The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1866-07-21
Railroad Companies and Rail.
= ssts~ road Engineers.
4 The foldxines IA taksa from the Rochester

~ 80 - @fsy !, - '.-fs1s 81 = - =
Railroad Companies and Rail.
!. s,ss = road engineers.
{ hefoRdwng Is tabss from the Rochester
Ezprsss, ps the 9Th inst, and coming from
such a source, is certainly worthy OF re-
publication ---u----
We have before us an address adopted at
the pesak sexiog Of tbs Grand 10 tefpati0fiz
al DiviskSsN they Brotilerh6ed ID Lsdom6s
tive FL glneefs, held ia this clty Oh fiie ! sth
OF June -...s..s, -. -. -.
Our readers have bsea pretty .xea Lifdrh-
ed of the objects and purposes Of this associ-
stiani and every fair minded man wiz con
cede that il is governed by none other than
principles Of right, equality and justice
The Convention was principally TO investi-
gate the difficulties between the nlaragers Of
the Michigan Southern and Northern Indi-
ana, Railroads, asdgtaesE ngineeFs, said diff
cujtiee having. culplA ated in q strike :.
causing all parties serious inconvenience.
Y. The Convention, A.after fully Investigating
the difficulty alluded TO above, came 70 no.
conclqslcR other than blaming bath paftied'
A little consideration could have prevented
an imIoense loss TO the Company and great
distress and trouble to the engineers. Many
things were done BY both parties that were
not right, and should not be sustained by
the community at large on which both par
ities redependent for their future prosperity.
Men holding official positions are apt TO
allow temper to influence them too much,
and viii insist on having their own way not
withstanding the ruin that must ensue to
the property entrusted to their charge, If
they pursue their wllful and personal aims"
The address also embodies the total decli-
nation OF any intention to control Companies
or wages, and merely to further their own
interests ia the social scale thereby, more
fully emitting then selye s to the respect and
esteem of employers. The committee refer
to the New York Central Railroad, and say,
tOn this road nearly every engineer belongs
to the Brotherhood. we are informed by
thcengineers that their relations with the
Company ere OF the most friendly character
and in their opinion the danger or any IN
terrupt:on to business by strike, has been
lessened just in proportion as tho have
succeeded in getting fully organized, and
being mutually understood as working for
each others interest. We are informed Of
numerous cases that coull be referred to
showing the advantages of this Association
ers on that road tell US they are willing to
stand or fail on the verdict Of their officers.
II the officers on that road say that the
Brotherhood has been an injury to them as
q company, or in their Judgment it is an
objection TO the engineers, all will allow
that they are laboring under mistake.
This cannot apply alone to this COMPANY,
but many more thai have taken time to in
vestigate this matter, viii fully agree with
the New York Central Company
They also give at the commencement a
statement that the engineers ARE organized
as AZ Association under the name Of the
brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers AT
the present time there are over eighty sepa-
rate Divisions las they are styled, located
inalnost every State Of the Union, and com
prisihg nearly four thousand members, all
acknowledging a Grand InternationL Divis,,
sion, which is composed of one delegate
from each Sub Division.
toFhe objects of this organization are
mainly to improve the condition of Eoeomo-
tive Engineers; first, by insisting that they
must he men Of good character, and that
practices that have. been common since the
commencement OF railroads in this country,
such as drinking to excess, or being guilty
of any improper conduct that would tend to
injure their reliability as engineers, or char
acters as men, must be abandoned, or they
could not continue to be members Of this or
ganization.. II is asserted by some that the
object is solely 10 make arbitrary demands
for wages, This we cannot admit, as the
history of our Association will not warrant
any such conclusions. On many Of the
roads where our organization Is the most
thorough, there has not been the least
trouble between the Company and The en-
gineers, and we arewiling to let The com
panies that are best informed In reg I'd to
the intentions and practical Wsrkiag Of our
order answer this objection. Some. assert
that we wish to dictate rules for running the
roads. This assertion we are willing TO-
leave to the same parties before alluded TO-
We are aware that difficulties have occurred
and exist at the present time, which per-
haps viii not warrant the above eoncla-
sionsH. 81 81 et ~
Il is almost needless for .ais journal 10
Ieiterate any statements it has made con-
cerningsits position with regard to the B. Of
L. 3. We have seen It's effects, and know
that there has been no move among lailroad
men within the past ten years productive Of
so HnIoh good as the Organization of the
Brotherhood, and there are no reasons why
il should not be An institution festefed by
every railroad corporation. When4ce ride,
and know that member of tina Brother
hood stands at the foot board, we know that
be ii charged with more than the usual res
possibility that he Is held accountable not
only 'fos the safe conduct of the Liver in .his
hands, but that BE is also held to . strict