Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-04-05
MEN oUIr EORK.

An Order for the Reduction of Wages
Causes a Strike Among the Employees
of the p, w. a. Is. Railroad Company
Trackmen Refuse TO Accept the Cut.
The reduction in wages of trackmen and
other laborers at work OH the various lines
of the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Balti-
more Railroad Company has caused some
dissatisfaction among the men at work for
the company and some of them refused to
go to work last Monday. The order was
issued Saturday night and came from the
office of the general manager. The men
were informed Of the cut in wages Monday
morning.
In speaking of the matter Supervisor A.
H. Tinges of Division No. 2, extending
from the Brandywine river TO the Susque-
hanna, stated that he anticipated no seTi-
Gus trouble from the men and there
would be no strike among the workmen.
He stated that some of the men would re-
main idle until they were offered more
money somewhere else and they would
then 90 to work elsewhere.
Speaking Of the reduction in wages, Mr..
Tinges said Men getting Sl.50 per day
this time last yeaf have had theis wages
reduced to Sl.10. while workmen drawing
a salary of Sl.25 have been cut down to 81
per day. A very small percentage of
workmen are inclined TO make any trouble
over the reduction. and there is no strike
on foot. Nor is there any likelihood that
there will be strike at all. In fact don't
remember single instance where any
serious strike occurred on the system.
Only laboring men are affected so far by
the reduction. There are between $40 and
400 men on No. division
Ii was learned from another source that
the order issued Saturday night takes in
the Delaware division, Maryland division
and in fact all the lines of the p, w. e. B.
system, and the dissatisfaction naturally
| involves the whole of the labOrerS at work
on the above roads.
1t is intimated that the order is but the
beginning of general reduction of wage.
| of all the employees of the road and thai
the company proposes to begin at the bot
tom and continue the reduction until th,
| top of the departments is reached. This j.
the report that has been circulated abou
the Offices at the depot for several day!
past. The employees are awaiting the mex
order with considerable anxiety.
From an outside source it was ascer
tanned that the trackmen have been EN-
\ ployed eight hours per day for five DAYS il
the week, and that they received ST. ne
day, and that under SATURDAYS order the,
will be employed nine hours per day TO
six days in the week and receive ST pc
day. The locomotive wlpers, it is said
| HAVE Ilhu tuEiI NaBSS ituuCcu from Sl.0Z II
93 cents per day.
A reduction of 10 per cent has BEEF
made in the wages of the warehousemel
at the freight depot at Fourth and Pin
streets.
The present trouble is the first instanc
in the history of the r, w. d d. railroa
that any class of its workmen have ha
occasion to strike on any question affect
ing wages or other matters affecting tn
mutual relations of company and en-
ployes.
A few more of the p, w. & B. Rail
road Co.'s trackmen refused to wor
Tuesday because of the reduction i
wages, but mon were quickly gotten I
take their places. During the afternoo
90 lahorers were sent from this city I
fight the fire raging in the woods in III
vicinity of Bacon Hill. Five men VIII
were asked to go refused because of til
cut in wages
r.. a.