Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-02-26
Chief Arthur Admits That, He Has Ordered
Out the Burlington Men.
4 FEW DAYS DELAY is PROMISED.
The Statement Of Grievances by the Men, and
the Reply Thereto.
COMPANY DEFINES ITS POSITION.


mands to the officers of the road,
left for their homes yesterday without &c
complishing their mission, but before q
strike can occur their report will have to
be heard and adopted by the different
lodges One Of the delegates is from Gallo
radO, and will not reach home before to-
night. The officers of the Burlington
road have drawn up an elaborate reply to
the meas demands, embodying their
reasons for refusal; the changes asked for
by the committee and the schedule of
wages paid by the Chicago, Burlington
and Quincy.
DEMANDS OF THE MEN.
The reply says that, in substance, the
demands made by the men were:
First-Pay to be governed solely by
miles run, without regard to other condi-
tions or circumstances.
SecOnd-An average increase of pay.
Third-The abolition of classification
based upon length of service, age or expert
enee.
FOurth-No more examinations or tests
except such as are agreed upon by the Geuer-
al Manager and the General Grievance
Committee
REPLY OF THE ROAD.
To these the road says:
FIrst-That the present system is in
force upon many important roads in this
country, and is preferred because it is the
best one to fairly provide for differences in
the amount OF labor, time and respon-
siOility required by engine men upon diff
tereut runs. The trip basis, in view of all
the varying conditions, covers value re-
Ceiyed. An arbitrary mileage basis destroys
the value Of the service rendered and
in the long run, we fear it would be un-
satisfactory to the men and to the Com
pany. For example:
On the GaleSburg division of the Chica-
90, Burlington and Qaincy, an engineer on
light passenger run of two cars between
Buda and Vermont under the present sched-
ule, ea;ns in twenty-six days $l23 80, and
the fireman S741O. Under the schedule
which you propose the engineer would re-
ceive SlTl.0S. and the fireman $lO2 81
A number of examples like the above are
next given in tie Company ) answer, which
then continues.
Second-Owing to the existing
STATE AND INTERSTATE LAWS,
poor crops and extremely low rates, as
we'll as a great multiplication of new liuss,
Western roads are passing through crit
ical period. 1t it al present impracticable
to maintain rates that cover the cot OF
Transportation. Railroad construction bas
almost entirely ceased. The rail mills and
other factories find their business decreas-
ing the demand for labor is decreasing
and wages are likely to decrease at time
when wages are tending downward. En-
CINE men cannot expect more pay, unless
they are underpGjd now i'll comparison
with other workingmen.
"Thlrd-At present we have one rate Of
pay for engineers just promoted from fire.
men, which continues one year. La the
sec oud year OF service as engineer an ad-
vaneement in pay is given. Ga the
expiration Of the second year fur
ther advance to full engineers pay
is given. The schedule proposed by the
committee does away with this classitica-
ton, and insists upon full pay for every
man "a soon as hc rdUS an engine. To prop
erly conduct its business the company
must be the judge OF what IS the most
economical run Tor its engines and any
claim BIZ its employees to decide where diyis-
ion terminals shall be made,
CANNOT BE ALLOWED.
The company must reserve absolutely the
right to ascertain, By whatever examina-
tions it NAV think advisable, whether its
employees, Of all classes, are capable OF tul-
filing the duties they undertake, and the
public also demsGd that the railroad COM
pany shall take every pTeeaution to en-
ploy those, men who can safely perform
the work entrusted to them. In concla-
sion, we would say that, while we cannot
see our way to accepting your committees
l ropOsals, we expect 10 pay as much
as our neighbors for similar services, and
we are ready at any time to take up the
question of wages, aud ADJUST any Unequal
tiles in our schedule that may be shown
70 exist. We cannot, however, attempt
TO adopt. a basis which says that ore 100
mile run should be paid the same as an
other 100 mile run, regardless OF the effort
and ability required and the difficulties TO
70 he overcome on each" This report Is
signed By Henry B. Stone, General Mama
ger Ci the Burlington; c. l.. Holdridge,
General Manager of the Burlington ana
Missouri River road; W. +. Merrill. Cen
eral Manager of the Hannibal and st. Joe
and by II, p. Judson, General Superin-
tendeIt of the Chicago and Iowa railway.
A GENERAL STRIKE ORDERED.
Chief Arthur was asked this morning
about the proposed strike of the Iocomo-
tive engineers and firemen on the Burning
ton system. He said he had given nus
consent to . general strike, but that the
men would not leave their posts to-day.
He added that unless the difference be-
tween the men and the officials were ad-
iusted before Monday morning, the loco
motive engineers and fremen would leave
their posts.
In connection with the threatened strike
there are reports that the Knights OF LABOR
are waiting for Just such an opportunity 70
CRAFTY AN OLD GRUDGE
against the Brotherhood, and the fact tnat
the engineer Knights on the Reading sys-
tenn are idle may give them the cnance'
In 1871 tneTe was y SuiAo VI tAS
hood engineers on the Reading. The oiga-
nizltion was not as powerful at that time
as it is at present, It's men worked To-
Qether with Knights of Labor engineers
and when they went ont tns
Knights remained at work anu
the strike was lost. When tue
present Reading strike commenced
there were only a few of the knights
there who worked on it 1877. But it was
at once noised about that the brotnernooo
would furnish all the men necessary 70
run the Reading and defeat the hnign!s
and thus get even" with them for tnelr
offence of ten years ago. Knights OF Laoor
in this city now claim that there are some
brotherhood engineers working on tne
Reading. Chief Arthur denies TINS s,a's
ment. He says no man went TO work IN
place of the striking Knights with the
knowledge and consent Of the oncers'
The rest Is for the company TO decide
T..