The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-22
Is THE LEIIIGlI WEAKENING?
PRESIDENT WILBUR APPARENTLY
aITES AN OPESING 10 THE
sTRIkERs

AcGfenttga-Ane btrikers htsWuhh btm,
bot say n Hs VIII sign q similar Dec -
ration for Them the Struggle VIII Be
E-sed withir Two Hour--The Tir-up
.. che Hssa ss Effective - on Previous
Dsys-sheris. Called Upon Generally to
Protect Propsrty-One or Two Instances
Of vioicnse-striker. May Kun the MIX
Trsip- q, Preference to tho Mail Trnin-.
wnKEsBARRE, Nov. 21.-President Wilbur OF
the LshiRh Valley Railroad. in an official state
mont issued to-day. agrees to meet the men
employed by the railroad who are now on
strike because the officials OF the company
will not hear their grievances, and John Rice.
the Chairman OF the Brotherhood Of Locomo-
tive Engineers Of the LehiRh Valley Railroad.
says to- night that II President Wilbur is ear
nest and will stick to his word a grievance
committee. made up OF the employees OF the
road, will meet him tomorrow morning. and
u the President will sign an agreement to
stand by promises alleged to have been
made In July last, he will guarantee that
the tie-up will be abandoned and the strike
will be declared of within two hours after
the signatures are afixed. The issuing OF the
statement. and it's contents were foreshsd-
owed in TIE Suns dispatches from Wilkes
barre this morning In an interview TIE Svs
correspondent had with an official OF the road
name used. THE SUN reached here to-day be-
fore the statement was Issued. and the men
were therefore not taken by surprise when
Mr. wilbur's circular reached them. In fact.
they were chucklinR over what they considered
weakening on the part OF the company when
an ofiicial came out OF the company's oflce
and began lacking up copies OF those notices
In conspicuous places.
Tur L.rHreH VALLEY RAuRoAp CoxrASr
OTricn or rHE President,
sourH BETHLEHEM Pa. nov 81. 1893.
10 all s-p'oy.s.
To correct any Interpretation regarding the post
OF the officers Of this company would state that
they at all times ready and willing to give patient
hearing complaints the part Of its employees
any number OF them In any department II dissatisfied
with the conclusions reached by tho division supen
tendsnts general supsrintendsnt the President will
hear their and decide. but decline confer
with organized committees composed Of several
branches OF the service for the reason that we
cannot know that such committees fairly repre-.
sent Its employees Engineers cannot OF course,
fairly represent grievances of telegraph men.
nor nrsmen properly represent tranmen. The
company maintains the right to employ men upon
such terms be agreed upon and settle all
paints only with Its employees and to discharge
for with the right to appeal but without refer
sncs the judgment action OF any organization,
All employees who may fail to report for duty or
before tomorrow wednesday noon. will be regarded
having left the service OF the company. and all such
up Men failing to come forward and receive their
wages win receive consideration in recognizing
train service. T. p. WILBUR. President
Superintendent Esser said just after the
notice was issuad: " This Is not a new stand
taken by President Wilbur. 1t is absolutely the
same stand that he and all the other officers OF
the road have taken from the very first They
never have refused to meet the men OF any
department to discuss the business OF the de-
nnk In xuht oh thav NIL ppk
there seemed to be a feeling on the part OF
some OF the men that he had. In their state
ments they assumed that he had. and hence
this notice has been issued to set him right
before the public
"A fact In connection with this strike that
has not been made anything OF Is this: Until
last July the organization OF the men on our
road has been represented by an engineer OF
the name OF Devos. He was tho Chairman OF
their General Committee. and. II am not mis-
taken. his dealings with the officers OF the
company were always pleasant. The men
never had any trouble. Then in July he was
disposed OF. and the men put In his place
telegraph operator who was employed In the
Easton ONCE OF Superintendent Donnelly.
When this telegraph operator went to
the officers OF the company and began to talk
learnedly about the needs OF engineers and
OF dremen and men In other lines OF the
business as remote from his own. the officials
would have nothing to do with him. though
they plainly intimAted they were prepared to
talk with him about men Ia his own class. and
with men from other classes OF their own par
ticular departments That WAS all there was
about 1t. The officials are as willing to do that
to- day as they were then. But they don't pro-
nose to put up with any monkey business"
Mr. John Rice. in his interview with THE
Sun correspondent to night, says: No fire.
bur or ran sny other ofiicisl Of the LshiSS Valley
road what an engineer should do or should not
q tho sSsr foG
tors the engineers. or amy one else. but the
telegraph opsnratoTS No brakeman Iiu ever at
meat nor did any switChman or any other EN-
ployee. The truth Is that the Grievance Com
psrtmsnt and that man had full author.
and to make agreements for that department.
II Mr., Wilbur will think back he will remem-
Der that the men on this road never sent
labor organization or railroad organization.
represented I'VE different departm ents. and
they vent to Mr. Wilbur as the accredited rep
Esst Sf the & Of the ehE9
ling now TO treat with them, and
T. and 10 sign bulisiin to that sfreet then hen
tion as Ii was before the strike began within
two hours from the time that he puts his name
10 the paper. The orders TO the men will 90
out before the ink In his signature is dry"
These statements certainly look as though
there Was a prospect that the strike may be
quickly settled Yet tonight neither side will
say that the outlook Is any more hopeful than
Il was before Mr.. Wilbups notice was issued.
The situation may be likened TO the tirst few
rounds Of prize fight when the fighters spar
Tor an opsning, and Incidentally for wind.
while they size each other up Each is sus-
pieious Of the other and believes that any
thing done 10 In bad faith There Is a greater
lack OF confidence that the big hnAneieTs and
merchants Of the country, displayed when
thaTe was doubt about the passage Of tho
Silver Repeal bill; and IL seems hkely 10 1s
lust as disastrous here.
There Is hope. however. that little mission
AIRY work may fix things. The lack OF conf
dsnee on the part OF the strikers is shown ~
Mr. Rice In q telegram which he sent tonight
10 ehiefs OF all the traipmen's orders and the
brothsIhoods Interested now In Philadelphia.
He Hskg them all to come TO Wilkesbarre AZ
the earliest possible moment tomorrow. He
SAYS that when they get here an arrangement
will be made for great mass meeting 20 tie
held at the Academy OF Music. where all the
causes that have ed up q the strike will 10
given 10 the public, The lack OF confidence on