The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-17
pany. last night asked protection at the
hands OF the Martins Ferry authorities.
THE STRIKE SATURDAY.
The Conference Between Company,

The principal development Of the
strike on Saturday was the conference
between the company's board OF dlrec-
tors, the strikers committee and the
business mems committee. 1t was held
in the rooms OF the. chamber of COM
merce, and lasted about two hours, but
was fruitless. Neither side receded
from Its position. President Conder-
man. OF the company. inquired II the
strikers would make any concessions;
the committee replied that the strike
was for twenty cents an hour and nine
hours a day. The business men were
disappointed over the failure OF the
contending interests to come together.
President Conderman made the fol-
lowing statement of the strike Satur-
day:
I'VE met with the citizens committee
and the committee Of employees with the
View Of discussing the differences exist
ing between the former employees and
the Wheeling Railway Company. ask
ed our employees II they had any srlev-
unces as employees OF the Wheeling
Railway Company, and II SO, to state
them, go we could have something def
mite to consider. They said in response
that they wanted twenty cents an hour
and nine hour day. then took up the
wage list Of the various cities of the
country OF like size, and found that the
city OF Wheeling was paying at least as
much. IL not more, than any city east of
the Mississippi river of like size. and
stated that did not see what good rea-
son there was why a motorman or con-
ductor In the city of Wheeling should re-
ceive any more pay for the same work
than In any other. In Philadelphia they
pay l6 2-3 cents per hour. and In Balti-
more. believe, 1873 cents. wish to call
your attention 10 the rates paid In other
cities. Here Is 4 tabulated statement Of
the wages paid in cities OF $4,000 popu-
lation or less. Out of these cities, eleven
pay an average rate OF less than we are
paying; In one it IL the same, and in two
1t Is but trine moro. The next group Of
cities run from C0.OG0 to 5000 popula-
ton. There are eight In oil. OF these
three pay less than we do. two pay the
same. two pay one cen: per hour more,
and one pays twenty cents. The latter
city Is Hartford. where they have sixty
four cars running, SO you can see their
receipts are large. The next group Is
composed Of cities running from 1900 to
100000 population. There are seven OF
them. or these, four pay less than we
Go. and the entire group Will not aver
age more. OF these cities. Reading. Pa.
pays T. cents. and SO does Nashville
Next we come to cities OF from 100, 600 20
100000 population. Atlanta pays T.
cents: Scranton, Pa. 12lG to 16 cents:
Columbus l5E to 16ls cents: Worcester
u to 17k; Providence 1SE: Indianapolis
II 10 i6, running one hundred and
twenty-siX cars. and so on. OF cities
having q population of more than 200,-
geo, Louisville pays 1Gi.; Milwaukee is
to 10; Newark II to Is 20: Buffalo 10 to
IS: Cincinnati 1919; Cleveland is TO 20:
Baltimore li.6: Boston 222A. and St.
Louis motormen 20 cents, and conduc-
tors 10 cents.
Il then went on to explain to the men
that our company could no: pay more
We have no sinking fund, and have not
paid exceptional dividends. During three
years our dividends have been ~. per
cent. and for the previous two years
they were nothing, so the average for
the five years has been less than per
ceat. / also stated that when ! came to
town this morning l heard 1t had been
stated Hlat ! was drawing a salary of
$4,000 per year as president of the COM
PAM. ! thought it we'll 10 acquaint the
boys with the fact that Gid not receive
cent, worked without pay simply to
further the interests l represent. I
don't get enough from the company to
pay my stenographer. ] work sixteen
hours a day. putting In the day at my
own business and then working at night
until midnight for the company. and
whom CT.
working 50 much, paid him extra out
of my own pocket To replace property
used up during the past five years we
have had to crea:e.a debt, for we could
not do so out OF the receipts
Il then went on 10 state 10 them that
1t was no trouble to get men in Phila-
dciHhia. I could get one thousand men
there and ship them TO Wheeling In five
days-nen Hlai and willing to make
sixteen cents per hour. put an advcr-
tiSemeHt in the paper last Monday and
had one thousand applicants. 1t took
three clerks to keep track Of them.
then stated. In justice 10 myself. that
men had repeatedly applied - me for
positions on the road here, and as presi-
dent had never asked 70. the appoint
merit OF single man, feeling that so
long as the employees of the road did
their duty they were entitled to their
positions, and that ! had no right to ask
for the discharge OF any man, as presi-
dent.
II then discussed the whole situation
pro and con, to show that the company
had not made inordlnata profits, and
that it was unreasonable for them 10
ask for increased pay because the wages
had been increased In iron mills, etc,
The mills can add the Increase In wages
10 the price of their products, and so get
II back. but we cannot. Our rate OF fare
is five cents. and 1t cannot be increased.
After nearly an Nour's talk of this
friendly nature, I asked them IL they
would coHsldc. or entertain any propo-
sition Of compromise, and they said no.
Then ] said: Gentlemen. II that is the
case, there is no use In wasting further
time Through Mr.. Byrne, their chair
man. they asked us to make them an Of
fer. but we did not do So
1T was n very friendly interview
throughout. but It came 10 nothing"
The strikers committee made the fol-
lowing statement:
After iHtrCduCtiOnS, President Con-
dernan asked the men what grievances
they had and the men replied that they
had demanded of the company twenty
cents per hour. nine hours work per day
and recognition OF their union.
President CondermGn then made
rather lengthy speech. during which he
spoke of the vast Improvements made
TO the line and the repairing OF the car
bodies, trucks, power station and tracks.
He also eai3 that the company was not
making aDF money, had merely paid
diViGendS of per cent, and that there
was debt OF 100000 on the road. lie
further suited that the rumor in circu-
lation TO the effect that he received a
salary of $4,000 per year was not the
case. but as president Of the road for
two and half years, he had received