The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-09-02
NO SETTLEMENT MADE
OF tho Electric Car Operators
Strike Of Last Week.
4 LONG CONFERENCE HELD
At the COmpan,'s onlcc on Tenth
Street Inst Sight..I1Oth Sides Ap.
proach the Matter Ia Friend.
ly Spirit -. Tho Terms,

heart Of the city, around the ''loop" yel
terday, with Superintendent LOTUS /
charge, another on the North. Wheelin
end and third on the Benwood diyit
ion, these two in charge Of th
younger Lofluses. The strikers lin
Of omnibuses was well patronized al
day, and several large wagons with seat
for passengers did a good business.
was little odd last night when tho au
dience came out OF the Opera House te
see the buses and cabs drawn up at tht
curb, and hear the drivers crying
"Here you are for Forty.eighth street
only five cents!"
MIR. John NJ. Sweeney, President oil
tho Wheeling Railway Company, and
the real manager Of the combined com.
panies, arrived home yesterday, and last
night meeting OF the Directors Of the
two companies was held, and at late
hour the Conference Committee OF the
employees was called In.
The joint meeting Of the Directors of
the two companies lasted until ailer
eleven o'clock. Shortly before midnight
all the members but Messrs. Sweeney,
uptegral and LOTUS left the Office, and
an hour or 80 later the Conference Com.
mittee OF the strikers came in in answer
to a message. The two sides got down
to business at once, starting with the
hrst proposition OF the operators' de.
mand;
THAT operators and conductors re-
port for duty fifteen minutes before
time on slate for duty, and when oil
duty must be marked so on slate tho
previous night; the conductors aud
operators 10 do no pushing, oiling or
cleaning at any time. That they take
cars from the side track on rorty.second
street outside Of the barn or main track,
and that when the days work is done
they leave the car on the side track on
Forty.second street outside OF the barn
or main track; and that they clean or
I'LL no lamps, oil cans or sand boxes"
The representatives OF the company
seemed willing to concede the first item,
but with the understanding that on the
run OF a car the men will keep it as clean
as possible, und in an emergency when
the men are not otherwise employed,
they will give helping hand in getting
out cars, etc. This was all easily dis.
posed OF.
The demand "that John o. Brien be 70.
instated in his former position as con.
ductof" was taken up and argued at
somo length. Messrs. Sweeney and
Uptegrah both declared there were
other reasons than that understood by
the men for O'Brien's discharge. This
matter was left with the understanding
that Mr.. LOTUS and O'Brien have con-
ference.
THAT the employees Of this company
must be treated with more respect and
as workingmen should be, by Measrs.
John LOTUS and Michael LOTUS, Jr."
On this clause OF the demand the men
stated their position very emphatiCally,
giving details Of bad treatment at the
hands Of the two youths complained OF.
Mr.. Sweeney said that in all probability
these complaints were true, but Superin-
tendent LOTUS did not know it, and the
men should have reported.
"Oh," said one OF the men, 1--WE did
not want 10 get up a family qusrrelw
1t was agreed on behalf Of the company
that this matter should be rcmedied.
The demands ior nine hours work
day and - pay was under consideration
at a. H.. The discussion wss pointed,
but amicable. Mr.. Uptegrati said the
company could not pay 81 for nine hours.
He asked which the men preferred-re-
duced hours or increased pay. ..
Speaking Of wages and hours OF labor,
Mr.. Uptegraf said that s. for nine
hours was more than any street railroad
in the country paya, and more than
this cna could gay. Mr.. Sweeney sug.
gested s. for ten hours. Some discus.
sion resulted as to how TO operate the
cars eighteen hours on ten hours labor
schedule. Mr.. Uptegraf suggested that
the men ought to vote for the company's
interests in choosing Couucilmeu.
A bright little 1iishman oil the Ben
wood run spoke up:
The way we've been working, We
haven't had time 10 get of and vote! |"
This DISCUSSION was in good spirit, and
there saemed good reason to hope that
q settlement would be reached before
adjournment.
After three o'clock, however, the two
committees split. The company offered
81 90. the present wages, with reduc.
ton ofthe hours Of labor to l0} per day,
cls hall hour to be taken by
ths men 10 eat their dinner. The
men refused this offer, and the confer
encs adjourned at 3:l5 q. m. without
provision for future meeting.
After the adjournment an IwTELLI.
dEScER reporter talked briefly with
Messrs. Sweeney and Uptegratl. They
said the increase demanded by the
men wa1 50 per cent,
while the company offered
them la per cent increase. Under the
present wages the car crews are paid 3S
per cent OF the gross receipts OF tho
road. The increase demanded would
make the company pay the
operators and conductors 81 per cent Of
the crols receipts. Six OF the seven de-
MandR were granted. The only dispu O
was as to the wages and hours.
"Does this end 1t ?" the reporter asked,
at seems to. Our oAer is now with.
drawn. Tho men want the
earth, and we can't 9ivo It No
provision was made for a future
conference. In all tho nine-hour de.
mands over the country, the increase
involved only averaged 10 per cent. In
Pittsburgh it was only 10 per cent"
Mr.. Sweeney said he would 40 away
today.
Tho men accepted Mr.. UptegraT's Of.
ier Of 81 so for nine hours work, but
Mr.. Sweeney refused to sanction it, and
it was Withdrawn.
The striking workmen print notice
in another column this morning warning
friends Of union labor TO refuse employ
ment On the lins pending the adjustment
ef the dinlcultiee.
SmokoIess Powder Uaed.