Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-06-17
THE STRIKE.
A Meeting to be Held at One
O'clock To-day.
YESTERDAYS DEVELOPMENTS.
The Matter Practically Held in
Abeyance-The Company's
Proposition.

As was expected, the laborers en-
ployed in the construction Of the new
cable railroad went out on strike yes
terday morning. AT $50 o'clock, the
hour arranged the night before for a
meeting at tl.s corner of Third and Fort
streets, to consider the matter, about 500
workmen put in an appearance, and
after appointing a chairman the discus
sion began. 1t was argued that it was
impossible tolsupport life if the cut were
accepted, and it was pointed out that
married men, having home to keep up
and in como cases family to support,
could not possibly make both
ends meet on SO week.
"There are 50 many contingencies to be
met, said one Of the speakers. trent
takes away SO week, leaving only $6
for board, clothes and other necessaries,
with the probabilities Of occasional doc
tors bills, suspension Of work, etc."
Other orators remarked that the accept
ance Of $1.5O per diem rate would pave
the way to further reductions and that
attempts would doubtless be made later
on TO reduce the rate OF remuneration to
$1.25 aud perhaps 81 per day. 1t was
easy to see that no one on the ground
was disposed to accept the cut and
when the question was put as to whether
or not the proposition OF the COM
pany was to be accepted, there
was general response in the negative.
The order issued from headquarters only
affected the trenchmen, who numbered
about 1870, but the rest Of their fellow
workmen announced that they would be
guided by the results of the meeting.
After short discussion the following
resolutions were adopted and a commit
tee appointed to convey them TO the
company's headquarters:
WHEREAS, Tho Los Angeles Cable Railroad
Company Of the city Of Los Angeles, through its
Superintendent, Charles Forman, has proposed
the reduction Of the wages of the workmen OF
said cable road. and,
wHEREAs. The reduced wages will be quite
insuflclent ,, for ths support OF life, ana humble
WHEREAS, The said reduction is unreasonably
unjust and uncalled for.
Resolred. By all branches of workmen en-
ployed in the construction OF the cable road,
that unless the pr, sent rate Of wages be main
tanned and the part taken by every participation
by the company. and this guaranteed by the
personal statement or written certificate Of
Charles Forman, we quit work.
An amendment was afterwards offered,
seconded and carried to the effect.
.That we now quit work until such time as
the company sees ft to answer our petition"
After the committee had been further
instructed to wait ON the Mayor and ex.
plain the situation to him the meeting
adjourned to peet at l O'Clock at the
same place and the committee proceeded
to the company's offices on Main street.
The officials there were anxiously await
ing the result OF the convention and
when the committee appeared and pre-
scented the resolutions they proceeded at
once TO consider them. Throughout the
morning the situation was an Interesting
one, the strikers to the number Of about
300 being collected about the streets,
most Of them standing in front Of the
Main street Offices. A special policeman
was at once detailed to. guard the prem
ises and prevent any distur bance, but il
was soon seen that the men did not in
tend violence Of any description. They
acted in very orderly manner, and
their leaders kept them out Of the
saloons, saying, "Do not get drunk
boys; it won't do to have the pnbliG
pointing at us and saying, They are only
lot of drunken fellows anyhow" The
advice was good, and better stil was ap
preciated, for the men behaved through.
out the day in manner highly creditable
to them as citizens, and gained consider
able public favor thereby. The roadwayf
looked singularly deserted. Instead o.
the gangs OF busy men, shoveliDg anc
hammering as they worked with viii
on the city's improvements, all was quiet,
and the vacated trenches and stacks o.
material lying idle made one almost i'm
agine at times that it was Sunday and
the day Of rest. During the forenoon
several OF the men made application fol
their pay, and the secretary was in
structed TO prepare the necessary vouch
ers with all the speed possible.
THE AFTERNOON MEETING.
Pursuant TO adjournment, atone o'clocl
the strikers met at the corner OF Thir(
and Fort streets. The chairman Of the
committee appointed to interview thu
President Of the company and the Mayo
reported that the committee had called a
the Office Of the company and were tolt
that President Crank was out of town
gone to San Francisco. Mr.. Jewett salt
that the instructions were for the work
men to 90 back to their work, bu
he could not guarantee anything
and did not state what wage
/ the men were to receive
He had given the committee to under
stand that the men were to go back t
work only temporarily, until the differ
ences could be settled. The commitfe'
| had then waited on Mayor Workman
who had received its members yer,
couteously and had promised to do all b
could for them, and had telephoned L
Mr.. Jewett, who had told the Mayor tina
| the wages were to be the same as before
A motion to refuse to work until author
ity to do 30 at the old wages had com
from President Crank, was carried, and
motion to appoint committee to wal
again upon Mr.. Jewett was LOST
One speaker read copy Q
i a telegram which he said ha
been cent in cypher by Mr.. Crank.
was, keep the men at bay--will pu
800 men on the ground" This Telegram
was received with loud cries and jeer
and motion to adjourn to Painter
Hall, where outsiders would have n
voice in the proceedings, was carrie
unanimously. Nearly three hundre
men then formed in line and marche
along Fort to Second to Spring to Fir
to Commercial to Los Angeles to Also
the hall. The procession was yer
orderly and attracted considerable after
ton from the pedestrians on the street,
many OF whom were ignorant Of Il
strike and were full Of conjectures as
what could possibly have happened.
AT PAINTERS HALL.
On arriving at their objective point u