The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-10-02
STRIKE OR NO STRIKE.
The Adams Express Com
pany Say There'll Be
None, but the Men
Are Su1len.

It is next to impossible to determine the
true status of affairs in connection with
the Adams Express Company and its
employees. The officials on this side of
the river declare that everything is work
ing along harmoniously, barring the
natural inclination of men to grumble at
reduction of salaries. They declare
not for a moment anticipated. But even
these betoken in some inexplicable man
ner signs that they are not inwardly as
sanguine as they outwardiy appear to
be.
The helpers. whose salaries were re-
duced from $50 to $40 per month, are sui
len and refuse to talk. But the degree of
sullenness manifested by each clearly In
dicates disposition to strike.
The fact that the men had always been
SO well taken care of by the company
seems only to have more bitterly incensed
them against the present management,
They cannot understand the sweeping
reductions and wholesale removals. They
know well that the company's business is
not decreasing, Notwithstanding the as
sertions that rival companies are making
inrOads upon its general receipts.
Superintendent Robertson, of the COM
pany's pier. this morning admitted to me
that the books would show an increase in
the comDany's business over cores
ponding period last year. The superin-
tendent said some fifteen or twenty
helpers were asked to assist in making
away with surplus of baggage on the
platform a few nights ago. They refused
to do it and left of their own accord
Naturally their places were filled; they
had disobeyed orders, and their places
r1fl
obey orders
Pointing to a small army of men busily
employed on the pier, the Superintendent
remarked:-"That doesn't look much like
a strike, does it? No, sir, there is no evil
dence of general strike here. Every
thing is moving along smoothly as clock
work"
''Is there no dissatisfaction among the
clerksr' asked the reporter.
None that know of. !"
E"But their salaries have been cut down,
haven't theyY
mo, sir. None on this side the river,
that 1 know of. 1t is the newspapers
alone that talk strike"
Subsequently approaching several por-
ters who are yet at work was told that
if | wanted to CLEAN facts must visit the
piers late at night. There was general
disinclination on the part of any of
the employees to talk upon the
subject, as though they feared
the sword of Damacles was swinging
directly above their heads. But it was
evident upon every hand that the men
were nursing bitter feelings, the results
of which will probably be q general
strike.
1t is understood that some of the help
ers are supposed, under the new regime.
to put in from seventeen to nineteen
hours per day at the rate of less then ten
cents per hour Some with families are
compelled to do the extra work at night
at reduction of their daily wages. They
take it that a half loaf is better than none
at all--for the present. 1t is claimed also
by the deposed men that boys, who pre-
viously were employed as call and erranG
boys, hustle around with 200 pound pack
ages the same as men.
A van load of stablemen were sent to
the pier night before last to do porter's
duty. They worked until late last night
Last night they did not appear. The
strikers claim that the stablemen did not
know they were taking their places, and
therefore refused to work at the pier last
night. At the company's stables on Hen
derson street. this was denied 1t is said
the stablemen were not wanted at the
pier last night
The force of stablemen has also been
considerably reduced and those remain
ing are compelled to do extra work A
number of the single drivers were dis
charged and the salaries of nearly all re.
duced from $50 per month to $50.