Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-03
AGAINST THE STRIKE.
A Labor Journal Says the Traction
Trouble Was Ill Advised.
TWENTYMORE MEN COMING TODAY
Federated officials to Confer on the Car
bon Settlers Strike.
LASsR NEWS FROM BUSY WORKSHOPS

Twenty more experienced gripmen and
conductors will arrive in the city from the
West this morning and will be put to work
on the Fifth avenue cable cars. Nine grip
men arrived from Kansas City yesterday
morning and were puton cars at once. They
came off the cars of the Ninth Street Com
pany in Kansas City in which the Widener-
Elkins syndicate is interested. "A number
of the men now at work, who belong on the
Madison street line in Chicago, will leave
for their homes this evening. Most of them
have families and are anxious to get back
to them. The Pittsburg company has more
than enough, men at work, and can spare
them very easily. The majority Of the
single men who arrived in this city on
Sunday and Monday will be kept here.
Several of them when asked yesterday if
they Wanted regular car here replied
YES"
OFFICIAL PROMISES MADE.
Chief Engineer Davis told them they
could have anything within the gift Of the
company One man said he would rather
have car in Pittsburg at 81 25 per day
than take 81 30 in Chicago. The reason was
on account of the difference in the work.
The cars in Chicago hold on an average
about 80 people and the conductors have to
work harder than they do in this city.
President Elkins, of the Pittsburg Trac-
ton Company, yesterday received letter
from the conductors and gripmen now at
work, to the effect that they were perfectly
satisfied with their positions, and had no in
tention of leaving the company. The letter
was signed by every empIoye, and indicated
the fraternal feeling between the new men
and their employers. It was written to
Colonel Elkins in denial of the statement
that the men were dissatisfied with their
treatment. They not only said they were
perfectly satisfied, sbut would continue in
their positions as long as the company
wanted them.
THE STRIKE DENOUNCED.
In the current issue of the Commoner
and Glass Worker, Editor Kelly, who is
member of the knights of Labor, denounces
the strike and says it was ill-advised. In
the article he says:
1t is taken for granted in these ''piping times
of peace" when a labor trouble is to be fought
that no contest will be entered upon unless
there is a show for success at least, In the
case of the Pittsburg Traction Company how
ever, but small proportion of the gripmen
and conductors were knights Of Labor, though
the Master Workman set out nearly year ago
to effect an organization among them. Some
of the men who came here from Philadelphia
to teach the local men how to handle the grip
we're Knights, but there were plenty of the en-
ployes who had been made gripmen that had
proven traitors some years ago when the street
car men reduced their hours from IL to II
day. When the new company began to fill up
with outsiders quite number of Knights of
Labor took hold of the grip, and it was these
local men who were most earnest in promoting
organization. 1t came to pass though that
after months Of hard work some of them gave
up in disgust and sought other occupations, and
then it was that the sneaks whohad betrayed the
old local we're allowed to come in. The local
made little or no progress except to have their
members betrayed to the management, which
brought about the final result-the discharge
OF GO good "a and th worthy IN men; WHILE the Tenegades
fortunate brethren. The organization of these
griDmen and conductors was shame to the
name Of organization.
SOME DETAILS ALLEGED.
The Yerkes syndicate, which operates the
Pittsburg Traction road, however, was on the
lookout for union men, and they had plenty Of
people working for them who were ready to
give away the sincere union men. The result
was the discharge of quite number. and then
Ross ordered ''tie up" of a road he did not
control Before he did this. however, the COM
pany was fully informed of the probable re-
suit and had sent to Chicago for plenty of men
to take the places of all who struck. The men
were mere, QuarJereQ at a MOTEL Tor nearly two |
days waiting for the idiotic move. When on |
Monday the men were called at 8 P. NJ. land |
about three-fourths of them quit. many through ]
within an hour the company had |
sent to their hotel and had their cars manned |
and running as usual.
The men who received the notice generally |
acted upon it and quit their cars at Oakland. |
The men themselves did the best they could to |
make the tieup success, but it is only speak
ing the truth TO say that it was miserable fail.
ure. They were betrayed by their friends and |
a good many honest workmen are now out of |
work in midwinter through mismanagement
A 'tieup" should not have been ordered, be-
cause it was impossible to succeed. The men
were not organized sufficiently.
There was little change in the situation
yesterday. Chief Engineer Davis said they
had more men than they had use for. The
new men coming to-day will be used to fill
up the extra list The company now have
more men than they had before the strike
and the cars are making the usual time.
Chief Engineer Davis denies that he
snstched badge belonging to one OF the
strikers and is not worrying himself about
the suit for larceny.