The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-03
The Attitude of the Brotherhood.


The Attitude of the brotherhood.
CHICAGO, March 2.-Chief Arthur to night
gave to the press the following concerning the
position of the Brotherhood of Engineers and
Fremen as to their present attitude toward the
Chicago, Burlington g. Quincy railroad:
.It will not do to assume that the employees of
the railway company are responsible TO the pub
lie for the present condition OF affairs on the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railway. They,
the employees. have a legal and moral right to
place a value their labor. and If the company
cannot or will not, pay it, the employees are per-
fectly justified in refusing to work No one
with the least conception OF justice will deny
this proposition. There is pretense 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 extremely anxious that in this
controversy they may be sustained by the infu-
ence of public opinion. They have carefully re-
Trained from doing anything that would justify
public censure. and are determined that, while
they will resort to every honorable method to
compel the railway company to pay them a just
remuneration for their services, they will do
nothing that may bring reproach them
the organization they represent. The men are
striking. not to compel the railway company TO
pay them for services they do not perform.
is it to compel the company to accept blind men
to run the engines. Neither do the men demand
that the company shall furnish free passes for
their wives, their cousins and their aunts. The
main issue is the question of wages. Shall the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad pay the
same wages for the same work that is paid by
the Chicago s. Alton, the Chicago & Northw est
ern. the Milwaukee 81 St Paul, and 80 per cent. in
mileage OF all the railways in the United States9
This is the main question. and. in fact,
almost the only question at issue between the
parties to the controversy For instance, the
Burlington people pay for pulling train from
Chicago to Streator and return-a distance of
120 miles-for engineers of the third grade,
81 50; second grade. So. 10; first grade. So 90.
The Chicago & Alton and other roads pay for
the game service all engineers alike, 81 20, or
35 per cent more than the Burlington. A fire.
man on the Chicago d Alton and other roads
gets about the same pay an engineer of the
third grade on the G., b. 81 @. Is there any
thing fair in this? Have not the men right TO
refuse to work on such termss The rate or
wages quoted Is not isolated case. but
is taken from the first page of the schedule
OF wages III the pamphlet recently sent out by
the G.. h. 81 q people as an evidence or their
fair treatment of their employees. The principle
of grading tue men according to years of serv-
ice as engineers, adopted by the c., B. d O..
and for which they argue with such vehemence,
is illogical and unjust, and, if 1t were possible
to get it there. would be pronounced by
court of equity. Under that system a
serves from three to hve years as fireman,
when he is supposed TO be IN apprentice learning
the rudiments of engineering; he then takes his
place hostler, and runs the engine from the
round-house, in which capacity he NAV serve for
a year more before he gets a switching engine
for another year two, when he may get
the road. By this time he has served ap-
premiership Of from i've to nine years,
aud still the company expects him TO
three years longer before he gets full pay.
There other trade in existence that is
asked would submit to the injustice of being
a candidate for the superannuated list before be-
coming full-hedged master of his trade. There
is practically difference in the service
dered or the results to the railway between
engineer of the first grade and one of the third.
Each has his OIL waste. fuel and verything he
uses his engine measured out to him, ard he
is compelled to run his engine with that There
is no trade calling in which the years of serv-
zee will determine mans ability. An engineer
of one years service is often better qualified to
run an engine than with twenty years
experience. If you undertake to gauge the
ability by the years of service in
any calling, you will be pretty apt to into
bi: hole in the ground There is one. and only
one. just rule to determine the que stion. and
that is equal pay for equal service In the pres
ent controversy the engineers and fremen can
afford to lose the fight but there is no possible
way in which they recede from their de-
mands on the question OF wages, except at the
sacrifice of their entire organization. 1t would
not DO expected. and would not be just to ex-
pect. that the other roads leading into Chicago
would continue to pay higher wages than the
Burlington If the engineers should accede to
the present wages offered by that road, it would
have another fight on its hands within twenty
hours, and they would have to submit aban-
don their organization There is way out of
the difficulty but by concession on the part of
the company the question of wages. a
fight to the bitter end. 1 do not speak by
authority, but speak with knowledge"