The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-05-16


the Goa! operators received regularly
their minimum price of 72x cents per
gross ton, the total gross receipts OF the
raliroaa company for the transportation
were less than three mills per mile.
Inc result was that while many of the
operators earned 25 per cent. on their
capital invested, the railroad companv
was FORCED Into the hands of receivers.
IL would have been impossible, there.
lore, for the railroad company or the
receivers to have continued to Ruaran.
zee 80 large price to the operators,
put apart from this, q law was enacted
Dy the last session Of the West Virginia
legislature, prohibiting railroads from
seiiing coal, and this of itself, com.
p pen , sne Norfolk and Western to re-
ION April LIST Cashier & Curran wara
chosen by the operators as their general
sales agents, After conference between
the receivers and railroad companies
ana the committee of the operators, an
agreement was agreed upon, which
would have Noted the operators an
average OF sixty-four cents per ton at
the mines.
AT the time this arrangements was
made the operators were asked bv the
receivers IL they intended to reduce the
wages OF the miners and they replied
they lid not. But without notice to the
receivers they did subsequently, cut
wages to take effect May LIST. As con-
sequence the West Virginia miners
STRUCK, and the governor Is fully salts.
neo tnas the operators forced them to
DO 30 In order to force the railroad COM
pany to reduce its freight charges to the
rulnous rate that has resulted in put
ting the road In the hands OF the re-
ceivers. The receivers are responsi BILE
to the court for their conduct OF the
ROADS affairs and they are not permitted
TO haul freight at rate that is ruin
ously low"
All this trouble Is in West Virginia.
ihe operators at Pocahontas have stood
oy their agreement, have not reduced
wages, and the men are entirely salts
lied with their wages and the treatment
they received. As evidence Of this, the
governor, In his speech at Pocahontas,
called on all who had grievance
against the Southwest Company to make
IL known, and no man responded. On
the contrary. there were many who said
PUBLICLY that they had no grievance,
and any number of miners called on the
governor privately and told him that
they were without the means of support
and were anxious to work, but were
afraid to do 80.
Their fears grew out OF the fact that
the West Virginia miners who are
backed by the West Virginia operatives
are threatening them with violence il
they work. and 1t Is to protect these
men In their rights to work that the
governor is keeping troops at Pocahon-
tas. The governor further says that the
Goa! operators ere encouraging the
strike OF the miners in every way by
giving them picnics and gu pplying them
with food and shelter There are 900
miles OF the Norfolk and Western rail.
road in Virginia, and as result Of the
Strike industries all along the limos are
shut down and thousands Of people are
thus thrown out OF employment, and
this Is most significant incident.
Tho governor was going to relieve
from duty the Roanoke Machine Works
Guards, company composed of work.
ingmen from these shops, but has left
them on duty on petition OF the men
themselves, who stated to him they
were thrown out OF employment on &C
count of this strike and preferred to res
main on duty as soldiers TO going home
to be idle. But the situation Ia improv.
ing When the governor left there
were 800 men at work In the mines Of
the Southwest Company. Sixty more
were to go on last night 200 more were
expected this morning and 400 on to
morrow. The company is taking back
Its old men upon application. except in
the case of few leaders.
TROUBLE AMONG THE sILvERITEs.