The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-12-25
Mr. Silliman's Statement Reviewed.

Editor of The Tribune
Sir: The average wages asked for by the men
employed by the Scranton Railway company is
less than l0c. per hour. This the management
claims is 2S $40 per cent in advance OF present
average. which accordingly is l434 cents per
hour. Forty per cent. of the men according to
the conpany's statement are receiving the high
est rate of wages. heng four-year men, which
is III 2-3 cents plus 27lO0 per cent. equals
approximately II 54-l00 cents per hour. Including
premium. Striking this rate from the average
leaves 60 per cent. OF the men receiving
inclusive OF premium, an averag" of L. 0-lD
cents per hour. The highest rate asked for Is
90 cents per hour, which is an increase above
the present highest rlic, including premium. of
II per cent, while the seemingly excessive i'll
crease asked is on part oi the men, who
working for the average Of less than Is cents
per hour.
Reference is made TO the willingness of the
company to reduce the number OF hours for
days work and significant suggestion is made
relative to the present moderation of hours
compared with the number of hours eXactcd by
other companies for days work. However
that may be. it will be hard for the company
to impress the mind OF the Scranton public that
twelve hours and more isi moderate number of
hours to exact for days work, and il is quite
unlikely when 60 per cent. of the get
hour that majority of the men would ask for
Il reduction OF hours without some prospect of
an increase in pay per hour.
Also the older men are being undcrpaid. Great
import is given the statement that the men
are paid for more time than actually worked.
While few minutes are given the men in
which to cat, yet they are on duty much more
time than they are paid for,
Reference is made to 4 reduction of 10 per
,nnt lao,
months OF 1900 This statement indicates that,
after suffering loss in transportation by ''coal
miners strike and interruptions caused by
paving Providence road and after paying inter-
est and taxes under all these misiortuncs OF Al,
untavorabc year We, the company able TO
increase the wages of the men 8 27-lOO per Gene
and still make profit equal to 60 per cent. of
the profit OF the same period ut the previous
prosperous year. The coal strike is over. Inter-
rst is no more than last ycar( No further
pcndtureS are anticipated by the company only
such us will tend To enhance the value of the
company's property. Scranton and vicinity are
growing under the brilliant rays OF prosperity.
Thus il would seem conditions command fair
consideration for lily paid employees, and that,
too, with bright prospects Of an Undated SUI
plus.
'Complainl is made that the rate of TRANSPORT
talion cannot readily be increased. vet no ref
porous times the revenues ~ The road are large
ly increased from the largely increasing travel.
II there were no passengers there would he no
profit in the business and increased patronage
makes increased profits.
reference is made To the increase granted 10
the Carbondalc men upon acquisition of that
company. These men were raised to the standard
OF the scranton men of the same term of sell
vice. Had this not been done il would have
l,y, 4
service on that line as even now the compcnsa-
tion is below Il living wage.
We know oi no CITIES rs large as Scranton in
the United States where ear men are paid so
little 10 meet the requirements OF lif, while We
krow of many towns much smaller paying much
more, while necessities are cheaper. We regard
the advance asked as only moderate. and us a
vigorously prosperous wage, very small
iul attendance OF employees has chalncttr-
lied our previous meetings and il was by the
unanimous resolution of the last meeting that
Instructions were forwarded To the manager that
the men would expect an ANSWER through its
regularly authorized committee, as il WAS evi-
dent that the men regarded as an affront the
persistence of the company in making individual
reply,
Even after the ullmatum oi the COMPANY was
rejected a committee notified the general mani
ager OF the action al the men, giving Mr., Silli-
man an opportunity To 50 amend his answer that
they might have reason to expect some conccs-
sion most sincerely regret that Mr., silliman
did not give his men some slight satisfaction.
nut, on the contrary, the employees We're con-
tronted with HAT refusal and farther were
given to understand that the particular rates
asked for never would be granted no matter how
prosperous times may ever be for the company.
THIS statement is simply an ANALYSIS of the
statement of Mr. Silman to the men and show,
inpo ~ ,la;,