Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-04-17
This is to Save Contractors Paying
$29 Per Day Wages 10 Men,
MILITIA OFFICER KILLED.
No Clue TO the murdsrer-Statement OF
circumstances aud Conditions at
the Croton Dam Strike,
fEarly Dispatched

New York April l7-Accordng 10 the
Tribune the cost Of the militia aud
deputy sherlfs on guard at Croton Dam
to the State and county is $3.50 a day
This expense win be trebled by the call
ing out Of the seventh regiment ltal-
ian Consul General Branchi estimates
that the increase Of wages demanded
by the strikers would amount TO SIS
day, In addition, the strikers protest
against the deduction Of TWO cents a
day from their wages as a medical Zee,
a total OF sl4 So that the amount In
dispute is $40. per day.
Sergeant Robert Douglass. who was
killed at Croton Dam last night, was
2S years old, a native OF Scotland and
an ex-member Of the British army
Consul General Branchi was asked
whether the strikers were paid direct
ly by the contractors or through the
medium Of padrones who might deduct
part " the wages.
There are no padrones at all among
these workmen," replied SignOr Bran
chi. The men are engaged ana paid
directly bY the contractors, and have
been for the past 1--WE or six years. All
this trouble could have been avoided,
the State could have been saved great
deal Of money, and the work would
have been going on without Interrupt
ton II the contractors had been little
less selfish and a little more c0nsld-
crate Of the rights OF others, These
Italian laborers are peaceably inclined
d LF.r F..Fa
moderate wages. But there Is d figure
at which a man with family cannot
work without starving. And this is the
difficulty with the men who have struck
for an advance OF wages.
There Is a feature about this strike
with which people in general are not
familiar. IL Is this, that out OF the $50
strikers only 100 10 l2Q who were get
ting st25 a day struck for an advance
Of 20 cents per day. The others went
out from sympathy as they were al
ready receiving higher wages. These
men have been working up there for
the past five or six years and many Of
them have built small houses or shan
ties.
During the past six or eight months
prices Of provisions and Of other neces-
saries have been going up. The in
crease Is still greater az the Italians
quarters because they are four miles
from the railroad, and an provisions
have 20 be brought from the city To
these poor people who earned only 1925
day the increase OF prices of provis-
ions was tremendous and they felt Il
keenly. They asked the contractors
Tor an advance Of % cents a day and
FOR an eight hour working day. but the
second demand was merely a formal
one as workmen In the building trades
are generally asking for eight hours
What they did want was an advancesof
wages 10 enable them TO buy the same
quantity Of food FOR their families that
they had done before provisions became
dearer. That was all they desired
The contractors bluntly refused 10 Ne.
ten TO the mems demands and the re-
suit was that they went out on strike.
and their more fortunate fellow-wOrk-
men went out with them from SYM
patty. as I have said The strikers
would naturally be irritated when the |
contractors threatened 10 bring new
men into their places while they would |
had built Tor themselves I am not al /
all justifylng the action Of the men.
who are ignorant and have very little |
reasoning power but there are certain /
things which ignorant men win resort |
90 when starvation and ruin stare them |
IN the face and the contractors could |
easily have prevented an this trouble /
by listening 10 the men who would have |
met them half way IN order to resume ]
work 7 am satisfied that I could have /
persuaded the men 10 compromise on /
half OF their demand. and thew would /
have accepted an advance Of 1871 cents /
day This would have cost the con- /
tractors between $3.50 and Sl5 more
day than thew have been paving ~ |
these 100 or 100 men. But they refused |
TO listen 20 any compromise. and 20 /
save this Insignificant sum they seem /
willing 10 have even riots and blood /
shed. and have the State pay large
sums FOR soldiers services
"rhe strikers VIII certainly make no
resistance 10 the troops and there win /
be no trouble shall make no further
move IN this matter. but feel confident