The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-03-12

are not satisfied with their poelno nj asem
ployes, shall be allowed 70 prevent othe
men who have no expressed cause Of dis
satisfaction, from continuing at work
Out Of 25, 900 employees OF the Southwest
ern and Wabash system not ], 900 are di
rectly affected by the reduction OF wages
which, iis alleged to be the reason dor thil
strike and i am morally certain that O
this 600 at least 500 would go to. worl
tomorrow If they were not restrain
ed by their, bGlidoztng co.employes
The reduction made is in regard
TO the men employed in the machine
shops and round 'honses. The train Ser
vice hands have not been reduced. The
reductions have been been principally In
Texas, where they may be said in q gen,
eral way to range from Q 70 10 percent but
still leaving wages at which other men
following Ike means Of Livelihood have
heretofore gotten along very comfortably y,
In Afkaisas, 4.ohidana and KANSAS the Re.
ductions are not SO great, but the Texas
lines were not more than paying expenses,
and fxed charges, asa rule, and come Of
them were not even doing this. In these
depressed times 1t was simply "a question
Of whether given sum of money allotted
for expenditures torepair the rolling stock
and keep up the round houses should be
so distributed as 10 give employment 10 q
large or small number OF men and 1t was
decided to keep as many men as possible.
During the dark winter days, hours were
limited by reason Of shortness Of daylight,
and shop men worked but 5 5days In the
week Of 0 hours each, or o week Of
forty-tiye hours. This time rule
prevailed in all the shops in Kansas and
Missouri. Button the 10th of the last
month the schedule time was raised to six
days OF ten hours, giving attepn hours
more earning time each week, or four to
six days extra pay In each month. Some
ten days since. both Mr.. Hoxie and myself
were In Texas, visiting different places
where these troubles have since occurred,
and themen, ,ifthey had complaints, ,hadfhll
opportunity to present them, but no com:
plants were made. We hear Of no grfev-
ances, As to the train service men, some
three years ago AIr. Talmage, arranged a
schedule Of prices for the engineers and
firemen and agreed with the men that no
reduction should be made, except on
sixty days notice. This agreement has
beeniliYed up to, and I understand and
believe that our train seryiDe men are anS.
ious and willing TO work II they can only
be permitted TO do so.n 80
Captain Hayes further said that the pay
master stood ready to pay on all haads
who. by reason Of falling to return TO work
after proper notice, had voluntarily drop.
ped their position with the company.
The fact that some OF Hthe strikers bad
refused'to accept their pay checks did not
place them on any better footing. Dis
charged men refusing their wages did not,
bylthat refusal, constitute themselves em-
ployes, but simply assumed the relation of
creditors. Returning to his original pro-
position, that the men who wanted to-
work should be allowed to do 90, herald
that so far as repairs to rolling stock were
concerned the railroad had now, in good
shape, three times the amount Of rolling,
stock, that was necessary 10 do the presenti
volume Of business. Repairs could be-
done by, contract II necessary, and
public need not suffer, II the laws were
enforced and the railroad COM
pany enabled to run its trains asi had the
right 10 do. .431il1 v -ifti1 tRtiaR