Omaha daily bee., 1896-01-25
EASILY SETTLED DIFFERENCES.
strike Among Walters Mt the Paxton
Hotel is OF.
HAYDEN BROS,
Leaders in butter.

Strike Among Walters mt the Paxton
Hotel is on.
The guests Of the Paxton hotel do not
know, perhaps, just how near they came to
missing their regular meals during the early
part Of the week. Fortunately a slight dis
agreement between the management of the
hotel and the walters was amicably settled
and none Of the guests were subjected to the
slightest inconvenience.
Speaking Of the matter to a Bee repre-
sentative yesterday, Manager Kitchen
said: Yes, we had a little trouble, but
everything is all right now: Business has
been exceedingly dull of late, and, like many
other establishments, we found ourselves
compelled to retrench somewhat in our OPP
Grating expenses. We had been paying our
walters 500 a month and concluded that we
would ask them to accept a reduction Of So
a month. / understand that another hotel
in the city is paying its walters only SIS a
month. On Monday, about ten minutes be-
fore dinner, we notified our men of the pro-
posed reduction. Had they so desired they
could have struck then and the dinner would
never have been served. But they con-
tinued, and reported as usual for supper.
The next day they came to US and said they
would not accept the reduction of S., and
after consultation we decided to restore the
wages to the old scale of $40 a month. We
were led to believe that such a reduction
would be accepted by the slack condition Of
trade generally and also by the large num-
Der of men who daily call here begging for
work, If only for their board. The walters
did not see it that way, and the old scale
will be adhered to-"
+. c. Long, head waiter, said: at is not
likely that there will be any trouble now.
When we were notified Of the proposed re-
duction we said nothing at first, but thought
the matter all over. Then we called a meet
ing of all the walters in the city, at which
the matter was discussed and a committee
was appointed to ascertain the number Of
unemployed colored walters in Omaha. Only
two competent men were found and they
agreed not to work for less than $40 a month.
We then notified the Paxton management
that we would strike if the original, scale
of wages was not restored. The result was
that the management told the men to con-
tinue for the present at the rate of $40 a
month. The Paxton walters, however, mott
fed their brethren in neighboring towns and
cities of the occurrence, and asked their
sympathy and cooperation in the event of
further trouble, which now seems improb-
able. The walters Of Omaha have no union,
but have arranged for a series Of weekly
meetings, which are to be of a social nature,
at which matters in general relating to their
profession will be talked over. 1t is posi-
BILE that the proposed weekly meetings will
result in the organization of an iron-clad
union, but I am not prepared to say posi-
lively what will be done. So far as / have
heard, none Of the other hotels have limited
at a reduction in wages, and l do not be-
lieye the Paxton would have any followers
in such a movement"
Vice President Gossard Of the Central
Labor union was seen at Labor Temple, and
said that the walters were not regularly Or
ganized as a labor union, but that steps
would soon be taken to perfect such an or
ganization. He was glad that the men had
won, and thought the present depression of
business was being used as a makeshift by
too many employers in order that they might
reduce the wages Of their employees.
At the other hotels it was reported that
there had been no trouble between the man
agements and the walters, and that the lat
ter were working quietly at the usual rate of
wages.