Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-03-03
THE C. B. 4 @. TROUBLE.
Arthur Explains the Posi-
tiOn of the Strikers.
NO SURRENDER ADVOCATED.
The Company Doing All in Its
Power to Prevent a Tie
Up on the Road.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD /:

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD
CHICAGO, March 2.-Arthur and his
lieutenants and the officers on the
Burlington ID both report no i'm
portant developments on the strike
situation this morning. The road
claims to be making steady gains in
the fight; that the passenger service
is practically the same as before the
strike, and that it is moving freight on
every division OF the line to-day, and
that not one of the Reading men
whom it employed in the strikers
places had deserted.
At the Brotherhood headquarters it
was learned that men will be sent to
the Pennsylvania regions, where they
will endeavor to pursuade the Broth
erhood men on the Reading road to
carry out their part of the bargain
made between the Chief Arthur and
the knights of Labor yesterday. 1t
was also learned that unless the
Northwestern and st. Paul, Chicago
and Alton, and the Chicago and Hi.
nois roads cease aiding the Burling-
ton road in the passenger business, as
it is claimed they have been doing,
strike will be ordered on their lines.
A conference of the officials of these
lines mentioned will be held to-mor
row afternoon.
SITUATION IN THE MORNING.
The agreement between the Broth
erhood OF Engineers and Firemen and
the Knights Of Labor had no apparent
effect on the number of applicants al
the Burlington Off this morning.
The majority Of the men, however,
look more like firemen than engi,
neers. The officials of the company
claim that the situation is steadily
improving. Fourteen passenger
trains were sent out from Chicago to-
day and sixteen came in. The COM
pany commenced running coal trains
on the Chicago division to-day, and
claim that they are running local
freight trains on most parts OF
their system. At the round
house on Twelfth street the foreman
said to a reporter oday: II am tired
of looking at some of the men who are
employed to take the places of the
strikers. The engines are in hor-
rible shape. Three of our finest loco
motives are ruined and others are
badly broken down."
A MOST IMPORTANT MOVE
Was made to-day by Chief Arthur in
the strike. The following telegram
was sent to each chairman of the gen.
eral grievance committee Of the
Brotherhood of Engineers and Fire
men on the following lines of rail-
roads, viz: Chicago and Alton; Chi
cago and Northwestern Chicago,
Rock Island and Pacific; Wabash
railroad; Wabash and Western; Mis-
souri, Pacific; Union Pacific; Atchi-
son, Topeka and Santa Fe and Wis
consin Central:
DEAR SIR AND BROTHER: You are
hereby author zed and ordered to
come to the city of Chicago at once
and report at headquarters. There
are many important matters to con-
slider in connection with the Chicago,
Burlington and Quincy strike, and
your Immediate presence is impera
tive. Be prepared to convene youl
committee from here at moments
notice.
REASONS FOR THE STRIKE.
Chief Engineer Arthur tonight gave
out long statement concerning the
position of the engineers and firemen
as to the present attitude toward the
Burlington road. In it he says in
part that 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 tc
run engines. Neither do the men de-
mand that the company shall furnish
free passes for all their relatives. The
main issue is, shall the Chicago, Bur
lington & Quincy railway pay the
same wages for the same work that is
paid by 80 per cent. in mileage of al
the railways in the United States
Ibis is almost the only question al
issue. The principle of grading mer
according to their years of service as
usually adopted by the Chicago, Bur
lington & Quincy is illogical and un
just. Under that system a man serves
from three to five years as fireman
when he is supposed to be
an apprentice learning the rudi
ments of engineering. He ther
takes place as hostler, and
runs an engine from the round-house
in which capacity he may serve for a
year or more before he gets switch
engine for another year or two, when
he may get on the road. By this
time he has served an apprenticeship
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 asked or would submit any
man to the injustice of being
candidate for a superanuated
list before becoming full-fedged
master of his trade. There is
practically no difference in the service
rendered on 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 a years of
service will quicker determine a mans
ability, as an engineer of one years
service 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 the
question and that is equal service. In
the present controversy the engineers
and firemen can afford to lose the
fight but there is 70 possible way in
which they can recede from their
demands on the question of wages,
except at the sacrifice of their entire