The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-29
THE NEW ORLEANS CAR DRIVERS.
Two Companies Accede to Their Demands.
but the Men Are Not Allowed to Work.

New ORLEANS, Dec. 28+-The strike of the
street-car drivers continues At a late hour last
night committee of the Car Drivers Beneyo-
lent Association waited on meeting of railroad
presidents and submitted the following demand:
Not more than fifteen hours day. pay per
month for drivers, foremen of road hands, paw
ers and watehmen $50; starters $65; road men,
hostaers and all inside work $45; extra time to
be paid for, and one hour and half per day to
be allowed for meals. Only the presidents of
the City and St. Charles-street companies were
present on behalf of the railroads they repre-
sent Several conferences were held, the result
of which the officers of the companies above
named refused to publish. They say: "After
considerable discussion we accepted the entire
proposition. This was done to accommo-
date the public and facilitate the exposi-
ton, and not because the two companies
thought the demands fair and just
In November the wages asked for and acquiesced
In were less but compensation for extra time
had been allowed, and the employees had no
reason for their increased demands, except the
success of their previous strike. The committee
stated that they were unauthorized to make any
change in their ultimatum; that this was new
strike; that all the companies had to obey their
demands in full, or that no cars could run. The
officers Of the two companies represented the in
justice of furnishing two companies for the non
compliance of others; that the association should
in all justice contract with the companies willing
to accede to their demands, and believing that
fair and reasonable, and that the men would
accept such a proposition they asked
the committee to report to their main
body and induce them to go to work
on their own terms for the two companies men
toned. The committee finally agreed to 20
back and so report which they did, In about
half an hour the committee returned and stated
that the association, by large vote, refused to
work for the two companies unless all other
companies came into the arrangement. These
companies can only mana ge their own business;
they cannot control that of other corporations.
We have offered to do everything the associa-
tion asked still, our employees have refused to
work, even when offered their own terms Such
Ia plain statement of the facts. We believe we
have done everything that could be expected to
facilitate the comfort of the public and do our
duty to those whom we represent We shall en-
ploy new men, and ask the public and the city
authorities to support and help u.s."
The drivers complain of non-c compliance
with the November agreement by every line but
one The grievances complained of on the other
lines are oTerwork discrimination against union
men, and failure to pay the full rate agreed
upon, the highest wages being paid to new men
and the lowest to old hands This complaint is
universal, and also complaint of failure to al
low time for meals
This morning an effort was made to run cars
on Prytania street, but by o'clock the drivers
had all knocked off. From IL o'clock till 4
crowds of strikers and idlers remained on Canal
street, gathered in groups about the turn tables
and starting points of the Prytania and Maya
zine-street lines. AS cars came in the drivers
were notified by the committee of strikers not
TO return, and these warnings were obeyed
At p NJ. an Annunciation-street car came in
on Canal street 1t was quickly surrounded by
large crowd of strikers, and the mule un-
hitched and turned loose The party who un-
hitched the mule was arrested, and one railroad
official was also arrested for assaulting striker
Throughout the city there is great inconven-
ience, the continued rainy weather keeping the
streets in bad condition for pedestrians The
trades assemblies uphold the drivers, and will
render them every assistance in their effort to
carry the strike to a successful termination.