Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-01-15
ALL SERENE.
A SATISFACTORY AGREEMENT REACHED
LAST EVENING
In Regard to The Amendment to the Wheeling and
Harrisburg Railroad Ordinancs-lt Will
Now Pass Council.

As was predicted in the REGISTER OF
Yesterday, the amendment sought to be at
tached to the pending Wheeling and Har-
risburg Railroad ordinance, regarding the
employment of home labor, was fixed up IN
short order last evening, to what appears
TO be the complete satisfaction OF oil the
psrties interested, and it WIS the expec'a-
ton last evening that special meeting
Of Council would be called this evening to
finally pass the ordinance and relieve tue
Railroad Company of the uncertainty
which has been hanging over ttem' IN
this regard, for the last month or so. From
the first presentation of the measure
to Council, the railroad people have been
extremely anxious for its prompt passage,
as TO expedite matters they had commenced
work upon certain portions of the line al
fected by the new measure, and as con-
sequence they were spendiDgs eo:d deal OF
labor upon an uncertainty. For one reason
and another a good deal of time has teen
lost, and it ia now due the company, as no
further Disputes or differences are in sight,
that the ordinance be passed without delay,
in order that work upon the great enter
prise NAV be prosecuted with all the vigor
circumstances may permit.
There was large attendance of inter-
ested gentlemen Mt the City Hall, last
evening, to listen to what might be said at
the meeting Of the special Council Com
mittee, and to watch the proceedings. The
session WAS held in the chamber of tie
First Branch of Council, and WAS very
brief. Bsfore the gentlemen of the COM
mittee were called to order by President
Farrell, Mr.. Edward Robertson, of the
Trades Assembly, suggested that If his
committee could be accorded a few min
utes conversation with President Cochran,
of the Wheeling and Harrisburg Company,
he Thought there wOuld be an amicable
arrangement, and that the business OF the
Committee would he expedited.
This courtesy was readily granted by the
Council Committee, aud President Cochran
and Mtssrs. Richard Robertson, NJ. J.
Finley, Theodore Wagner, John Murphy
Charles Parrish and g. Was-sman, Of the
Trades Assembly, got together around a
table and discussed tue terms OF the pro-
vision to be inserted in the ordinance.
During this conversation Judge Cochran
said he denied tie right of any body Of
men 10 interfere between his company and
Council. in the matter of supplying labor
something which tie Assembly could
not possibly farnish or guarantee. If the
Assembly YVES in q position to enter into
heavy bonds to supply the labor neces'
sary, and would agree to do so, it would
be different thing, but this they could
not possibly DO
In reply TO this, Mt Robertson, IS
Spokesman for the committee, eGid the
Assembly did not contemplate tying down
the railroad company to Wheeling men, to
the exclusion OF all Others. What was de-
sired to accomplish WAS to give Wheeling
men q reasonable preference, and exclude
cheap contract labor-Hungarians or Ital-
isns-who might be brought here, at very
low wages 1t might be true that the labor
which would thus be employed upon the
railroad work had no representation in the
Trades Assembly, but that did not make
any difference. Ii was the aim of the AZ
sembly TO protect all laboriDg men, and
wage workers, whether they belonged to
the body or not. 1t desired TO better the
condition and elevate tue standard of all
kinds OF labor.
After some further discussion of this
character, the following amendment to The
ordinance was drawn up and submitted, TO
be incorporated in the first line OF section 2
of the pending ordinance, 30 that it should
read
Sec. .. 1t is provided, however THAT in
the construction of the bridge and termin-
ais in this city, the said railroad company
shall give reasonable preference to COM
peteut home labor, at the usual rate of
wages for similar work in this section of
the country" and the grant in the preced-
ipg section, etc.
This was deemed satisfactory to every
one, and the conference was ended. The
members of the Council Committee then
came to order, and the amendment was
read. The committee at once approved it,
aud recommended it TO Council, together
with statement Of the facts as ascertained
by the committee at its two sessions.
The committee adjouIned about half
past eight o'clock, and the large audience
dispersed.