The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-02-18
SENDSMONEYFORICE WORKERS
Committee of Aldermen and Secretary
Stephenson of Trades Council Show
President Upham Why the Men
Should be Settled With at This Time.

The Consumers Company of Chicago
has made its peace with the Trades
and Labor Council of Kenosha for act
ing through the agency of William E.
Stephenson, the secretary of the Coun.
Gil, the company has sent to Kenosha
thirty-three dollars-count 'em-to be
paid out to the thirty-three men who
went out to work on the ice and failed
to get the $1.75 which had been prom
ised to the men when they were enlisted
for work in Kenosha last December.
This does not mean that each of the
men will receive a dollar; on the other
hand, the money is to be prorated
among the men in keeping with the
number of hours they worked before
they threw up their jobs and walked
back to Kenosha. The amount has been
turned over to j. W. Hayward, the bust
ness agent of the Trades and Labor
Council, and he is now settling with the
men as fast as he can find them. Just
how muth of tempest in teapot was
raised over the matter is shown by the
fact that the $33 is said to be more
than enough to cover all claims of the
men who walked back. The men who
remained to the end of the season on the
ice are said for the most part to have
received $l.75 q day from the company
these payments being made through the
regular channels of the company IS pay
masters
The matter was settled by Fred w.
Upham, president of the company, in
person and the final settlement of the
matter is admitted to have been over
the signature of the president of the
company. In his letter sending the mon
ey President Upham states distinctly
that the company does net recognize
that it was at fault, but that the set
Element is. being made to clear up any
misunderstanding" that may have
existed over the payment of the men.
The settlement was brought about
through the activity of Secretary Ste
phenson of the Trades Council and
three members of the Common Council.
After several efforts had been made by
city and county officials to get settle
ment q of the company in keeping
with the original understanding with
out results the council referred the mat
ter to Aldermen Thomey, Anderson and
Mueller and these men acting with Sec
rotary Stephenson turned the trick It !
is admitted that the members of the
Board of Directors of the Consumers
Company were not adverse to making J
the settlement. Through the active
work of the various organizations
which took the side Of the laboring men
the trouble had been given wide pub
icity. In making the settlement Pres
ident Upham met the members of the
Kenosha committee and assured them
that the proposition of the company had
probably been misunderstood and that
the company preferred to pay rather
than that it be considered as failing to
keep faith with the men who had been /
sent out to the lakes. None Of the men
will be greatly enriched by the meagre
amounts to be paid to them, but lot
of them will be satisfied Incidentally
the members Of the special committee
who took up the claim of the men en-
the suggestion of the Trade Council are
entitled to credit for bringing the eff
fort to a successful conclusion.