Omaha daily bee., 1888-03-03
ARTHUR'S OMIN0US ORDER.
A Meeting Of Chairmen of Grievance
Committees Called.
ALL WESTERN ROADS INVOLVED.
A statement BY the Chief OF the
Causes Of the Strike-The
Situation All Along
the Line.
An important Move.

the strike. The following telegram was sent
TO each chairman OF the general grievance
committee of the brotherhood OF engineers
and firemen on the following lines OF rail
road. viz: Chicago Il Alton, Chicago "
Northwestern, Chica, Rock Island & Pacific,
Wabash railroad, Wabash & Western, Mis-
souri, Pacific; Union Pacific, Atchison,
Topeka g. Santa Fe and Wisconsin Central:
DEAR SIR AND BRoTHER-You are here
by authorized and ornered to come
TO the city of Chicago at once and report at
Headquarters There are many important
matters to consider in connection with the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy strike and
your immediate presence is imperative. he
prepared to convene your committee from
here at q moments notice.
"What does this mean ~ was asked OF
Grand Master Sergeant,
at means that we are here to stay. / can
not tell you what move is contemplated until
after the chairmen arrive"
twas il in reference to the alleged selling
of Burlington tickets ever connecting llnesi"
mo. So you can nraw your own eonclu-
sions."
Statement by Chief Arthur.
CHICAGO, March 2.-Chief Engineer Arthur
tonight gave out q long statement concern
ing the position of the engineers and tiremen
us to their present attitude towtad. the Bur-
lington road In it he says, in part: The
men are striking, not to compel the railway
company to pay them for services they do
not perform, nor to compel the company to
accept blind men to run engines, neither do
the men demand that the company shall fur
nish free passes for all their relatives. The
main issue is, Shall the Chicago, Burlington
& Quincy railway pay the same wages for
the same work that is paid by 90 per cent of
all the railways in the United States. This
is almost the only question at issue. The
principle of grading the men according to
the years Of service as engineers, adopted by
the Chicago, Burlington Il Quincy, is
illogical and unjust. Under that system a
man serves from three to five years as fire.
man, when he is supposed to be an appren-
tice, learning the rudiments Of engineering.
He then takes place as hostler
and runs the engine from the roundhouse, in
which capacity he may serve for year or
more before he gets switch engine for an
other year or two, when he may get on the
road. BY this time, he has served an appren-
ticeship OF five to nine years, and still the:
company expect him to serve three years
other trade IN existence that is asked or
would submit to the injustice OF being
candidate for the superanuated list before
becoming fuli-tiedged 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. There is no trade or calling
In which years of service will determine q
mans ability. An engineer Of one years SER
vice is often better qualified to run an engine
than one who has twenty years experience.
There is one and only one just rule
TO determine deter the question: and ssrtice that
In the present Controversy the engineers and
fremen can afford to lose the fight but there
Is no possible wav in which they can recede
from their demands on the question OF wages,
except at the sacrifice of their entire organi-
lzatiOn. There Is no other way out OF the
difficulty but by concession on the part Of
the company on the question of wages or q
fight to the bitter end
The Situation at Chicago.
CHICAGO, March 2.-The agreement be-
tween the brotherhoods of engineers and
fremen and the knights of Labor had no ap-
parent effect on the number of applicants at
the Burlington office this morning A ma
jority Of the men, however, look more like
firemen than engineers. The officials Of the
company claim the situation is steadily i'm
proving. Four passenger trains were sent
out from Chicago to-day and sixteen came in.
The company commenced running coal trains
on the Chicago division to-day, and claim
they are running local freight trains on most
parts OF their system.
At the roundhouse on Twelfth street fore.
man said to u reporter to-day:
~ am tired Of looking at some OF the men
who are employed to take the places Of the
strikers. The engines are in q horrible con
ditiOn, Three Of our finest locomotives are
ruined and others are badly broken down"
One Of the chief topics talked of in railroad
circles to-day was the alleged threat Of the
engineers and firemen to extend the strike to
lines connecting with tho Burlington road ii
such lines sold the latter's tickets The
threat was received with surprise by the
various officials and to representatives of the
tnI oil rod hat haU nr.n
maintaining strict neutrality in this direction
Is well as in the matter of handling Burling'
ton cars etc.
Up to midnight nothing definite has been
heard at the engineers headquarters as to
whether the brotherhood men on the Reading
were withdrawing from their places in com
pliance with the arrangement between Chief
Arthur and representatives of the Reading
was the arrival of fifty Canadian engineers
to take situations on the Burlington. A little
apprehension was apparent among the
brotherhood leaders over this accession t
tho company's strength. They stoutly main
tanned that the Canadians would be promptly
disposed of under the federal statutes pro
hibting the importation of foreign contrac
labor.
Local Developments.
The telegraphic reports in the mornings
papers were interpreted by the strikers il
this city as exceedingly favorable for al
early victory for them, and consequently
they were much elated The news was con
sidered of such cheering and reassurine
character that they sought other and more
congenial haunts than the b. & M. depot
Scarcely forty people were there when tn.
trains came in.
AL the passenger trains, except Nos. l and
the Denver fast trains) We're running on
schedule time yesterday. Most Of the trains
were behind time, but this is claimed by the
officials Of the road TO be due to the Storm
At the b. & M. headquarters some valu
able information was obtained and Mr.. Hol
drege, manager of the company, was quite
confident that the strikers would be dc
feated. Mr.. Holdrege stated that they were
fast clearing up all the local freight and hac
advertised that they would receive all classes
OF freight for immediate shipment.
That the u. & M. will be able to take care
Of its trafficYn good shape is probably true
as 100 engineers and fremen arrived from
Pennsylvania yesterday. They We're sent
TO various divisions. Most of these men
were former employees of the Reading road
and all Of them interviewed stated that they
would have nothing to do with the brother
hood. Several of them admitted that they
were Knights Of Labor but refused to obey
tho instructions of Mr.. Powderly. They
have come west to stay, and as soon as posi-
BILE shall locate and send for their families