Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-08
AGAINST UNION MEN.
Messengers Explain Why the Adams
Express Co. Discharged Them.
THE MEN HAVE MANY GRIEVANCES
A Great Strike Predicted if the Railway
Federation Backs Them.
OPPOSED TO AN INSURANCE SCHEME


having its inning bowling out the messen-
gers at lively rate. Frequent illusions to
the wholesale discharge Of the men have
been made in these columns from time to
time, but nothing definite as to the cause OF
the trouble has been published. The Officers
of the company refused to talk, and the dis
charged employees preferred to remain quiet
until they knew where they stood. Yester-
day a delegation of messengers explained
their side OF the case and the objects of the
Messengers Brotherhood, which is the bone
of contention.
In the last two weeks most of the Adams
express messengers in the Western division,
which is under the management of General
Superintendent Weir, have been dropped
The removals have not extended to the
Eastern division, which includes the Penn
sylvania road aad its branches from Pitts
burg to New York. This city is the head
quarters for the men working on the two
divisions.
The Roads Most 3 fTectcd.
In the Ft. Wayne, Panhandle and c & P.
roads about % messengers have been dis
charged. The names Of the c. & Z. men
are James O'Neil, j. NJ. Rockwell, j. +.
Phillips, Fred Chambers, c. H. Fowler and
+. c. Little. On the Ft. Wayne some of
Miller, Marker, Russell, Jackson and
Davidson. On the Panhandle are Messrs.
Lorner, Sr. and Jr., Kaowlton ard Cronin.
The delegation then explained that the
Adams Express Company has become very
close in the treatment of its employees dur
ing the last few years Last October year
ago the wages of messengers were reduced
25 per cent, and since then several cuts have
been made. The average per month paid
messengers now is about S55. Baggagemen
on the railroads who make the same runs re-
ceive fully % per cent more. Formerly If
an employe was taken sick or injured IN an
accident theexpress company continued his
wages while he was idle, but this practice
was stopped about three years since.
To make matters worse. if a messenger
doubled up, that is, made return trip, ow-
ing to the illness of the man who should
have taken his PLACE, he received no pay for
it. and the sick messenger was docked the
time In this way the company got days
work for which nothing was paid. Then in
the olden times, those better days for which
the poets sometimes long, each messenger
was compelled to give bond for IS, 900.
But recently Tom Platt, of New York, with
an eye to the almighty dollar, and other
Adams Express men, organized the United
States Insurance Company. Instead of CIV
ing bonds as before, an order was issued to
the messengers compelling them to pay to
this company SIS per year, in return for
which they agreed to bond them for $1,000
per year.
Objected to Paying for Ronds.
There was considerable grumbling over
this order, rs the majority of the men were
backed for the $4,000 by friends, who
charged them nothing for it and the new
wrinkle relieved them of the price of a suit
of clothes annually. However, under the
rule there was no escape for it, and the men
claim that the scheme was nothing more
than bonus to the company for their jobs.
''Giving bond for So 900 to the company
for security was ridiculous, anyhow" said
one of the discharged messengers, "for we
hardly ever made run without having
from S25, 900 to $50, 600 in our possession
often the amount reached 100000. For
that matter half the time we don't know
how much is on the car, as we are given
bill for sealed safe. So you see, if a mes
senger wanted to be dishonest, he could
make ten-strike anytime lie desired, and
the bond of So, 900 would be paltry in COM
q
year for alleged insurance made us feel sore,
but, as we had become accustomed o'being
squeezed, we made very little complaint"
When the company stopped paying the
wages of men who were sick or injured there
was considerable suffering in the families of
the idle. The other employees were fire.
quently called upon to help their suffering
fellows, and as rule they subscribed liber-
ally. About year ago the Brotherhood of
was suggested for the purpose
of helping afflicted brethren and improving
the moral and social condition of its mem
bers. This is the object of the organization
which the Adams Express Company is
making so much fuss about The messengers
declare that there is not an article or clause
in their constitution that alludes to a strike
erhood was formed quietly, and it was only
recently that the company became aware of
its existence.
Questions Put to the Messengers.
Then four or five questions were prepared
by Manager Weir anonymously and fur
nished by him to the route agents, who
handed them to the men for their written
replies The employees did not know from
what source they emanated, but they sus-
pected the company. Those who were
frank enough to answer the questions have
been rewarded by having their official heads
chopped of. The queries were these:
''Do you belong to the brotherhood"
"Who induced you to join it?''
"Why did you ioin?"
''Whst benefit did you expect to derive?"
(which would you rather do, give up
your Job or quit the brotherhood?"
The dues of the brotherhood were fixed
at $40 per year. and many of the men Joined
it, because by so doing they would save
money in not paying subscrip-
tions One OF the aims of the union also
was to provide rooms at the ends of the di-
visions for its members, where they could
read the papers and the best books
and current literature of the day.
Damsel, who has charge of
the business west of Cincinnati, SAYS the
company has no objection to the Brother
hood, but the men have been given to un-
derstand that they were discharged because
they belonged to it. The Adams people
are evidently determined not to employ or
ganized labor. One of their discharged men
is Mr. Dreisbach, who was a messenger on
the Ohio and Mississippi road. Two years
ago he repulsed gang of robbers and saved
the company $50, 900, but his heroic service
counts for naught when the officials contem-
plate the Brotherhood bugaboo.
Other Companies Not So Hostile.
Most of the messengers in the employ of
the United States, Northern Pacific, South
ern Express, Wells, Fargo and Adams ex-
press companies belong to the brotherhood.
The companies, with the exception of the
Adams, have encouraged the organization.
The American Express men have brother
hood of their own, and when it was started
the company advanced the wages of its en-
ployes. In the present fight the American
Express Company comes in for generous
nraise in It's treatment of its ennlores Tho