Evening star., 1920-03-29
v. R. {. REFUSES TO
ENTER CONTRACT
OR RAISE WAGES
President Ham Tells Union
Men Company Is Unable
to Meet Demands.

President w. F. Ham Of the Wash
ington Railway and Electric Com
pany today refused to enter into
contract with the Amalgamated AS
ISOLATION Of Street and Electric Rail-
way Employees and refused a raise In
wages to 81. 81 and Sc cents per hour
at the present rate OF fare.
Mr. Ham declared that the company
els financially unable to increase
wages at the present rate Of rare
Public Utilities Commission approve
the pending application for straight
7-cent fare with charge of 2 cents
for transfers"
Three committeeman Of Division S75
Of the Aihalgamated presented the
proposed Contract to President Ham
at II o'clock this morning. At 1915
the conference concluded and the fol-
lowing statement was issued by
President Ham:
members Of the Amalgamated asso-
citation, consisting Of G. F. Cannon,
W., H. .Cockrell and w. H. Fodder
presented certain demands to the
president Of the company, the COM
mitteei being accompanied. as an ad-
wiser, by A. E. Jones OF Cincinnati.
Mr.. Hams Statement.
Mr.. Ham repeated the statement
of the company, which was recently
made public, as follows:
with reference to the increase in
wages announced by the Capital Trac-
ton Company to its trainmen and other
employees 1 cannot now state what the
position of the Washington Railway
and Electric Company will be, but it is
obvious that 1T is financially unable to
increase wages at the present rate of
fare. and could not do so even should
the commission approve the pending
application for a straight seven-cent
fare, with a charge of two cents for
transfers.
"During the last year and a halt
our revenues have fallen short nearly
S1,10O,000 Of the amount necessary to
yield the return which the Public
Utilities Commission has stated Is the
least we are entitled to receive. I be-
lieve in this matter the interests OF
the public should be considered. as il
the bill, and the action Of the Capital
Traction Company emphasizes the
urgent need Of speedy remedial leg
islation on the part of Congress.
1--we have always paid our en-
ployes as high. or higher wages than
the Capital Traction Company. Our
employees wages have been in
creased 125 per cent or more since
1915. and we shall continue to have
their interests very much at heart
Conference Friendly.
The conference was friendly and
cordial throughout" declared Presi-
dent Ham. land further conference
was arranged for Tuesday. April 6. to
consider in detail any necessary ad-
justment of working conditions which
the employees wish to bring to the at
tention of the company.
Mr.. Ham stated that the company
would continue to follow the princl-
National War Labor Board. by which
both the company and employees have
been governed since their adoption q
year and q half ago.
1--WE will meet and treat with oul
employees, individually or collectively
Mr.. Ham declared, but we refuse tc
enter into a contract with any par.
ticular group"
What Contract Proposed.
The proposed contract provided fol
the following conditions:
Agreement to meet and treat with
properly accredited committees or Of
ficers Of the association, who may be
employees of the company or general
officers Of the association.
Establishment Of a board Of arbitra-
tion consisting Of three disinterestec
parties to settle disputes.
No swing run on either week day
Sunday or holiday schedules shall pay
less than nine hours time. Regular
week day schedules shall contain ne
regular assigned run, shall pay less
than eight hours time. and not more
than 10 per cent of total number ol