The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-09-07
THE BRorHERHooD OF LocoMo-
TIVE ENGINEERS.
BAD Faith Toward the February strik-
arg


The secret causes of the engineers strike
on the Boston & Maine Railroad, in Feb.
ruary last, is gradually coming to light
The result will have tendency to confine
the organization to the more legitimate OBJ
jects of relief and insurance of its mem
bers than in squandering its funds in ILL
advised strikes. For the information of
the large number of engineers and railroad
men in this vicinity we copy the following
dispatch to the New York Herald from
Boston;
The New England engineers belonging
to the brotherhood are rapidly deserving it,
and appearances indicate that ere long
every eastern member will have dissolved
his connection with the organization. The
striking engineers of the Boston 4 Maine
Railroad make no secret of their dissatis-
faction with their treatment by the grand
council. When they were instructed to
strike in February last the engineers were
promised So so per day by Mr.. Chief Ar
thur for the first three months they were
out of work. and $50 per month for all
time lost subsequent to that,up to the lst
of October. 1877. The fremen were to
receive the same wages they were in re-
ceipt of from the road-$l.50 to $3.50
per day. Mr.. Arthur represented that the
brotherhood had plenty of funds in the
treasury, and would sustain the strikers to
the last dollar, if necessary. Instead,
however, of receiving the $3.50 day
promised, the engineers were paid only at
| ha 70 IF hn dol
of striking up to the 1st of June, and some
later the amount promised them, but there
is still quite an amount due then. Some
fifteen of the firemen who were offered
engines at the time OF the strike and re-
fused, were to receive the same pay as the
engineers, but they got only at the rate Of
500 month up to June |. Some sixty
engineers and a like number of fremer
were in the strike. The engineers who
were bought off were also promised $3.50
per day. but for considerable time they
received not cent.
Finally Mr.. G. A. Huff, the paymastel
Of the brotherhood in Boston, bought out
their claims for few dollars; in one CASE
known, at Portland, 500, when about $20(
was due the party by agreement, and il
another case at Boston for $25. Each Of
these men was given a paper by Arthur
committing the brotherhood to a promise
to pay them the same amount as the
striking engineers. These papers were
secured and in some, if not all cases, de
stroyed when he compromised with thu
men.
OF course this state of things could no
prevail without becoming pretty widel,
/ known among the engineers in this ant
neighboring states, and it Is not at all un
likely that, after having paid so mucl
money to the brotherhood, they felt tina
: their section had been i'll used, if not IN
! fairly dealt with, through the striking
Boston Il Maine engineers. 1t is no
known if the Boston division mo. 81
made any representations to the Crane
: council of the brotherhood in the matte
| of the breach of faith with the striking
Boston 4 Maine. engineers in not payin
them what was promised, but it is sait
that Division No. 63, of Springfield, tool
up their cause and wrote on to the CRANE
council, asking why the promises mad
were not kept. They waited some tim
for a reply, but as no notice seemed to b
taken of their inquiry, and regarding tn
lack of courtesy as an insult added to tn
: injury Of failing to redeem the promis
made to the striking engineers of Boston
and slight to the whole craft in Ne'
England, they voted at their last reguIa
meeting to throw up their charter 1t
!! evident that the days of the organizatio
il in New Engl land are numbered