The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-25
THE SALT LAKE HERALD, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER ss 1895.

company it was insisted that the com
pany was under no obligations to deal
with tine above-named labor union in
disputes with its employees about
hours of labor and wages. 1t insisted
upon dealing with its employees as In
dividuals and not as members OF a
labor union. 1t claimed the right to
discharge men without being account
able TO a labor union
These were the items in dispute: this
the settlement:
First-While the Union Traction COM
pany will only treat with the workmen
in its employ, it will allow them mem
bership in any lawful organization:
second, it will take up their grievances
and give them full and fair considera-
ton: third. it will, so far as 1t has
vacant places, Immediately put on the
old men. and as fast as vacancies
arise will give preference to any OF uae
old men yet unemployed. and eTldeavor
TO arrange the trips of the cars TO Ia
vor the old men as far as possible
without violating its contract with the
new men. The question of compenSa-
ton and hours are left for future de-
termination.
W,
lasted just week, seven days. and OF
course the men lost their wages Tor
that time, and as about six thousand
men were in the strike, the amount
thus lost ito them is not far from Sl2'-
0OO This, of course, IS but
small item in comparison
with what the company lost.
but to men living by daily labor
it is a large sum. It is estimated that
the company lost in fares alone S3oO.-
600: besides the loss that it sustained
through damage TO its cars, tearing up
its tracks. But the heaviest loss OF all
has come to the merchants and shop
men whose trade right in the midst OF
their holiday harvest was cut off.
loss the more to be deplored because
falling upon people not parties to the
dispute. Gut what is most to be re-
GREETED is that old, staid Philadelphia.
with a record of peace behind it for
a hundred years, has been the scene Of
riot, disorder and bloodshed. though
fortunately none of the rioting resulted
fatally.
Now what did the strike settle? No
thing, absolutely. The company in
case of dispute arising will only treat
with the workmen in its employ, but
will allow them membership in any
lawful organization. 1t will give their
grievances fair consideration. 1t will
take back as many of the old en-
ployees as there are vacancies to fill.
but will not discharge the new men
the company has engaged. And as
about one thousand new men have
been employed that many of the old
hands will be out of work in mid
winter. The question of hours for
days work and compensation are left
for future determination.
There you have it. and the achieve
ments are not very flattering to the
working men. There is no concession
gained by the men that could not have
been secured without strike. The
cause of the men was just, and had
they continued to remain at work while
at the same time they made their de-
mands and stood together and ap-
pealed to public sentiment against the
unjust course of the Traction COM
pany, that company would unquestion-
ably have been driven by public senti-
ment to do all that it has now promised
to do-consider fairly the demands of
the men. and allow them to belong to
any lawful organization.
The Philadelphia strike should lead
workingmen to entertain with the
greatest caution propositions to strike