powerful OF union
labor leaders, and his orders IN wash
ingtOn or elsewhere viii be obeyed.
Strike May BE Averted.
So today the opinion prevails among
railway officials and local labor
leaders that anything like an early
street railway strike here win be
after the industrial conference they
can do nothing more than conjecture.
Any increase Of wages voluntarily
granted by the Capital Traction will
have to be met by the W. r. and z.
The labor item OF street railway op-
Grafton Is the largest single eXpendi-
ture.
Therefore, any material increase in
wages on either line would mean that
the Public Utilities Commission will
have to meet this expenditure BY in
creased fares Of some kind on the
public. II the claims OF the roads are
true that they are unable financially
to care for the labor increase.
The arbitration OF such a dispute
would virtually pass 70 the commits
sion.
Sentiment on Boue Fares.
Powerful opposition TO establish
ment Of zone fares Will reveal itself
to the Utilities Commission next Tues
day, when hearings are again started
on the application Of the ". r. and z.
for more money, and President Ham
presents a zone plan for raising over
81 100000 more q year for that COM
pany.
The Utilities Commission Will give
to that opposition, but
seems TO oe virtually committed 70
that plan as the only equitable one 20
can see for the relief sought.
". NICK. Clayton, for the Federation
of Citizens Association, has intimated
10 the commission that the federation
believes a zone plan would be illegal. |
Henry Z. Davis, now lighting the 2
cent transfer charge in local courts, !
holds that a double-fare system in
would be illegal.
There appears not the least doubt |
hat q zone system would be at once
attacked in the courts by many citi- |
sens, and the issue fought out there, /
With an effort TO tie-Up by Injunction /
any funds received by the roads from
4 double charge. Mr. Davis and others [
maintain that the charters Of all the |
local roads specifically provide that
only a straight fare can be CHARGED
For q single ride from a given Dofnf /