Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-12-18
STORE DRIVERS
MAY NOW STRIKE
Resent Big Department Con-
Germs Aid Extended to an
Express Company.
CONTINUED from FIRST Paee.)


and 7 cents for the last three. 1t can
readily be seer from these low freight
rates that the local expressmen are
compelled to have very low-fxed
rates: in fact lower than the rates
for express from downtown in New
York to Fifty-ninth street, or from
New York to Brooklyn. 1t is only
by the volume of business handled
that they are able to exist.
ION the other hand, the rail ex-
presses between Newark and New
York have ga rate of fifty cents per
hundredweight, with a guaranteed
minimum charge of twenty-five cents.
The drivers of these wagons receive
from $55 to $50 per month. The local
expressmen's prevailing rate between
Newark and New York is more than
so per cent. less, except with the
coastwise steamship lines, where 1t
is twelve. eleven, ten, nine, eight and
sevent cents per hundredweight, with
a minimum charge of twenty cents
and twenty-five cents, respectively,
for which they are paying their
drivers S67 per month between New
ark and New York and 1853 per month
in the city.
From these facts 1t can readily
be seen that the demand of the dri-
vers' union of s72 per month cannot
be entertained, as such a proposition
would mean thousands of dollars to
each of the express companies, with
out any opportunity whatsoever to
increase their Any attempt
to increase revenues would be mel
by a loss of business through its
being diverted to the railroads or
steamboat lines.
Ask Higher Rate Than in Jersey City.
"They are demanding a higher rate
of wages for Newark where the New
York drivers do not deliver their own
freight than they do in Jersey City
where the drivers are compelled to
make their own deliveries in the af-
ternoon and evening.
AT the request of the drivers
union the various express companies
appointed a committee to confer with
a committee of the drivers as to adj
justment of their differences. This
conference was to take place at 10
o'clock yesterday morning. Instead of
keeping the appointment a strike was
called this morning at Z o'clock.
"In addition to this the drivers
union has violated it's contracts al
ready existing with several of the
express companies by calling a strike
when the contracts were still in force.
In view of this violation the com
mittee which had authority to confer
with the committee from the drivers
has advised the drivers union that
when the drivers go back to work this
committee is ready to confer with
them and endeavor to adjust the diff
f~erences existing"
Every express company in Newark
that does an interstate business has
been affected by the strike, and there
are about 500 men who are striking.
They demand a two-dollar a week
increase in their present wage.
At headquarters it was announced
hal contracts had been signed with
six independent concerns, not mem
bers of the Expressmen's Association,
who had agreed to pay the men the
two-dollar increase.
When informed of Mr.. Woods an
nouncement- that the expressmen
would begin to mov their wagons
in a few days if the men did not re-
turn to work soon, Mr.. Colby, secre-
tary-treasurer of the local, replied,
"That is their privilege"