Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-03
;ANACOSTIA RAILWAY
More Trouble Between the Company
and the Men.
PROPOSED REDUCTION OF WAGES
Mr.. GriswoId Writes TO Citizens of
Anacostia.
THE ADS FINAN CES

a reduction Of wages will, 1t is believed, in
all probability take place in the near fu-
ture, p.'ssibly within the rext twenty-four
hours.
The readers of The Star will remember
that from time to time during the past two
o. thu ee " eeks it has been mentioned that
there appeared to he trouble ahead for the
employees of the railroad company, and that
period seems to be speedily approaching.
1: is understood that during the last few
days President Griswold of the railroad
company has had conferences with a num-
Der of citizens of the town who were prom
1rent. in the movement in support OF
the strikers several months ago, and that
he has convinced them that the road is not
afle, from it's receipts, to pay the men the
present rate of wages. $3.50 per day.
1t has also heretofore been stated by
those In position to know that the stock
holders have never received cent of
dividend on their investments condition
of affairs which is not calculated to en-
courage those who have their money lock-
ed up in the road. and it follows that if the
employees of the company are to continue
to receive the pay they have done since the
strike was settled, either floating debt
provide the means from their own re-
sources to make up the deficiency between
the receipts of the road and the amount
necessary to pay the men.
Change I'm Sentiment.
Should the Railway Union refuse to al
low the Anacostia drivers to accept a lower
rate of pay and another strike result, it is
believed the relative positions of the COM
pany and it's employees will be entirely diff
ferent from what they were on the previous
occasion, when, in order to get the road
so that 1t could resume operations, large
numbsr of citizens. said to be 100, signed a
letters which was sent to Mr.. Griswold,
pledging, in case he granted the increase
of pay asked by the men. for the ensuing
few months that II by October l 1t was
found after examination of the company
books by Messrs. George F. Pyles, lead
ing merchant. and Julius w. Tolson the
postmaster of the town, that the company
was not able to continue the rate, the sign
ers would do all in their power 10 assist Mr..
Griswold in carrying out any policy in re-
lation to this part of the company's af-
fairs that he might feel disposed to adopt.
Mr.. Griswold's Letter.
Last evening a number of those who had
signed the letter received a circular, of
which the following is a copy, from Presi-
dent Griswold:
ANACOSTIA. D. c., October 1, 1895.
My Dear Sir: .----. VT
During the July tie-up of the Anacostia
line the writer had the honor to receive
from one hundred citizens of our town a
letter, stating their views to the result
as to the scale of wages, and requesting
that It be tried to a period not later than
October l.
In every particular and not violating .e-
gal requirements, the company has lived
up to your request. The result has not
been what we all hoped for, and believed
would be. and it will be necessary in the
near future to adopt some changes in the
this writing recall all the names of the
one hundred, he believes every citizen Of
Anacostia at heart desires the success of
it's car line. Upon it in measure depend
the desirahility of every home and much
of the future prosperity of our village
The better our facilities for reaching the
city the more worth our houses and the
more easy to get the money to pay for
them. We also need facilities to reach the
government departments, etc. 1t may not
have occurred to all that to pay an extra
fare would amount to a tax of about
$4,000 a year on our real estate; to a re-
duction Of about 81 per month on the rent
of each house, il only one member of the
family rode per day. No one is more de-
sirous than the company to do all 1t can
for Observation-Disclosures calls for that
In the near future the owners of the road
expect to adopt a system Of rapid transit.
In the meantime it will do its best to de-
serve your support, trusting you will give
it, SO that there may be no back-set, but
Anacostia be ready upon the return of
prosperous times to take the place that
belor gs to her-the most prosperous sub
urb of Washington Very faithfully yours,
H. A. GRISWOLD, President.
The Roads Side.
President Griswold was not in his Office
when a Star reporter called to see him
today; but a prominent business man of
this city, who has been in conference with
Mr.. Griswold in reference to the impending
trouble, said the situation of affairs is as
follows: From statements made by Mr..
Griswold, and which will be borne out by
the books, the road is going behind at the
rate of between $500 and $500 per month
When the company agreed to advance the
wages of the men to $3.50 per day, which
was the mourning of additional expense of
about $50 per day, or 500 per month, it
was expected that the receipts would at
least pay the current expenses.
1.-The first month that the new rule was
in operation the receipts exceeded the ex-
penses by not quite $50, but each month
since then they have fallen behind between
500 and 800. as already stated.
LAS the stockholders will put up no more
money. it follows that the present rate Of
pay cannot be continued Mr.. Griswold
says he can by waving his own salary of
$50 per month pay the men 81 25 per day,
and this rate he is willing to pay until
March 1 next, when if the receipts shall
justify 1t, he will restore their pay to the
present figure. Meanwhile, every man now
in the service of the company will be re-
tanned so long as he does his duty.
Il know for d fact that there are now on
file in the office of the railroad company ap-
plications from over one hundred men Of
fering to work for 81 per day from now I'M
til next spring. Some Of these are expert
enced car drivers, while others are young
men who during the summer and fall have
been employed on farms in Maryland
MIR. Griswold much prefers, however, to
keep his present force, and it is hoped by
those most directly interested that the Pro-
tective Street Railway Union will give it's
consent to the Anacostia employees accept
ing the compromise sum that the company
Is willing to pay.
President Lawrence of the union has
been. or will today be, asked by some of
the citizens of Anacostia to use his influ-
ence in this direction.
Should these overtures fail, no other
course remains but for those now running
the cars to strike and have their places
taken by others, or that the road shall be
tied up for an indefinite period
Gen. DuEan's Funeral.
The funeral of Gen. James Dugan, whose
sudden death occurred at the Forester
House In this city Sunday evening, took
place yesterday morning from the resi-
dence of Capt. H. E. Burton, 1000 9th
street northwest. The pallbearers were
members of Phil Sheridan Post, G. 4. r.,
and the intermeEt was at Arlington.