Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-04-13

The meeting of business men, at the
rooms of the Chamber Of Commerce,
last night, to take some action looking
to settlement of the present street
railway strike, which, it is universally
recognized, is discommoding our citiz-
ems and preventing trade to very per-
ceptable degree, was largely attended,
something like sixty representative
men in various retail lines responding
to the call.
The meeting was called to order by
Mr.. George House, shortly after half
Npast eight, who named ex-Mayor B. F..
Caldwell for chairman. and the selec-
ton was unanimously ratified. On TAX
ing the chair Mr.. Caldwell said, after
thanking the meeting for the honor:
This is not an indignation meeting,
but meeting, from what l have been
able to gather from the public prints,
called to confer over the situation. We
have here in Wheeling one of the best
equipped street railways in the coun-
try, and, up to a week ago, it was OPP
Grated with one of the best forces in the
country. In this company a large
amount of money has been invested.
To live, the railway must have such a
business as will pay some sort of in
terest on the investment. A road has
to run to pay; and it must be run in
the best manner, not only for the COM
pany, but for the people. While we
are under obligations to the men who
came here and put their money into the
company, the people of Wheeling have
also done great deal. The represen-
tatives of the people in Council have
given the company a franchise, and We
demand that this railroad run. 1t mon
opolizes the streets to the practical
exclusion of all other roads. We come
here tonight to try to bring about a
settlement. We wish this road to
rum"
Mr.. Will Gutman was elected Secre-
tary, and then Mr.. Salisbury, Secretary
of the Trades Assembly, announced
that he was present, by invitation of
those calling the meeting, and with
him were delegation representing the
men out on strike, as follows D. L.
Dilworth, Chairman of the National
Executive Board of Street Railway OPP
orb %
Trades Assembly; Thomas Padden,
President of the Street Railway I'm
ion, and Messrs. John Burns, w. J.
Welsl, John Scanlon, John Cosser and
T. F.. Burke, of the Executive Board of
the Union. Mr.. Salisbury stated that
the delegation, in accepting the invita-
ton, did so with the intention of hav-
ing the organization on strike explain
the situation and position they are in,
and added: 81 think if these gentle
men-employes of the company-will
give you the explanations they are
prepared to give, it will convince you
they are entitled to what they ask"
Mr.. Henry Schrebe moved that the
representatives of the Union be heard
by the meeting, and this was unani-
mously adopted.
Mr.. John Burns then took the floor
and made statement, saying the
Railway Company stockholders were
banded together for their own protec-
ton. I'VE believe, as workingmen
and as citizens of Wheeling, that we
have the same right. We have pre-
sented our demands to the Company,
and they have been refused. They are
as follows" Mr.. Burns then read a
statement embodying the first COM
immigration made to the Company, in
which it was recited that prior TO No
vember, 1893, the men received zoe an
hour. In that month Mr. A. NJ. Jolly
requested an interview, and explained
that the Company could not afford to
pay those wages, pointing out that the
Riverside Company, employing many
hundreds of men, usually patronizing
the Company, was idle, that many 9TH
er factories We're idle, and that labor
was not employed and the patronage
of the road had largely diminished, and
as a result the Company was practic-
ally running empty cars. He asked
that the men submit to reduction
from zoe an hour to 171sc per hour.
Mr.. Jolly said he thought the demand
reasonable, and the men agreed to it,
and said they would divide the burden
of the times with the Company He
agreed on the part Of the Company that
wages should be restored as soon as
times improved. Instead, said MIR.
Burns, in the following February no.
tees were posted in the barns further
reducing wages from 171ac an hour 10
l6c, and that rate had since been the
rule. 1T has been FIVE years since this
temporary cut was MADE, and yet the
Company shows no disposition 10 re-
store the wages. In view of the fact
that business has revived, and that
wages reduced during the hard times
have been practically restored. and as
we, among the first to be reduced,
cheerfully acceeded to the reduction.
we now request that the Board OF