Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-04-17
Strikers Statement Still Holds
 That He Is a Striker.
PECK GAVE NO STATEMENT.

gleston Threatened Striker With
 Arrest To-day Because the Latter
 Was Scratching His Head.
 The strikers executive committee is- sued the following statement this after noon
 ''The strike is ninety-seven days old to-day, and conditions remain practical ly unchanged. The company has made no attempt to effect settlement here, recently, but something in that line, We are told, is liable to take place when the Bridgeport matter is settled, if 1t can be without a strike.
 For the benefit of our friends who like to read our daily statements, we would state that they are printed Tn whole each. day only in the Evening Democrat and Waterbury American. The local morning paper sees fit to pub- fish portions of 1t, slashing out what they see fit and inserting. what they want to-.
 "The public has heard 30 much of the big-heartedness and llberality of the trolley company toward its em- plOyes that we want to give out a lit tie information received this morning
 
 al committee He has just settled pending strike at sharon Pa, where the company gave the men a raise of 2 cents an hour and time and half for all overtime: also to pay the men for time lost during meal times. That will bring their wages up to'22 cents an hour, and B cents an hour for all overtime Mir Dilworth asks: How is that? We think 1t is pretty good, when the information is given that one year ago at Sharon the men were only receiving from 15 to IS cents per hour and nothing extra for overtime or ex- tra work.
 "The discharge of Fred Peck by the Waterbury Clock Go is still occasion ing comment. The company denies that he was discharged because he was striker. This morning the Republi- can comes out with headline stating that Fred Peck was not striker and publishes an alleged interview with MT Peck in which he stated that he was not one. Tn our statement yesterday we stated that MT Peck was a striker. We repeat to-day that he was. MT Peck informs us that the statements published this morning to the contrary were not given4out hy him and are un- true.
 ssThe strilSe-breakers have apparent ly issued an edict forbidding head scratching. This morning one Of our bus men happened to be doing that natural thing when trolley car came along. The bell rang. the car stopped and Strike Breaker Eggleston alighted and threatened our man with arrest if he ever caught him scratching hls head when his car was passing. Egg gleston is one of the local strike break CTS
 ''The Oriental Athletic club. com posed of young men of the north end. sent us in an extraordinary communi- cation today. containing the informa- ton that we are still walking and will continue to do so until the cars are run by union men,
 ",Buses for Father Traynor's man. moth bazaar this evening as usual ]"
 The local trolley strikers do not be lieye that the Bridgeport papers have properly sounded the trolley men or that city on the question of their re-. quests to the trolley company regard ing an increase of pay, etc, and that whoever has been quoted so far were men not in authority to speak. They say they will not heed what Is said on the matter until the result of the l meeting to be held April 30 is de- clared, when final action will be ta- l ken. In a word, they say the men asked a great deal and got nothing except one cent an hour more for new men, raising their pay to 19 cents an | hour. The following is from the l Bridgeport Farmer:
 'sThe following statement of one of 1 the men sizes up the situation: "The company has met the de- 1 mands of the men half way. There | is some disappointment that the of l ficials could not see their way clear l to meet the request of the men fully l in the matter of wages. Some of the older men expected that they would get the 22115 cents an hour, but the disposition of the concern to advance the rate is gratifying to us and ap- 1 preciated. It is seldom that, any body of working men get all that they ask for in a controversy of this kind, 1 'sThe committee who, waited upon Manager Sewell met with a good deal of courtesy, and he showed disposi- ton to be fair with the men. The l UlIOT6 we ldAhSu WulJi NIT SeWGii, luG better he understood the disposition of the men to be as fair as he was. He has other troubles that may have placed him in an attitude of suspicion | toward us at first, which feeling was happily overcome.
 ''In the matter of wages the com pany showed us that they are will ing to be fair. Their advance of wages last October was voluntary on l their part, and was unexpected by the men.
 1.-The promise of encouragement of runs Is victory for the men and the accomplishment of a reform. There are a great many men now having continuous runs of : and S hours, and under the new arrange ment these runs will not be over ol 615 hours, and full days work not over, 1O15 hours Some of the men at the present time work 12 and IA hours for a days work There is something promised in the choice oi runs to men in longer service, the company also give the men the privi. lege of a day off once a week If de. rfpnH