Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-04-12
RAILROAD MEN oUIr YORK.
The Reduction in the Wages of Tract
Hands Induces Them to go Out oil
lfrfua

The Reduction in the Wages of Track
Hands Induces Them to go Out on
Strike.
The recent reduction in the wages of
laboring men employed by the Philadel-
| phia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad
Co. has caused a number of them to go
out on strike and Thursday crowd
of the strikers were observed standing
about the streets in the neighborhood Of
the depot, discussing their recent trou-
bles and the probable outcome of the re-
| duction. The men were quiet and Or
| derby on the streets and inclined to make
no demonstration whatever over the
difficulty.
When asked in regard to the reduction
they formed circle around their inter-
viewer and voluntarily gave him their
version of the story. There were
about Is strikers in the assem-
blage. They declared that of the
$50 track men between Philadelphia
and Baltimore, nearly all of them are
out on strike and had been out since
Wednesday morning. The men said that
their first reduction was from $1.50 to
$1.25 per day, but the more recent cut
was from $1.25 to $1.10 per day. In
other words they declared the scale had
been reduced from 10 cents to II cents
| per hour.
The workmen stated thatin this city 10
men had quit work in the car shops, in
the new round house and 12 in the old
round house. The number of trackmen
on strike in this city, including the west
yard and vicinity, they stated was "a.
When asked what they proposed to do
| about the matter one of them stated
that they were unable to support their
| families on the present scale of wages
and they preferred to "starve walking
about the streets rather than starye
working"
Eighty italians, whom the p. W. g. b.
| Railroad Company secured in Philadelphia
to take the places of the striking trackmen,
| were put to work last Saturday between
that city and Wilmington.
There are only two laborers at work in
the railroad company's yard opposite the
French street station. For several days
there have been standing there two cars
loaded with car wheels. As yet the COM
pany has not been able to get any body to
unload them.
ITALIANS FOR THE DELAWARE ROAD.
Twenty-Five Italians, who were brought
from Philadelphia. went to Mt. Pleasant
on Saturday to assist in the erection of
the big scales which the Delaware Rail-
road Company is having built near that
station,
DRIVEN AWAY BY THE STRIKERS.
CHESTER, Pa, April IAN effort was
made this morning to replace the striking
trackmen of the Maryland division of the
Pennsylvania railroad with Italians, but
without success. A trainload of Italians
came into the city about o'clock. and
gang of men were put off at Lamokin sta
ton, in the southern part of town, but
the strikers gathered in force and the
Italians left their work for fear of rough
usage.
The striking trackmen then moved
southwark and found another gang OF
Italians at work on the Linwood section,
four miles below Chester and drove them
off.
No further effort will be made to fill the
places of the strikers until orders are re-
ceived from the company's officials.
Strikers are patrolling. the sections and
making all kinds of threats against the
Italians should the latter take their places.
There will undoubtedly be clash be-
tween the strikers and the Italians If the
railroad company insists on putting the
latter to work.
The condition of affairs among the
p, w. & b. Railroad Company's track
men, so far as the railroad company is
concerned, is beginning to look more
cheerful.
A telegram received from Elkton last
Tuesday says the strikers at that place
have agreed to return to work and will
continue in the railroad company's EN-.
ploy until they can secure better posi-
tons elsewhere.
Half dozen Italians who were
brought from Philadelphia were
taken to Perryville and put to work
there, Supervisor Tinges accompanied
them from this city.
More men returned to work yester-
day.
Gone West to Sell the Delaware Building.