Morning journal and courier., 1888-03-03
News by Telegraph
FROM ALL QUARTERS.
STRIKERS OF GOOD CHEER
The Engineers Hopeful of
'e' Success.
BAD NEWS FROM SAN RENO.
The Emperor Prepared For
The Worst.
4 new MONOPOLY IN SUGAR.
Boston Express Companies
Form A Trust.

Form A Trust.
over the Prospects of the Engineers,
strike ON the Chicago, Burlington
and Quincy-A Conference of En-.
g1neers Ordered.
CHICAGO, March 2.-The agreement be-
tween the Brotherhood of Engineers and
Brotherhood of Fifemen and the Knights of
Labor, whereby the former are to call their
men out of the Pennsylvania coal regions on
the Reading road and the latter to keep away
from the fghtsin the c., B. and 9. matter,
had no apparent effect on thenumber of ap-
plicants at the general Offices of the company
this morning. The majority of the men,
however, were young and looked more like
fremen than engineers. The officials of the
company claim the situation is steadily i'm
proving. They accepted one hundred and
sixty men yesterday and expect to put on one
hundred and fifty more to-day. Fourteen
passenger trains were sent out from Chicago
to-day and sixteen came in. The company
commenced running coal trains on the Chica-
go division to day and it is claimed they are
running local freights on some portions of
their system. number of switch engines
are at work in the yard and lumber district
and the most important work there is being
taken care of. The officers of the company
are confident they will be able to send several
freight trains out to- morrow. They do not
think the deal between the Brotherhood and
the K. of L. will have any effect on the new
men.
Everybod looked bright and cheerful at
the strikers headquarters to-day. The men
sat around the stoves in the hall and cracked
jokes, some telling stories and others narrat-
ing their adventures on the road. The strik-
ers say that everything looks favorable and
are awaiting the results of the agreement be-
tween the Brotherhood and the Knights with
much confidence. At the roundhouse the
foreman said: II am tired looking at some
of the men who are employed to take the
place of the strikers. The engines are in a
horrible condition. l just asked for three
machinists and two boiler makers to come
and keep the engines in the best possible
conditions. Three of our finest engines are
destroyed and the rest of them are badly
broken down"
Chief Arthur to-day sent the following tel
egram to each chairman of the general griev-
ance committees of the Brotherhood of Engi-
neers and Firemen on the following roads:
Chicago and Alton, Chicago and Northwest
ern, Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, Wab-
ash, Wabash and Western, Missouri Pacific,
Fe and Wisconsin Central:
You are hereby authorized and ordered to come
to the city of Chicago at once and report at the
to consider in connection with the Chicago Bur
lington and Quincy strike and your presence is i'm
perative. Be prepared to convene your committee
from here at moments notice.
"What does this mean?" was asked of Grand
Master Sargent at means that we are here to
stay. cannot tell you what move is contem-
plated until after the chairmen arrive"
- e IA A-kl - -<s<,L,A
to the press the following concerning the po-
sition of the Brotherhood of Engineers and
Firemen as to their attitude toward the c.,
B. and Q. railroad: sit will not do to assume
that the employees of the railway company
are responsible to the public for the present
condition of affairs of the Chicago, Burling-
ton and Quincy railway. They, the en-
ployes, have legal and moral right to place
a value on their labor and if the company
cannot or will not pay it the employees are
perfectly justified in refusing to work. No
one with the least conception eff justice will
pretencs that the strikers have used
any means except moral suasion to
prevent those who desire to work for the
Burlington from following their inclination.
The striking employees are anxious that in
this controversy they may be sustained by
the influence of public opinion. They have
carefully refrainsd from doing anything that
would justify public censure and are deter
mined that while they will resort to every
honorable method to compel the railway to
pay them a just remuneration for their SER
vices, they will do nothing that may bring
rsproach upon them or the organization they
represent. The men are striking not to COM
pei the company to pay for services they do
not perform, nor is it to compel the company
to accept blind men to run engines. Neither
do the men demand that the
company shall furnish free passes
their aunts. The main issue is
the question of wages. Shall the c., B. and
Q. railroad pay the same wages for the same
work that is paid by the Chicago and Alton,
the Chicago and Northwestern, the Milwau-
kee and st. Paul and ninety per cent. in
mileage of all the roads in the United States?
This is the main question and in fact almost
the only question at issue between the parties
to the controversy. For instance, the c., B.
and Q. people pay for pulling a train from
Chicago to Streator and return-a distance
of 100 miles-for engineers of the third grade
1886, second grade $40, first grade 1895.
The Chicago and Alton and other roads pay
for the same service all engineers alike, 81 90
or 80 per cent. more than the Burlington. A
fireman on either road gets the same pay
an engineer of third grade on the c.,
B. and Q. Is there anything fair in
thisa Have not the men right to refuse
to work on such terms? The rate is not an
isolated case, but is taken from the first page
| of the schedule of wages in the pamphlet sent
out BY the G., B. & Q. as an evidence of the
fair treatment of their employees. The prin-
ciple of grading the men according to years
of service as engineers adopted by the c., B.
& O., and for which they argue with such We
| hemence, is illogical and if it were possible
| to get it there would, be SO pronounced by
court Of equity. Under that system man
serves three to five years as fireman when
| he is supposed to be an apprentice learning
| the rudiments of engineering. He then takes
his place as hostler and runs his engine to
the engine house He may serve year or
more before he gets a switch engine, then for
| another year or two when he may get ON the
| road By this time he has served an appren-
ticeship of from five TO nine years and still
the company expects him to serve three years
| longer before he gets full pay. There is no
other trade in existence that is asked or
| would submit to the injustice of being can
/ didate for the superannuated list before be-
coming full hedged master of his trade.
There is practically no difference in the ser
vice rendered or the results to the railway
between an engineer of the first grade and
one of the third. Each has his oil, water,
fuel and everything he uses on his engine
| measured out to him and he is compelled to
run his engine with that. There is no trade
or calling in which the years of service will
| determine mans ability. An engineer OF
| one years service is often better qualified to
run an engine than one with twenty years.
IL YOU undertake to gauge the abil-
ity by the years of service in any
calling you will be pretty apt
to run into a big hole In
| the ground There Is one, end only one, just
rule to determine the question and that is
equal pay for equal service. In the present
controversy the engineers and fremen can
afford to lose the fight, but there is no pos
sible way in which they can recede from
| their demands on the question of wages ex-
eept at the sacrifice Of their entire organi-