Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-04-18


ployes and the management of the
Wheeling street railway has developed
curious condition.
Instead of strike involving the mo-
tormen only, it is evident that the en-
tire city of Wheeling has struck
against the railway company.
The cause of this condition is appar-
ent. The city of Wheeling is. in the
fullest sense, an industrial city. The
man with the dinner bucket is vastly
in the majority The commercial in
terests OF the city have been founded
and sustained by the brain and muscle
of this class of men. They all naturally
sympathize with each other. All the
industries are unionized and have in
measure pledged mutual support to
each other. Correlated with these are
the merchants whom they sustain by
their trade and patronage. This vast
body is naturally now at war with the
railway company. The company by a
very imprudent policy alienated any
feeling that the small non-industrial
class might have held. 1t asked for a
Federal injunction against interference
of United States mails-when there was
no interference. The thunders of Fed
eral authority issued from the poten-
tial chambers Of a United States Cir
cult court against whom? Several lit
tie boys and a few women.
Following this comes direct insult
flung in the very face Of the city Ig-
noring municipal authority entirely,
brushing aside the mayor and police
II ,oyfy,, ,oi, 81 in,
existence, they import scores of Fed
eral marshals that are not needed. 1t
seems that the company merely wanted
to show this city that it could get
along without it's help and that it could
run it's cars to suit its own particular
fancy. This company is largely owned
outside the city-they have imported
foreign workmen-they have policed
it with marshals from distance-and
now all that remains to make this plan
a whooping success is to import pay
ing delegation of patrons. 1t is neces-
sary to do this or else acknowledge
cheerfully that it is useless to buck
against the united sentiment OF unit
ed city.
Among the curious arguments Of
fered by the company is the conven-
tional and always presented statement
of all railway companies on earth that
they are suffering from poverty-yet at
the same time virtually concede the in
crease in pay and the length of hours,
yet lock on the point of union recog-
milton. In view of this, how does this
hard luck story apply and even if it
did apply, how much salt is to be taken
with it?
If society comedies the right that
union may be formed to direct cap
ital, why not the right to form a union
to direct the labor that creates this cap
ital? Surely one is as reasonable as the
other.
The very necessity of such organiZa-
tons is shown by the statements of
Present Conderman, wherein he cam
didly says, by inference, that he would
oblige these men to render him service
for II cents an hour, simply because
some poor unfortunates in some ether
localities work for this, and he cam
not see why all other motormen should
not do the same.
We scarcely think that Mr.. Condor
man would appreciate this wonderful
Extravaganza, were he motorman
himself-and with the thermometer at
about ~ below zero.
Permit us to suggest, however, that
Mr.. Conderman's quotations of wages
at other points has no material bear
ing upon the situation here, and if it
had, why did he not mention about
the Chinese pelanquins and the Japan
csc jinrickshaws-not exactly electric
motors, but means of personal trans
portation, that would have afforded
him opportunity to have gone still
lower than IL cents.
The product of street car service,
viz: municipal traffic-is not trans
portable commodity that may be placed
in other and competitive markets
such as iron, glass and other products,
hence it cannot be governed in any
manner by foreign prices for the same
service Being purely Of a restricted
and local nature it must be governed
by local conditions only.
If ratio between fares and distance
travelled enter into this question, 1t
is then apparent that the people of
Wheeling pay more for street car
travel than any other citizens on
earth And if the amount per mile
recorded by the road is used as basis
for wage payment. then the Wheeling
motormen receive proportionately less
than any other motormen in the Unit
ed States.
Mr. Conderman may not believe
this, but if he had stood up on crowd
ed cars as often as the writer of this
has, it would be easier Of comprehen-
sion. And when he complains that his
meagre salary of some twenty or forty
thousand dollars in in arrearage-a
person is inclined to think that some
one is knocking down on him. because
the normal and usual appearance OF
trade would seem to indicate, that not
only could he draw this pittance regu-
larry. but that in a pinch he should be
able ito draw some ahead.
But there IS a solution of all this
trouble, viz: municipal ownership.
Here is an opportunity to relieve Mr..
Conderman of all his troubles. Let the
railway company and the citizens COM
mittee confer, and then lay the matter
before Council Council may then APP
point a committee of appraisement in
conjunction with one from the rail-
way company. Let them agree upon
a price and submit it to the people for