Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-18
Grand Inquest
Due 10 Explore
Labor Politics
Effect of Reported
Union Fight on
Demands Sought
BY CHARLES L. HOFFMAN
star star Correspondent

Star stan Correspondent
ANNAPOLIS, Feb. 18.-The
House Of Delegates Grand In
quest into the Baltimore transit
strike today was expected to in
|quire into what influence So
called absentee unionism" and
internal labor politics may have
had on unions demands for q
new contract.
First labor witness to take the
stand for the second day Of
|cross-examination by Special
Counsel Jerome M. Alper was
slated to be Frank p. Baummer,
president of the Baltimore Tran
sit Union. :
He was to be called after Jo-
seph Sherbow, attorney for the
transit company. completes his
testimony under the kind Of
cross-examination that high
lighted yesterdays hearings.
Mr.. Alper said he wants to go
into the method by which the
union formulated its long list of
demands.
Power Fight Suspected
He said he is particularly in
terested in what influence a re-
ported three-way fight for power
in the union may have had on
the range of the demands.
Also slated for probing is
whether the Labor Bureau Of the
Middle West may have played
10 role in preparing the demands.
Baltimore Transit Co. officials
yesterday said they could ac-
count for the union refusal to
bulge from 81 demands only by
"a belief that the union wanted
to force the company into public
ownership.
Dale w. Barratt said he was
surprised to see Bernard Cush-
man, Washington attorney,
appear on the scene as a nego-
tiator for the union and added
that Mr.. Cushman was a bit
too much" for company nego-
tiators.
Mr.. Cushman Is a member of
the staff of the Labor Bureau
of the Middle West and was
active as a negotiator for the
Washington union during last
summers 52-day transit strike.
Mr.. Barratt said Mr.. Cushman
referred often to the Washington
situation and the contract held
there by the union. He added
that Washington is ION the verge
of public ownership
Granting Of the union de-
mands would lead to the same
in Baltimore, Mr.. Bar
raft said during his Ave hours
of questioning.
ascent Fare Seen
Developments yesterday. In
connection with the 20-day-old
tieup included: .
i. A warning that the unions
demands would require an in
crease In the Baltimore bus and
streetcar fares from 10 cents to
Is cents.
.. Preparation of a seizure bill
the third TO date-that has as
a feature arbitration binding on
both parties. with no appeal to
the courts.
3. A statement by Mr.. Barratt
that he would resign If his board
OF directors ordered him to SUBJ
NIT a wage dispute to arbitra-
ton that did not carry with it
an automatic increase in fares
to pay the cost of awards.
4. Statements by company of
ficials that well-intended offers
of assistance in settling the dis
pute have hampered negotiations
and that no settlement would be
reached while the Grand Inquest
is In session.
Mr.. Barratt said the company
never would be able to meet the
lush" demands Of the union and
said he originally had told the
union the contract would have
to be settled within the struc-
ture Of the present fare schedule.
He added he felt the COM
pany had made mistake In
offering the union wage increases
In the light of the final walkout.
He said the company, however.
had thought, up until the final
hours before the strike, that the
union wanted to avoid a stop
page,