Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-02-08
. PRESENT TREIR SIDE.
The strike as Viewed From the stand
point of the Electrical Car Workers.

The strike as Viewed From the stand
point of the Electrical Car Workers.
10 ne Pubiic
The facts concerning the street car
strike here presented, demand the care
ful attention and consideration OF the
public before passing in opinion for or
against those involved IN the trouble.
On January 18th last Messrs, Jess Muir
rims and Edward Smiddle were operat-
ing car nina" on Jacob between
Forty.six aud FOrty-seventh streets.
When Mr.. w. II. Williams,
citizen living in that neigh
borhOOd made a strong effort
10 hail the car TO take himself and wife
up town. The operator and conductor
failed 70 stop through some mystery or
another. This act Of diScOurteSy or in
suit as Mr.. Williams alleges to himself
and wife irritated him beyond control
and he Immediately formulated plan
by which he would get square with
those motormen. He repaired to the
Office OF the street railway company
aud promptly lodged complaint about
the conduct of those two men to Mr..
Jolly, general manager.
This latter gentleman set out TO in
vestigate II such act OF diSObedience TO
the company aud discourteSy, disap-
pcintment and insult to its patrons was
true. Mr.. Williams aud his wife in
formed Mr.. jolly that they were pre-
pared TO qualify on oath that Operator
MurrinS saw them awaiting the car
aud also Conductor Smiddle. The two
motOrmen, when questioned about their
failure to stop the car, emphatically de-
MED in very strong terms that they had
seen Mr.. Williams or his wife But,
Notwithstanding the emphatic denial,
they were put OFF duty the following
Wednesday. In accordance with
the constitution OF the Street Car Elec-
trical Workers Union, and the rules APP
proved OF by them and the company,
they also appointed committee to ia
vestigate the difficulty and waited on
Mr.. Williams and his wife and heard
from them the same evidence given the
managers Of the road. They questioned
MurrlnS and Smiddle very carefully and
found cut from them the same as they
told Mr.. Jolly. The committee, after q
close investigation, came TO the conclu-
sion that, as they had no proof but the
affirmative OF one side and the negative
OF the other side, they were in duty
bound to sustain Murrins and Smiddle,
as they believed there was no cause
shown or proved for their indefinite sus-
pension, according to rule eleven Of
their scale, which reads as follows,
"All employees shall be sustained in
the discharge OF their duties, and none
shall be discharged without sufficient
cause"
Another rule approved by the Wheel
ing Railway Company says: "No en-
ploye shall be discharged until after
fair and impartial investigation has
been made" The Electrical Workers
Commi.tee have good cause 10 show that
the investigation of MeSSrs. Murrins
and Smiddle by the company was not an
impartial one by any means, which the
O5stinacy Of the manager In refusing to
come 70 any kind Of a settlement plain
ly shows.
The evening after those motormen
were suspended the members of the
Union called a special meeting aud APP
pointed a committee 70 wait on Mr..
LOTUS. They met and talked the trouble
over but could come TO no final settle
ment.
On Thursday following the committee
called 90 the Tenth street Office and
made every effort available to settle
matters, out their mission was fruitleSs,
as Mr.. LOTUS told the committee for
the first time that Murrins and Smiddle
were discharged and he could do moth
Ing for them.
On the evening Of the day above re-
ierred 90 Mr.. Chew, President Of the
Union, waited on Mr.. Jolly and told
him n those two men were not rein
stated the cars would De stopped run
ming on Sunday morning. Mr. Jolly
asked Mr.. Chew II he had that power.
Mr.. Chew said he had, and told Mr..
jolly % consider the case before the
cars would be stopped from running.
The manager showed no decided diSpo-
Sition 10 propose any remedy out of the
trouble or TO cOnciiste matters whereby
an amicable settlement could be arrived
az % avert a strike.
The officers aud committee of the
ucion after an exhaustive effort TO
reach an agreement and seeing the
management cool. determined and in
different, proposed to present their
trouble to the Trades Assembly, where
it was unanimously Endorsed by that
body and referred to the Arbitration
Committee for adjustment IL possible.
The result Of the Arbitration Commit
tees efforts to reach an agreement was
given to the public through the daily
papers last Friday which speaks for
itself.
We now have submitted our side Of
the trouble 70 the public for their con-
-1,.l-1- - n.,-Ia 60.