The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-05-03
FROM THE STRIKERS UNION.
To any and oil persons interested In ii
present strike:


present strike:
We, the strikers, have q few points
We wish to place before the public. The
company claims to have made US bet
ter offer than we ask, and some people
seem to believe this statement. They
offer 81 10 per day, which means you
must work fourteen hours. which is vlr-
tuallS fifteen cents per hour. Some one
has suggested ten hours at seventeen
and one-half cents. which means 81 10,
but this would only allow one crew
eight hours, since each car runs eIgh-
teen hours, II the company would ar
range twentyhour schedule at sew
ehteen and one-hait cents. there would
then De, chance to settle. The COM
pany claim that they cannot pay more
thah seventeen and one-half cents, and
agree to allow an expert accountant to
examine their books to prove the same.
This Is not fair offer. unless they win
admit this accountant to Investigate
the amount OF stock actually invested.
II the road is worth $500, 900. or, in other
words. cost that amount. and their net
earnings are, We will say. for instance,
s.e,eeR. they can pa four per cent
dividend. But suppose they claim they
nave sSOO.00O invested, then their divi-
dend would be 2 per cent. We have
from very good sources that their stock
IS watered to the amount OF 100000.
ANY one can clearly see that an expert
accountant would have to say they are
paying very small dividend.
Mr.. A. NJ. jolly claimed the company
made the cut on account OF hard times,
and that It would only be temporary.
MIR. Condermap claimed the stockhold-
eTs had to make the pay roll up from
their own pockets. yet the same stock
holders purchased more from Mr.. Jolly,
paying him 50 per cent more than It
cost him. I suppose In order to pay
more money out OF their own pockets In
order to keep the road running. Does
this look reasonable? II the company
cannot pay reasonable dividend, why
do not they sell and invest where divi-
dends can be declared. We merely
mention these facts to show tina. the
company are attempting to mislead the
pubic and thereby get some patron
age. They claimed 1t was not a matter
OF wages but the union, and then when
they met our committee they made
look reasonable the company would
pay men twenty cent? per hour for fou:
years, and all the time out OF their own
pockets? There are conductors who will
make sworn statement that they are
doing double the amount Of business
mat they did when twenty cents was
paid. In those days they did not run
as many cars. they did not make as
many trips per dag. and so on. When
one car Will do enough business In n
day to pay both men for two weeks. I,
looks as II you did not need an expert
to tell II they could pay an advance OF
four cents. Here are few figures thu.
may Interest a man who thinks they
cannot pay twenty cents per hour: The
company runs is cars, each running is
hours per day. making 3a4 hours for one
car Allowing two men foe each car you
nave GAS hours at 1G cents per hour.
which Is SOB 6S paid men each dag,
One car has mnde s+7 80 In ten hours
We will say $40. which is Sc in Is
hours. Drop or 500 for average, and
TWO cars Will pay the entire force of car
men. In answer to the Citizen" In ths
News. we will say Mr.. Orr did not nd
wise US to take seventeen and one-half
cents.
The Wheeling Railway Company In
Mondays issue. appeals to the public
for their patronage and askp them TO
consider their fair and broad position
In this unfortunate controversy" In
the Register OF April IS, In the rinsrer
to the business mems committee. Mr..
Shirley says: III You are led to suppose
that the company is unwilling to treat
with Its employees. this idea should be
dismissed nt once" Yet the company
would not treat with us until they we're
forced to by the business men He said
II was not n question OF wages and
hours. yet they refuse 70 pos the wages.
Now. is this consistency? How are we
to understand the company? The COM
panS must compare these statements
and see who Is doing the unfair act
STREET CAR WORKERS UNION Io3.