The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-08-23
The Locomotive Brotherhood.

.
p. NJ. Arthur, Chief of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers, recites the his.
tory and objects of that organization, en-.
tiers into an exposition of its methods,
and seeks to show that it has abundant
reason for existence, and that in all its
dealings with railroad corporations it has
been fair and just. The Brotherhood, in
the first place, was formed in the City OF
Detroit in August, 1863 Its motto is
"Sobriety, Truth, Justice, Morality; :"
and its rule, I" Do unto others as We would
that they should do unto you, and so full.
fill the law" To become q member, q
person must be twenty-one years of age,
must be able to read and write, and must
b: of good moral character, temperate in
his habits, and locomotive engineer in
good standing. Every member must SO
conduct himself as to secure the conf.
dence and esteem OF his employers. If a
member willfully or maliciously Injuries
his employers property, or defrauds any
one, or engages in the traffic of intoxicat-
ing liquors, he is subject to expulsion.
The Brotherhood has at present 1872 sub.
ordinate divisions, and embraces in its
membership Is 600 engineers. There has
been q slight decrease in the member
ship owing to the alleged misappropria-
ton of the funds for selfaggrandizement
by late Secretary and Treasurer, and
Mr.. Arthur in very severe language con-
demns his conduct. The insurance de.
partment of the Brotherhood has been
very useful. At the death of a member
his widow or heirs receive g, 900. 1--WE
have paid nearly one million dollars to
the insured, and disbursed to the needy
out of our hard earnings $4,000. We
have reclaimed the fallen, reformed the
drunkard and furnished the public and
railroad companies with q better, more
skilled and trustworthy class of engineers
than they had previous 10 the inception of
the Brotherhood" Certainly this is very
excellent work.
Mr.. Arthur proceeds to explain the pro-
cess of action taken by the Brotherhood
whenever q difference arises between a
company and its men. The men are in
structed first to exhaust all their own
efforts in coming to an amicable settle
ment with the company. Failing in that,
they send for the Grand Chief. 1t is his
duty then to 60 and use all honorable
means in his power to prevent rupture
between the company and engineers. "
There is committee of thirteen, selected
" for known ability and judgment" If
the Grand Chief fails, this committee is
convened and the matter laid before them.
If they by q two-thirds vote decide that
the men have got d grounds for striking,
the men are 90 notified and that entities
them to be sustained by the whole Broth
erhO0d. Mr.. Arthur argues that this Op-
pOrtunity for combination Is the only
weapon engineers have against the op-
preston to which they would be sub
jected If left to face immense corporations
only a. individuals. He claims that the
method Of operation Is such that strike
will only occur in IN extreme case, and he
says he believes strikes have been averted
BY it on thirteen different roads in the last
three years.
He then goes on to make . series of
general charges against the managers of
most Of the railway lines in the country.
These charges may be ranged under two
heads: first, dishonesty; and, second,
harsh conduct toward the mer. The
managers, he says, engage in side enter
'prises, such as fast freights, sleeping cars,
dining cars, passenger insurances, tele-
graphs, etc., etc., in which they make
money for their own private gain at the
expense Of the company they are in charge
VI. OISoCu AAueo, u0 eoyos Wo Aopt up
at . loss, the deficit coming out of the
earnings of the mair company. In many
such ways the funds Of the company are
drained, but the dividends must be paid
just the Same, 20 the wages Of the en-
ployes are cut down. A change In the
mode Of payment within recent years has
made the lot Of the men still harder. The
men are paid per number Of miles run,
and some weeks, though they may be
ready for duty every day, they do not
make enough to pay their board. And q
rule, the engineers, firemen and brake.
men Of the country do not receive more
for their work than they did twenty
years agt., when it did mot cost half g
much to live. Mr.. Arthur charges
railway managers with tyrannical and
unreasonable conduct, abusing their
men. discharging them without {
hearing, etc. Az long as this over.
bearing spirit 10 manifested, he says, we
shall have strikes. ~ would say to rail-
road managers, to be honest and Just
toward each other and to your employees.
Cease your suicidal policy Of cutting rates,
and submit all differences that may arise
between Won and your emplovea. that vnn