The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1888-03-30
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The ROCK ISLAND FIGHTS.

In Its Answer to the Suit Brought by the
Burlington Road 1t Charges the Latter
| with an Attempt to Force Western
Roads Into Trust-The Switchmen
Still Out.
CHICAGO, March 26.-The answer of the
| Rock Island to the bill filed by the BurIing
ton Company in Judge Gresham's court to
compel tae former to haul Burlington
freight and cars is highly sensational in
character The chsrge made by the Rock
Island is, in substance, as follows:
In January, 1888. the co. road began syste-
matte reduction Of rates over its lines, which
ultimately resulted in the reduction not only of
lis own revenues but of the competing lines
as they were compelled to meet cuts made by
| the %" people Under these circumstances
rates became reduced to about one-third their
! former amounts. Some time last month, or
early in the present, the Chicago, Burl nston &
Quincy under threat TO prosecute the rate
war, indefinitely proposed to some of its COM
petito-s the formation of trust" which
should make. and maintain passenger and
freight rates, fine members for non-observance
OF rules in making cuts, and compensate those
roads which Were compelled to run at loss
The Rock Island road refused TO consent to
this scheme on the ground that it would
effect financial injury to its stockholders, and
that it was in violation of the laws of the
United States. On February 10 the
engineers and firemen of the 20"
road struck because the road refused to comply
with their demands for increased wages, etc.
The same, or nearly the same, demands
were made upon other roads, some OF
which had been granted and some others re-
fused The 20" road, it is claimed cou have
made similar peaceGble compromise with its
men had it been willing to comply with the de-
mand OF its men to pay them the same wages as
were paid by other roads. This however, it
would not do, and instead of Seeking for a
practical adjustment of the difficulties withits
employees, it determined to use the disaffec-
ton OF its engineers and firemen for its own
benefit to coerce its rivals into proposing the
proposed railway trust. Settlements with
the men were delayed until it had completed
arrangements to secure the services of men out
slde the Brotherhoods of Engineers and Fire
men. intending to force strikes on other
roads, after it had absorbed the entire supply
of skilled labor. Then it began to insist that
lis competitors should receive from it freight
which it could well enough carry itself,
by longer routes, we'll as freight for
foreign POINTS. The traffic between
the compliments and defendants roads,
1t is claimed, has always been of
light volume. To exchange or attempt to ex-
change, freight with the 20" road at present
would be greatly injurious to defendants BUSH
ness interests; its employees VIII not handle 30"
freight, and to order them TO do so would only
precipltate more trouble. 1t claims that it
can not be compelled to do Impossible things.
and only declined to receive freight
when it found that it was impossible to do so
without resulting in the stoppage of It's bust
ness and giving its rival an advantage FINAL
ly, the Rock Island people say, they decided
last Thursday to resume traffic relations with
the 90 road, and gave the latter notice to
that effect on Friday before 1t filed its BILL
The Burlington officials deny these ale
cations and characterize them as baseless
and absurd
CHICAGO, March 26-Not a wheel of
freight Car turned in the Chicago, Burling-
ton & Quincy yards Saturday OF yesterday.
For the second time within month
the freightbusness of this road is tempo
rarily paralyzed, this time by the action of
the sWitchmen.
The immediate reason given by the
switchmen for striking is q plausible one
The railroad officials admit that the switch
mans calling Is tho most hazardous in
railroading, and the striking engineers
have often claimed openly that the switch
men would go out after few
weeks work with green hands on
the engines. The co npany is expected to
utilize freight conductors and brakemen in
handling switches in case of a prolonged
strike, and this, it is claimed, will precipf-
tate a strike among the brakemen, VINO
object to any increased risk.
Yesterday the switchmen were ont at Au-
rora, Galesburg, O5tumna, Ia, and Chicago,
four of the principal switching
points on the 60" system. The
committee from Chicago reached Burling-
ton on Saturday. but the men at that point
refused to go out The local switch
men said yesterday that the strike would
spread to all points on the entire system
and might Involve other roads through the
question of handling 80" freight No at
tempt was made by the Burlington
yesterday either to move freight
or to fill the places of the strik-
ing switchmen.
Passenger Agent Morton said yesterday:
The company hes received kilograms from
various places, some of them Offering to
furnish as many as thirty or forty switch
men. The position of the company is now
one of unmistakable fight Not one of the
officials favors any sort of concession, now
that the second attempt b IS cen made to
wreck the business of the road"