The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-06-05
"THE CONES STRIKE"
ssLiving'' Rates Abolished and eek
listing" Rates Substituted.


listing" Rates Substituted.
Editors of the Register.
Saturday evening the compositors of
the Standard Printing Company left that
Office IN body, and are now cut ION
strike" if strike it can be called There
beng no Union in existence here), to re.
tain the present price Of composition.
The Leader, yesterday morning, stated
that, in q conversation with one OF the
Standard firm, the reduction is proposed
to be made IN order that Wheeling Ia
eity) may compete with GAINESVILLE and
Steubenville (prorineiat boroughs) The
Leader has been most outrageously inn
posed upon in this assertion, and the
manager Of the wOrkingmaa's organ (2)
has willfully misrep esented the facts 10
suit his own purposes In Steubenville
the price for composition is thirty
cents per 1000 ems, the price now
being paid by the Standard Company,
and 10 GAINESVILLE the price paid is from
fifteen to twenty cents per thousand ems.
In the former place, and in Wheeling,
skilled labor is employed, and men with
families hold the situations, but in the
latter, GAINESVILLE, boys ranging from
fifteen to sixteen yes of age, and In
competent werkmeu, ill the offices. That
men who have served four years ap-
prenticeship-men who are skilled 10
the art-should compete with boys who
are taken care OF and provided for by
their parents or guardians, is an argu-
ment advanced by the Standard man
which the people Of Wheeling are too
intelligent to accept, and one which the
manager knows, If, in fact be knows
anything, and is possessed OF average in
telligence, cannot be successfully at-
vanced in any country where common
sense is taught and the people have thrown
on the yoke OF oppression, and think and
act for themselves. Again, while in
Steubenville compositors are paid 30
cents per 1000 ems for composition, the
money promised for their labor is paid
them, and they no! are necessltated to
'strike" to receive what is already due
them. This is the second reduction
since the first Of January made in the
Standard, and amounts TO over 335 per
cent. The first reduction was accepted
by the compositors, they thinking that
all trouble IN that direction would there
end, and were willing to continue at
merely living rates, from $40 to Sl2 per
week, but the manager is man OF
great mind; the many happy ideas
grasped by him are north many (;
bad contracts made by hlm mu ;
be filed; he must retain his position
with the Standard Company, and lat but
not least, must receive salary OF S25
or $50 per weak, and that salary must
come out of the pockets OF the compOs-
itors. Thus reduce Is his cry; they are
hrelings and must work at any price or
strave. | am |, and must feast upon
the fat Of the land. But the last straw
was one too many, and the back OF the
camel weakened so the story goes.
Pictures OF suffering wives and babes
were too much for the hearts of the COM
positors, and they left their cases. If
starve they must, the work OF
dissolution is more pleasant away
from the case than at it, and
they fail to see how it can be otherwise at
a salary of from 81 to 80 per week, less
than Is received by common laborer.
The Workingman's organ is doing much
to ameliorate the condition of him who
supports it, and is the friend of the op
pressed. All other employing printers IN
the city are opposed to the reduction,
thinking the price insufficient to supply
The common necessaries of life.
A WORKING MAN.