Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-23
SUGAR STRIKERS
PRESENT DEMAND
Straight Wage "Raise" of
Five Cents an Hour and
Abolition of Bonus
WILL FIGHT TILL END
Statement of l. w. w. Leaders
Calls Refinery Rules Relic
of Barbarism

swered the ultimatum OF the Franklin Sugar
Refining Company published today.
In statement issued through the In
dustrial Workers Of the World, by f. F.
Doree, chairman of the publicity commit
tee of the Industrial Workers of the World
be fought to the end.
THE admission OF the Franklin Com
pany," the statement says In part, that
II has ever paid such wages as fifteen
and eighteen cents per hour in recent years
Is in itself scandalous and does not reflect
credtably 20 the fairness OF the COM
pany toward its workers.
THE bonus of eight per cent which
offered the men was to be paid every two
months. The men asked that this bonus be
scattered along an hourly basis. that 1t he
paid hourly instead of by the month. The
firm refused this change because It was
easier TO fire a man at the end of two
months than pay him the bonus.
CALLED "BARBARIsM"
'The company admits the twelve hour
day. which is in itself a relic Of barbarism
and which has been outlawed by all humane
communities. The night shift works twelve
hours daily seven days a week. This gives
the entire working force a twelve-hour day
for seven days a week every other week.
''The mixing machines are started at 5
p. m. Sunday The operators have to be
o'clock on Monday morning, making a
total of fourteen hours.
THE pension proposition is an insult TO
the intelligence of the workers. and espe-
cially the twenty-lve-year service clause.
Imagine a man working twenty-five years
at twelve hours daily, 365 days in year
for a pension!
THE police have been extraordinarily
rough and brutal. They have dubbed
women and children and have tried to
bring about trouble. Strikers have been
kidnapped by officers of a detective agency
have been taken to the office of the agency
grilled and manhandled, and then railroad
ed into Moyamensing prison without a
trial.
They we're taken to Moyamensing
prison in private automobiles so that there
would be no record Of the kidnappings on
police blotters. Such methods might be all
right in Russia.
''Our demands follow:
straight five cents per hour increase and
abolition of the bonus, time and half for
overtime and double time for Sundays and
holidays This later demand is made with
the idea of cutting out overtime work
sWe figure that twelve-hour working
day is sufficient for any normal human
being
I'VE demand that no discrimination be
shown against any striker.
When the men went on strike they were
unorganized and asked only for a fve-cent
Increase in wages. The Industrial Workers
of the World were not on the scene until
the strike was a day old"
BIG FUNERAL FOR SLAIN STRIKER
The strikers are planning a parade and
funeral in honor of Martin Petkewicz, 1913
. Tasker street, who was killed on Wednes-
day. The services will be held next Mon
day. The body will be laid out in Lithua-
nian Hall, 92s East Moyamensing ave-
nue.. high requiem mass will be cele-
brated in st. Casmirs Lithuanian Catholic
Church, Fourth and Wharton streets In
terment will be In Holy Cross Cemetery
The Industrial Workers of the World are
planning to get all the strikers to act as
an escort to the body and parade up Broad
street.
Magistrate Baker today sentenced Will
liam Chenevicus, twenty-four years old. of
1641 South Front street, striker, TO thirty
days In the county prison. He and several
others were arrested as a result of yester-
days riot. The others will be arraigned
tomorrow.
Another riot has occurred in the sugar
refinery district Two strikers were shot,
several were injured and arrests were made
when mob attacked several policemen
guarding a motortruck filled with negro
strike breakers.
Only the presence OF large force Of
police II was said. prevented the riot from
assuming the proportions of that of Wed.
nesday.
The man shot was Roman wajceyhowsky
Of 80 Christian street He fell when the
police fired into the crowd with a bullet
wound in the shoulder and one in the leg
He was taken to the Pennsylvania Hospital
and placed under arrest. He will Re ar
raigned as soon his condition warrants
removal from the hospital.
The other striker shot was spirited away
by his companions.
The latest trouble occurred at Washington
avenue and Swanson street last night The
motortruck was held up by strikers and
strike sympathlzers The police lodged
showers OF bricks and missiles and then
charged the crowd. The police said II was
only after other measures had failed that
they fired into the crowd
While the strikers have announced that
they will not yield an inch. a statement
has been delivered by the Franklin Re-
nnery Company to the effect that the COM
pany will take every precaution to protect
its property and prevent further trouble
The company announced that it had in
creased the wages of skilled and unslSiled
employees several times in the last two years
in recognition of the increased cost of liv-
ing. II announced also that a bonus OF
eight per cent had been paid to all employees
recently. and that Christmas gifts also had
been given to all.