Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-07-20
Fifty-eight Men of the Public
Service Electric Go Out
for Higher Wages.
POLICEMEN ON GUARD
IN EVENT OF TROUBLE
Company Fills Strikers Places
and Work Goes on With
out Any interruption.

Fifty-eight men, stokers in the en-
ploy OF the Public Service Electric
Company, at the Coal street, Newark
and Marion power stations struck to-
day for higher wages. At the local
power-house two policemen were put
on duty to guard against any possible
trouble. The strike followed con-
ference this morning between the
power-house employees and the Public
Service Electric Company officers, at
which request for higher wages of the
stokers was refused. Thirty-three of
the strikers were on the Coal street
force, and twenty-three at Marion. The
Public Service immediatelys>to took steps
to provide men to take the places of the
strikers, and no interruption was oc-
casioned the service.
A delegation of stokers from the two
stations were received by First Vice
President Roberts and General Man
ager Dudley Farrand in the Pruden-
tial building at IL o'clock today. The
men had asked for conference to dis
cuss request for an increase of
wages. They were accompanied bv
William j. Brennan, business agent of
Local Union No. 55, Stationary Fire
men. Mr.. Brennan did not take part
In the conference. as he is not an en-
ployee of the Public Service Company.
Men Ask omcials for Raise.
Mr.. Farrand greeted the eight men
who appeared for. the employees and
introduced Mr.. Roberts. The men had
asked for an increase without specify
ing any amount, and Mr.. Farrand told
them that their request had been given
careful consideration, and under the
circumstances it could not be complied
with. The general manager pointed
out that the Public Service men were
being paid a higher rate of wages than
was paid for ssimilar work by other
like conpaniess Public Service pays
the stokers $2,45la day for eight hours
work and other companies pay from
$2.25 to $40 day, with one exception,
where rate of $3.50 day is allowed
for firing extra large hand-fired boilers
He also showed that since 1908, when
Public Service was organized, the pay
of the stokers had been increased So 1-3
per cent
1t was stated by one of the deleea-
tfon that some of them had come 10
the conference unwillingly, but Mr..
Roberts replied that they were present
by appointment and without prejudice.
as 1t was the policy sof the compa1y's
to meet the men fairly
at any time the latter felt they had
anything to communicate. The con-
ference was continued in a friendly
spirit for an hour, but as the com
pany declined to grant an increase the
men retired and two of their number
returned a little later with an an
nouncement that the men would quit
work at 2 o'clock. When definite
word had been given by the employees
that they would not continue at work
the company's management adopted
measures to keep its plants going
without Interruption of service. Mr.
Farrand caused the following notice TO
be posted in each room:
Newark. N. J., July 20, 1910.
ITO Our Employees:
"A committee representing certain
of the water tenders, firemen and help
ers at this station, called at the general
office about two weeks ago and asked
for higher wages. The management
has carefully considered this request.
The question of wages paid for similar
work in other cities and towns has also
been carefully investigated.
I'VE find from this investigation that
the rates we are now paying are
higher than those paid in Washington,
Baltimore and Philadelphia, and the
same can be said of New York.
"Since te formation of Public Serv-
ice. in 1908. the rate of wages for fire.
men has been been advanced from 1S%
cents per hour to 30ss cents per hour,
or an increase OF 63 1-3 per cent, not
the fact that with
workers the work has been
ligtened. During tbs same period large
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