The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-08
Frank 0'Shea Before Industrial
Court in Topeka.
ASKING FOR WAGE ADVANCE
Topeka Railway Employees Pre-
senting Their Case.
International Vice President Is
in Attendance.

THE rights of the public must pre-
dominate in the matter of strikes in
our organization. Our difficulties
must be settled by arbitration when
the other side Will arbitrate."
That was the statement today by
Frank O'Shea, international vice
president of the Amalgamated Assoc
citation Of Street and Electric Railway
Employees. who was present today at
hearing before the industrial court
on an application of 1870 employees of
the Topeka Railway company for an
increase in wages.
probably in no other association
Of workmen in the country is the pub
lie directly as dependent for service
as in our association" said O'Shea.
"Our members must arbitrate when
the other side is willing"
O'Shea paid a compliment to the
new industrial court for q fair and
impartial judgment on the evidence
Submitted" in the application Of en-
ployes of the Joplin & Pittsburg Rail
way company for an increase in
wages. O'Shea was present at the
Pittsburg hearing.
There is only one difference in the
Kansas plan of settling labor disputes
and our method of arbitration upon
which we insist" said O'Shea. I'm
Kansas three Judges are appointed by
law with power to settle disputes,
while under our plan of arbitration
men vested with power from the COM
pany and from the employees, sit as
a court"
linn Tells Conditions.
John linn president of the local
union, occupied the witness stand for
three hours this morning. He insisted
that the employees were underpaid and
had nothing excepting the bare neces-
stiles of life under the prevailing high
prices. Cross examination brought
out that the company supplied the
men with free transportation, allowed
them $40 a year on their uniforms
after they had been in the company S
employment for four years, paid one
half of a sick benefit and that the
principal dispute at this time between
the employees and the company was
that under the present revenue the
company claims it cannOc meet the
wage demands.
linn admitted that he was the owner
of three houses but asserted that the
money for purchase of these proper
ties came from other sources for the
most part The hazard of motormen
and conductors was delved into by at
torneys. resulting in the discovery that
in seventeen years one conductor mad
met death by being struck by trolley
pole. linn stated that there were 1OS
married men on the companys pay
roll.
Walter Ham. recording secretary
Of the union, admitted that he was
successful in keeping the wolf from
the door under the high prices pre-
vailing at this time
That is due, however. to the fact
that 1 haven't purchased new SUIT
OF clothes for the last two years and
my wife has worked almost constant
~ down town" said Ham.
For Every Family.
II the application for an increase
70 the 1870 employees is granted it will
affect the purses of every man,
woman and child in Topeka in an in
crease in rates. according to the an
sver to the application filed in the IN
dustrial court Fred S. Jackson and
John G. Egan represented the en-
ploves while r. L. Doran acted as
counsel for the railway company
Judge w I. Higgins and Judge
George Wark listened to the testi-
mony Judge Clyde Reed is attending
the Chicago convention. The room
was filled with uniformed employees
of the railway company.
In general way, employees are ask
ing go to IS cents per hour for oper-
tors of two-man cars; 20 to rs cents
for operators Of one-man cars, and
proportiOnate increase for shopmen
against a present schedule of 81 to
IS cents for operators OF two-man
cars and 81 to Al cents an hour for
operators for one man cars.