Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-03-09


CHICAGO, March 2.-Chisf Engineer P. N.
Arthur tonight gave to the press tbs follow
ing concerning the position OF the Brother
mood OF Engineers and E1Esmen as to the
present attitude towards the Chicago, Bur
LngJon q Quincy rallrOads
1T VIII not do to assume that the en-
ployea OF the railroad company are respOn-
s1DL5 70 the public for the present condition
OF aHalrs OF the Chicago, Burlington q
quincy railroad The employees have a legal
and moral right to place q value on their la
Dor and If the company cannot
or viii not pay it, the employees
are perfectly justified IN refusing TO
WOrE. No one with th5 least conception
OF justice will deny this proposition. There
Is no pretense that the strikers have used
any except moral suasiOu TO prevent those
who desire to work for the Burlington from
following their inclination. The striking
employees are extremely 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 Ceusure, and are deter
mined. while they resort to every honorable
method, TO compel the railroad company to
pay them a Just remuneration Tor
their services and do nothing
/ that can bring reprOach upon them or the
/ order they represent. The men are striking
] not to compel the railroads TO pay them for
/ service they do not perform, nor Is 1t to
compel the road to accept blind men to run
the engines Neither do the men men
/
| tu cnlsh free passes for their
/ wives, cousins or their aunts. The main
/ issue is the question of wages. Shall the
! Chicago. Burlington & Quincy pay the same
wages for work as that paid by the Chicago
/ d Alton, the Chicago d Northwestern, the
] Chicago, Milwaukee q st. Paul, and 80
] per cent. Of the mileage of all the railroads
l IN the United States. This is the main ques-
/ ton, and, IL fact, the only question be Ween
/ the parties to the controversy. For in
| stance, the Bur iugtOn pays for pulling q
| tram from Chicago to StreeteE and returr a
/ distance of 40 miles, for engineers Of the
l $50; first grade, S3.65. The Chi
/ cago q Alton and other roads pay
for the same service alike $40, or 40 per
/ cent more than the Burlington. A fireman
] on the Chicago & Alton and other roads gets
I about the same pay as an engineer Of the
/ third grade on the Chicago, Burlington q
[ Quincy. Is there anything fair IN thlsg
/ Have not the men a right to refuse to work
I on such terms? The rates of wages quoted
/ Is taken from the first page Of the schedule
/ Of wages In the pamphlet recently sent out
l by the Chicago, Burlington d Quincy people
l as an evidence Of their fair treatment of
| their employees. The principal of grading
\ the men according 70 years OF ser
| vice Of engineers as adopted by
/ the Chicago, Burlington q Quincy
I Is unjust, AMI If 1t were possible to get 1t
/ there, 1t wOl Id be so pronounced by a urt
/ OF equity Under that system a man serves
| from three to five years as a fireman, when
/ he is supposed to be an apprentice learning
Z the rudimeuts Of engineering. He then
| takes the place of hOstier and runs the en-
| CINE TO the round house and may run this
1 way for years before he gets a switch en-
| CINE, and longer before he can get On me
/ road. By this he has served an apprentice
I ship of from five to nine years, and still the
/ company expects him to serve three years
/ before he can get full pay. There
| is no other trade that is asked to or would
submit to this treatment before becoming a
| full hedged master of his trade. There Is
/ practically no difference in the service re-
/ quired or the service rendered by eugin GERS
[ of the nrst grade and one of the third.
| Each has his oil, waste, and fuel and every
| thing he uses on MS engine measured out to
[ him, and he is compelled to run his engine
with that. There is no trade in which years
| will better determine a mans ability. An
! engineer of one years service Is often better
/ qualified to run an engine than one of TWEEN
| ty-hVe years experience. If you undertake
[ to judge the ability by the years of service,
you viii be pretty apt 10 run into a big hole
1 IN the ground. There is one and only one
I Just rule to determine the question, and that
Is equality for equal service. In the present
q controversy the engineers and Hremen can
I afford to lose the fight, but there is no pos
/ sible way in which thy can r6csds from
7 their demand on the question Of wages eI-
c5pt at the sacrifice Of their entire OrganiZa-
ton. 1t would not be expected or just to eI-
peCt that til 70 other roads coming into Chicago
would pay higher than the Quincy. If the
engineers should acCede to the present wages
of the road, il would have another fight on
its hands in twenty hours, and they would
have to submit or abandon their Organiza-
ton. There Is no way out Of the difficulty
but concession on the part Of the com.
pany as to wages, or a fight to the
/ bitter end 1 do not speak by authority
/ but / speak with knowledge"