SAN FRANCISCO MAIL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2744, 17 October 1906, Page 52

SAN FRANCISCO MAIL NEWS.

(Per Sierra at Auckland.)

THE TRIALS OF SAN FRANCISCO.

The City of San Francisco has been enduring another ordeal almost as trying to her in her crippled condition as any imaginable complication could be. Exasperated by the tactics of the United Railway Roads Company, the motormen and conductors inaugurated a strike on August 26, which lasted 10 days and threatened to continue much longer. All but two of the car lines in the city belong to the United Railroads Company," which has been permitted to operate with overhead trolleys and has been given franchises recklessly because citizens wore in desperate need of cars to transport them over the magnificent distances covered with Tuins and nearly impassable on foot. The carmen haie been cruelly overworked, as the lines arc fewer than before the fire, and almost the entire active population must now ride on part of the United Railroads. It is stated that there was a contract made before the fire which should have held the men at work until May 1 without an advance in wages, or should havj compelled them to a-bitrate any differences with the company. Howcvar, the men struck and the public suffered. In (ho end the stiike was terminated by officials of the Associated Carmen of the United .States, who ported out that arbitration was right, and the carmen of .""•an Fraurisco would have their charter revoked unless they went back to work an'? agreed to arbitrate the differences with the United Railway Company. When cars v.e r e again running they were, greeted by thousands, and the city has already pvt th.3 one more trial behind her. It is nkely, however, that this disturbance, and the grceu of labour and of capital, has driven away soms people and prevented others coming to San Francisco. It must be «aid for the bricklayers that they voted in council not to demand an increase of a minimum of 6Jol a day. They said this decision was partly in view of the fact that good workmen were being paid a premium any way, and it would be unfair to bring too much pressure to bear upon contractors and builders. Something of the behaviour of the people of San Francisco may be gathered from the fact that their contribution of 10,000dol was the first to reach the stricken city of Valparaiso. Further contributions have been freely made for the Chili sufferers. The scarcity of labour continues, and is being keenly felt in the country districts, where crops, of fruit and of hops are suffering for lack of attention. Thousands of workers are in the fields, of course, but more are needed. In spite of these conditions the Conventions of the two great political parties just assembled at California h?vT declared strongly against the admission of Oriental labour. As the city and State can hardly look elsewhere than to the Orient for labour, it is difficult to see how the situation is to be improved here. Americans, as a rule, do not labour with their hands so much as with their heads, and with all their cloverne&s they have not yet been able to invent machines which will carry on the work of the ranches and the building and rebuilding of cities.