The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-10-05
WILL INSIST ON
INCREASED WAGE

hell promises TO De a lOnG-QraWn out
and tedious struggle. Both the officials
OF the company and the strikers have
settled down for n long contest and are
| preparing TO make fight to the bitter
end
Perhaps the most important develop
ment in the situation yesterday was
the announcement by the strikers ex-
ecutive committee that they will insist
upon an increase of pay to twenty
cents an hour, and the abolishment of
the sliding scale.
The men have been receiving since
the last strike, a sliding scale of wages
running from fourteen to nineteen
cents an hour. new men to receive the
former figure during their first year
and to be increased one cent an hour
per year until they receive nineteen
cents.
Under the contract each man was to
be given as near as possible a ten
hours run each day. The committee
claims that this last provision has nev-
er been lived up to and that the aver
age run which each man gets is about
eight hours and a half a day. One of
the leading members of the committee
volunteered the statement yesterday
afternoon that over sixty per cent. of
the men have been receiving $1.5O or
less per day ever since the contract
was entered into.
Hours Are Short.
"'rhere are some of u.s. said he,
'who have been getting ten, twelve
and fourteen hours work a day and
there are others who have been get
ting but five and six hours a day.
There are quite a few men who have
been receiving as low as ninety cents a
day for several days at a stretch.
I'VE have decided to make a stand
for twenty cents an hour and the abOl-
ishment Of the sliding scale. We feel
that 1t costs Just as much to feed and
keep new man as it does to feed
and keep an old man.
The committee have decided to pre-
sent no formal demand to the company
for the present. The members take
the position that if the company wants
them TO go back to work ii can send
for the committee and terms will then
be discussed. Neither will the COM
mittee make any request for a confer
ence just yet.
is acting as adviser to the executive
committee, said yesterday afternoon
to a Tribune man that the men would
simply make a determined fight for
the present and would make no effort
to secure a conference.
II was very much surprised" said
he, "when / was told today that the
company had violated its contract so
grossly in the arranging of runs. 1t
seems to show that when the officials
signed the contract that had no inten-
tion whatever of living up to it. Tie
committee in declaring for twenty
cents an hour and the abolishment of
the sliding scale have done wise
thing. in my opinion. 1t was a case
of fight next January or now, and the
members have decided to make the
fight now. to decide once and for all
whether Division 16S is to live or die.
Offers of Support.
'rhe committee is in receipt of a
number of resolutions of endorsement
and offers of moral and financial sup
port from the various trades unions of
this city and naturally feel highly
pleased at the outlook.
l. lie committee ueSlre IL 10 ne un-
derstood by the public that no men,
Der of the union has made application
to go back to work for the company
in pursuance with General Manager
Silliman's notice issued on Thursday.
If the company officials claim that
they have received applications from
any of the strikers we desire TO brand
the statement as false"
Five hundred circular copies Of the
mems statement which appeared in
yesterday mornings Tribune, were
printed yesterday and one was mailed
to the secretary of each of the trades
unions in the county. No letter or
request of any character was sent with
the circular.
I'VE are not asking for assistance
Just yet, because we don't require it,"
said committeeman, I'VE are sim
ply desirous that the laboriny men of
tIis snilav shall rnow whore we
stand"
The executive committee decided
Yesterday afternoon to run as many
busses as they can possibly secure. A
man will be sent up the valley this
morning to round up as many big con-
veyances as possible and these will be
run from the central part of the city to
all the suburbs.
The committee engaged three wag-
ons yesterday to carry the mailmen to
South Scranton, North Scranton and
Green Ridge. They collect five cents
from each mailman, but this doesn't
begin 10 pay the hire of the wagons.
The balance Is paid out of the unions
treasury.