The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-11-29
SPARRING FOR A POSITION
The superintendent and Switchmen
Apparently as Determined as Ever.
Engineers and Others May Possibly Bring the
Two Sides Together for a Conference To-
Day that Will Settle the Trouble.

Opinions regarding the outcome of the strike
Uttered fully as much yesterday as on any day
since il began. The railroad officials still
showed q determination to carry ont their pro-
gramme not 10 re-employ the strikers. At their
meeting yesterday forenoon each superintend-
ent reported how matters were moving on his
lines, and without exception il was said that
business was being conducted smoothly and ex
peditiously. The general expression was that,
as the men had Voluntarily left their positions.
they were open to other men, and that any one
taking them must be protected. Several who
were forced out By the strikers have been to
their superintendent and expressed a willing
ness to return to their work as soon as they felt
safe in doing go. and it is probable that to-day
arrangements will be made to protect any new
men who wish to 20 to work, as well as such
men sskave from the beginning took no part
in the Nrike. Superintendent Bender. of the
c., l., st. l.. & c., said that three OF his
men had returned, and eight others
would do so whenever the company could pre-
vent their being molested. This company took
q less decided stand against re-employins the
strikers than did others. The Pennsylvania will
under no circumstances re-emp!oy tho forty-ope
men who quit, and its officers say that most or
u bA1Coo ~ " uilo0 w 70 6bt NObPOhNbs
men. The Decline yesterday hired a numb Der of
new men, but is still working those brought in
from other departments to help on the trains.
Superintendent Hill takes strong grounds
against any of the striking employees returning.
He said yesterday that he brought down one of
his men from Peru to repair the pump IN the
shop here, and the strikers, supposing him to
have been imported to work in the yards. when
he went out TO get something TO eat attacked
him with 8 coupling-pin. cutting an ugly cash in
his head The man was unconscious Tor some
time. John T. Miller. general superintendent OF
the Pennsylvania lines, is quoted as saying that
IL only mail trains were run between Indianap-
oils and Columbus, o., for the next year., not
one of the strikers would pe re-employed on his
road.
Two Of the strikers on the Bee-line called FOR
their time yesterday and were paid of. All OF
the time-checks on each road are made out with
the advance in pay offered by the roads to take
effect Nov. l. which is 81. 30 a day for conductor
and S2.10 for his assistants. The superintsnd-
snts seem sanguine that the old and tried en-
gineers will not take up the grievances of men
in other departm snts. At 10 o'clock yesterday
acommi ttee Of engineers and firemen called on
Mr.. Bender, supposing that he was chairman
of the superintendents, and asked
him to call those officers together to arbi-
trate the grievances of the switchmen. He re-
fered them to John EVAN. Mr.. Evan received
the committeeman ana told them that so far as
the switchmen were concerned there would be
no arbitration. They had deliberately left their
work and were none Of them in the employ of
the roads. as their time was ready when they
chose to call for it He added that If the en-
gineers, frensn or brakemen had any eriev-
ancss of their own they would be heard and
proper action be taken in the matter. 1t is
stated that this committee was not selected by
the divisions of the Brotherhood, but at the
joint meeting of the switchmen, engineers and
firemen on Tuesday night. Yesterday the vari-
Gus roads managed TO get ont several trains
each, and the yards were well cleared of
delayed freights, even the G., l.. st. l.. q
~ ,-- ~~-h. rs f Ahnrf
10 per cent. of the usual number OF switching
engines were at work during the entire day, bat
at night only the engines needed TO shift the
coaches at the Union Station were Kept ia serv-
ice. The superintendents, however, are prepar-
ing for the worst and claim to have men to take
the places Of the engineers aud fremen should
they choose to Join the strikers. The leader OF
the engineers who are disposed to join in the
strike told q chum that they would allow all the
passenger trains to run but not o freight-car
would be moved il they went out. 1t is claimed
that the engineers who want to assist the switch
men are those who run the pony engines. and
that the others are opposed to q strike.
The suDerintendenis have heretofore been re-
served in their expressions beyond brief state
ments as TO their purposes In dealing with tie
strikers. Yesterday this reserve was broken, and
some Of them talked freely. Alittle while ago."
said Col Gran Perry, "a of our hands
cane to Us from certain divisions Of the Penn
sylvania system, and represented grievances to
the effect that men on other divisions were re-
cANAh aAPho UaEOo ~ W u EaAA-
Der of hours per day they served. A committee
was appointed Of superintendent of all Breaches
CT the road, who met the employees committee
at Pittsburg. and q careful investigation of the
questions followed, which resulted in a general
raise of the s~witchmen's wages
in some quarters, OF which the
net result was the addition of 500, 600 per year
TO the Panhandleis payroll. That is the way
we treat our men when they come to us in the
right way, and yet it was some of these same
men this company was recently compelled to
discharge here for refusing to do their duty. We
raised our pay to 81 30 and 81. go for foremen aud
helpers. respectively; but the other roads, in fol-
lowing our example, made the scale 235 for
toremen and &. 10 for helpers. Now the real
IMPORT OF the present local strike Is that they
re trying to force the Panhandle to raise their
helpers TO S2.l0 per day, like the other roads;
but this we do not propose to do. because it
would necessitate an equalization throughout
Dur entire system, which would amount to
many thousands OF dollars annually, and is
asked for nowhere but in Indianapolis"
y desire to correct an open misstatement,n
said ". q. Conner, of the c., H. & D.: That
Is that We refused TO meet the strikers and con-
slider their grievances. Mr.. Nelson. the general
superintendent. came mp here specially from
Cincinnati, and held a personal interview with
a committee of our former employees, who are
now on a strike, and, having looked over their
petition carefully. decided to raise their wages
TO = 30 for foremen and g. 10 for helpers. This,
by the way. was about six weeks before the
newspapers got wind that there was an. diff
Guilty about to occur. But our men were not
satisfied with this. They must have 81 80 for
soremen, because the Panhandle had given its
joremen that; and so they came out with a pub
ication that We refused entirely TO even meet
their committee. Knowing OF such a misrepre-
sentation as this may assist the public to esti-
mate the various other claims made by these
strikers at their true weight. l am ready to say
for the other railroads that l believe they have
had similar experiences in this affair"
What the Switchmen Say.