Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-08-15
RAILROADS.
The strike on the Baltimore x Ohio.

In response to a committee who pre-
scented resolutions adopted at a meeting
of strikers, Vice President John King,
Jr., addressed the following letter, which
is OF more than ordinary interest AT this
time:
GENTLEMEN: am in receipt Of your
communication inclosing resolutions
adopted at a meeting Of engineers, fire
men, conductors and brakemen, pro-
posing the following rates Of wages:
Engineers, ti~rst-class, $3.50: second
class, 50; conductors, $3.50; firemen
and brakemen 81 per bay. In declining
this proposition, it is but proper and
right that the reasons which have led to
this conclusion should be explained.
The great depression in business which
commenced in the autumn of 1873 has
continued growing from bad to worse.
The. effect upon tire Baltimore & Ohio
Company has shown continued large
decrease Of revenue. The other trunk
lines had reduced wage 10 per cent.
one of them on the 1st of June, and two
of them on the LIST of July, and at that
date Il similar reduction had been made
IN many Of the leading lines of the
country. 1t will be observed that the
Baltimore Il Ohio Company vas the
last company which completes for the
great trade of the West which made the
reduction Of 10 per cent.
As compared with 1861 the rates you
name will exceed those in operation
ut that period to the extent of about 80
per cent. The rates Of through freight
ii 1861 were double those Of 1877, and
for coal the rate was $2.31. while in
June, 1877 it was butSl.37 per ton from
Cumberland to Baltimore. The officers
of the Company are sure that it is only
necessary to submit these facts and
figures to satisfy every reasonable man
in the service that the wages you pro-
pose cannot be paid. Since the panic of
1878, not only have the rates of through
freights and other traffic been re-
duced by severe and active competition
but the quantity in the aggregate has
diminished. Especially is this true in
regard to the coal trade, which for many
years has beenthc leading article trans
ported over the company's lines. The
consideration of this branch OF the sub
ject brings me to call to yolr attention
the motives which governed the Com
pany IN employing n greater number of
men than were required IN the handling
of It's trains. Only IA limited amount of
business could be secured. 1t would
have been quite us satisfactory to the
Company to have kept in the service
only the number of men needed for the
work, but 1t was regarded more humane,
in view of the great scarcity of work
generally, to distribute the limited
amount Of business among the greatest
practical number. While it was Il sub
ject of regret that these motives have
been misunderstood, and in a great de-
gree produced the present trouble among
our tralnmen, it Is satisfactory to know
that these difficulties can be readily
adjusted in such Il manne rs to protect
mutually the interest of the Company
and Of those it employs. Fully i'm
pressed with this belief, | hope there
will be no difficulty in the way of your
returning to work, so that the running
of freight-trains may be at once re-
sumcd.
The experience of the last ten days
must satisfy every one that if freight
trains are stopped on the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad the City of Baltimore is
not only deprived of the great CONNER
clal advantages which she has hereto
fore enjoyed, but the entire community
is made to feel that all business must
be seriously crippled, and the price of
all kinds of family supplies greatly in
creased, You will thus see that the re-
sumption of the running of freight
trains ON the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
il n matter in which all our citizens of
every calling are vitality interested.
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