The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-03-15

It looks as though the disturbances
that marked the earlier days OF the
street car strike have ceasedi nothing
Of q serious nature happened yesIer-
day, The cars were well %patronized,
better, in fact, than since the strike
commenced. One conductor hauled
over a hundred people during the day,
There appears to be no chance OF a
settlement Of the differences, and the
natural outcome OF matters would be
the wearing out Of the strike.
Yesterday morning Mayor Caldwell
fined the two Murrlns boys, arrested for
blockading the street car track, $40 and
costs each, and as nobody paid the fines,
they were sent to Jail for fifteen days
each, The little Rafferty, boy was dis
missed, as Il was testified that the Muir
rims boys alone were guilty.
AT last nights meeting oil Council tho
following communication from tho
street car company was presented and
read;
WHEELING, W. VA, March IA, 1893.
TO ne Honorable Council Of the City Of Wheltng'
We have had under consideration
your resolution "that it is tho sense OF
this Council that the matters IN contro.
versy between the Wheeling Electrical
Railway Company and its employees DO
submitted TO practical arbitration"
Owing to the general terms, matters in
controversy" employed in your resolu-
ton, it seems eminently proper to de-
fine with some precision what are the
matters in controversy, especially MS
there seems to be some misapprehen-
zion on the Subject. This will require
arecital OF the facts connected with the
subject matter OF your resolution.
Acitizen complained that an operator
and conductor on one OF the cars had
refused to stop the car for himself and
his wife when hailed for the purpose.
The company could not ignore the COM
plaint without an utter disregard OF Its
duty to the public. The manager OF the
company investigated the matter and
a~scertained that this citizen and his
wife we're very respectable and reliable
people. A committee oil tho street car
union also looked into the matter, and
also heard the statement OF this citizen.
An opportunity was given to the opera
tor and conductor to explain this action.
They insisted they did not sec this citi-
zen and his wife, and that this was the
reason they did not stop the car; but on
the other hand the citizen and his wife
were positive in their statement that
thcy had been seen by both tho opera
tor and conductor, and expressed a
willingness to make oath to the fact. In
view oil the fact that it was the plain
duty OF the motormen to keep n lookout
for persons hailing q car, it was q
neglect Of duty on their part II they
failed to see the persons signaling them
to stop; il they did sec them and re-
fused to stop and take them up, it
was wiliul Disregard OF duty. But 1t
made little practical difference either to
persons who wished to ride on tho car,
or to the company whether 1t was a
mere neglect Of duty, or wlIful mlscon-
duct Neither tho public nor the COM
pany need the services oil men who
either cannot see, or will not see, when
they ought to do 80.
Several suits are nov pending against
the company in which large damages
are claimed because OF the alleged neg
ligence on the part OF its employees for
falling to SEQ and guard against acct
dents. Several claims based on similar
grounds have been compromised within
the last few months. 1t is no defence
TO such suit that the employees did not
sec the threatened danger. The posi-
tion of the company would be most I'M
desirable indeed il it must incur the
ill.will OF the community by tho failure
or refusal OF its employees to take up
passengers when they desire to ride on
tho cars, and also TO be held responsible
for damages for their negligence, and at
the same timo be denied the power to
control, suspend, or discharge its en-.
pioyes for neglect OF duty OF wiiiul mis-
conduct.
Believing that the duty Of the com
pany to tho public, as well us its own
Interest, required IL 70 take action on
tho complaint Of the citizen, the super
intendent informed the operator and
conductor complained OF, that they
were laid off indefinitely, which the
men construed to be q discharge from
employment. This was on Friday, jan
liary goth; in the evening OF that day
the president OF the street car union in
formed tho manager that II tho opera
tor and conductor were not reinstated,
no would call out the men on the Sun
day following. Tho operator and con
ductor were not r%e.instated, and on
Sunday all OF the operators and con.
ductors with some others, quit the
service oil the company.
On this Sunday afternoon, a commit
tee Of the trades assembly called on the
manager, and after a conversation alto
gether friendly, proposed that tho two
men who had been laid off be taken
back after q suspension oil ten days. But
owing 10 tho fact that the men had quit
work, and embarrassed the operations
oil tho company, the question to be met
was much moro important than that OF
merely taking back into its employment
two men-it was whether the company
should recognize the right OF Its emf.
ployes to quit its service Whenever II
suspended or discharged n OF them
after a fair hearing.
The scale agreed upon last September
by tho company and its employees con.
tanned tho following provisions: mo
employee shall DO discharged until after
n fair and impartial Investigation, and
II any employe is suspended and after.
ward found innocent, he shall DO paid
In full for all lost time"
"Ali employees shall DO suBtainod in
tho discharge Of their duties, and mono
shall DO discharged without sufficient
cause"
This acaio WINS to continue until tho
frst OF noxt September. II tho com.
pany woro bound by this scale to keep
I'M To n-mnlnvmnnA tho mnn In Ia nnr.