Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-05-03
FROM THE STRIKERS UNION.


To any and all persons interested in
the present strike:
We, the strikers, have few points
we wish to place before the public.
The company claim to have made us a
better offer than we ask, and some
people seem to believe this statement.
They offer $2.10 per day, which means
you must work fourteen hours, which
is virtually 15c per hour. Some one
has suggested ten hours at 17Rc,
which means $1.75, but this would
only allow one crew eight hours, since
each car runs eighteen hours. II the
company would arrange twenty-hour
schedule at 171ac, there would then be
a chance to. settle. The company
claim that they cannot pay more than
l71hc, and agree to allow an expert
accountant to examine their books TO
prove the same. This is not fair OF
fer, unless they will admit this &C
countant to investigate the amount or
stock actually invested. # the road
is worth 100000, or, in other words,
cost that amount, and their net earn
ings are, we will say, for instance,
$40 900, they can pay four per cent
dividend. But suppose they claim
they have 100000 invested, then their
dividend would be two per cent. We
have from very good sources that
their stock is watered to the amount
of 100000. Any one con clearly see
that an expert accountant would have
to say they are paying a very small
dividend.
Mr.. A. M. Jolly claimed the COM
pany made the cut on account OF nara
times, and that it would only be tenn
porary. Mr.. Conderman claimed the
stockholders had to make the pay roll
from their own pockets, yet the
same stockholders purchased from
Mr.. Jolly, paying him fifty per
cent. more than it cost him, | suppose
in order to pay more money out OF
their own pockets in order to keep the
road running. Does this look reason
able? If the company cannot pny
reasonable dividend, why do not they
sell and invest where dividends can
be declared. We merely mention these
facts to show that the company are
attempting to mislead the public and
thereby get some patronage. They
claimed it was not matter of wages
but the union, and then when they
met our committee they made wages
the paramount issue. Does it look
reasonable the company would pay
men zoe per hour for four years; and
all the time out of their own pockets?
There are conductors who will make
a sworn statement that they are do
ing double the amount of business that
Tn
days they did not run as many cars,
they did not make as many trips per
day, and so on. When one car will
do enough business in day to pay
both men for two weeks, it looks as If
you did not need an expert to tell il
they could pay an advance of four
cents. Here are a few figures that
may interest a man who thinks they
cannot pay zoe per hour: The COM
pany runs Is cars, each running IL
hours per day. making S24 hours for
one car. Allowing two men for each
car you have 64S hours at Ice per
hour, which is S103.6S paid men each
day. One car has made S47.50 in ten
hours. We will say $40. which is S72
in Is hours. Drop off $40 for average,
and two cars will pay the entire force
of car men. In answer to the "Citi-
zen'' in the News, we will say Mr.. Orr
did not advise us to take 171s cents.
The Wheeling Railway Co. in Mon
days issue, appeals to the public for
their patronage and asks them to Con
slider their fair and broad position in
this unfortunate controversy" In
the Register of April 18th, in the an
swer to the business mems committee,
Mr.. Shirley says: "If you are led to
suppose that the company is unwilling
to treat with its employees, this idea
should be dismissed at once" Yet the
company would not treat with us until
they were forced to by the business
men. He said it was not question of
wages and hours, yet they refuse to
pay the wages. Now, is this consis-
tency? How are we to understand the
company? The company must COM
pare these statements and see VINO is
doing the unfair act.
STREET CAR WORKERS UNION 1O3.