Omaha daily bee., 1888-05-03
THE GREAT STRIKE IS OFF.
Burlington Engineers Can Return to
Their Former Positions
AT BEST TERMS oBrAlNAeLE.
Although a Formal order Has Not
Been Issued the Two Months Fight
is Virtually Over and the
Strikers Beaten.
The Men, Can Go Back to Work.

hhNh'hR Aht'hA' ~ N'N
tiers, IL is asserted on excellent authority
that the great co. strike has been declared
off and the Brotherhood Of Locomotive En-.
%gineers, supposed to be the only iuvincible
trade union in the United States, has suffered
its first defeat since IL capitulated TO the
Boston & Maine railroad In 1917. AT a meet
ing held yesterday between Messrs. Hoge,
Sargent and Arthur at the Grand Pacific;
the situation was thoroughly discussed, and
it was decided to declare the strike of. Yes
tcrday afternoon the members of the brother
hood and the Switchmcn's union were notiA
fed semi-oficially that the strike was over
and they were told to make the best terms
they could with the company. After the
meeting Sargent and Arthur returned TO
their homes, and Mr.. Hoge sent out a call to
the chairman of the grievance committees TO
meet him as soon as possible at the Grand
Pacific. 1t will take a few days before oil
can be present, and when they meet the
strike will be declared of formally.
The decision of the strikers leaders to
abandon the fight against the railroad COM
| pany was brought about mainly by the re-
| ports Of the m en- who were sent out from the
strikers headquarters about two weeks ago
to inspect the condition of the "Q's" business
and ability to take care of its traffic, both
| freight and passenger. The reports received
from their men were very dlscouraglng TO
the strikers. From every point word
came that there was no inconvenience re-
sulting to the road from the withdrawal OF
the union engineers and switchmen. AT
| some places it was stated that the road had
suffered n small loss of business, but that
even this injury was being rapidly repaired.
The hardest blows the brotherhood knew
how to deal had been dealt, and victory
seemed immeasurably farther of than when
the men first left their engines. All this was
dispiriting. Then, too, many OF the men who
were out on strike were becoming restless
and impatient under their enforced luleness,
and, although they were to q man loyal to
the order, they chafed under its commands
The exrense of supporting the strikers was
becoming a burden to the brotherhood and,
everything considered, 1t seemed more to the
possible and probable advantage OF the men
to call the strike off.
Mr.. Hoge, chairman of the grievance com.
mittee of the brotherhood, who has had
practical charge of the strike since the second
week of its existence, was seen just after he
had partaken of a O'Clock breakfast at the
Grand Pacific this morning. When asked Il
the strike had been declared off, he paused
quite a while and then said: "The strike has
not been declared off, formally. The men,
however, have been allowed to secure their
old places with the company, at the best
terms they can get whenever they can do 80,
and those who cannot get work here WI 60
somewhere else. A injecting of the grievance
committee has been called, and what they
may decide TO do | cannot say"
as it probable that they will order the
strike off .n
~ could not talk about that now. They
will be able to reach here in a few days, and
their decision will be made public"
"Have any OF the brotherhood men applied
for work on the 'QE
"Not that | know Off
"Wn the members of the brotherhood be
given permits to work for the or
mo; no permits will be given. While the
strike is on they cannot work for the Oh
and should the strike be declared of, they
may work for the road without permits, be-
cause the withdrawal of the order to strike
carries with it permission to go to work IN
any way they can"
Sargent and Arthur have gone homer"
yes; they have gone, and will not be.
back here until they are wanted to appear
before the inter state commerce commission"
DO you yet expect to make out q case
against the sou before the commission
81 do not know just what will be done. u
cannot talk over this question at this time.''
"The intention to declare the strike OFF has
been practically arrived at for some days.'h
said II man who has been in Mr.. Hoge's ohicq
nearly every day since the inception OF this
struggle. 'The reasons for the break-down'
are several. In the first pace, it looked az
though the company was getting along With
out the brotherhood and switchmen lately,
and every day has been adding to the 'Qst
ability to succeed and lcssening the chances
of the men to get back. The men themselves
some Of them, at least--werc beginning to
feel sore, the brotherhood was under heavy
expense, and the fight seemed lost, and it
was deemed better to quit now, when there
would be a good show for many of the mon
to get back to work, than to wait till tho
company would be in perfectly good trim. L
do not suppose all the old men will ever get
back, and but few of them will get their
engines back at once, but the majority OF
them will eventually get their old jobs. You
see, while the road has nOminally a full
force there are many of the men
now running engines who would not be kept
- a.a ,l-. a-ntl Foo fIA aA M M ~ NJ ~
fill their places with men as well skilled as
the old employees. Every day in the service
of the road increases the efficiency OF those
men, and il became necessary TO knock them
out while it was possible. We expect no
favor from the road, but their W self in
terest Will lead them TO take back most of
the brotherhood men. You Will see that
gradually the new men Will be dropped and
the old, trained, reliable engineers taken on"
"What will become of the men who cannot
work heretn -.
"Oh, they will distribute themselves around
the country and find work"
Paul Morton was told by n reporter that
the strike on his road had been declared on,
but it didn't surprise him at all. 1--WE have
lost sight of the strike completely" said he.
"We haven't known for two weeks that there
was a strike. / am glad, however, that the
men have ZONE to their senses. They should
have acted as wisely six weeks ago. do not
think we will have use for many OF the old
men. We have a full force now, and are re-
llSluB uI'lnlIhllOho tN''J haJ " phbA
neers. AS vacancies occur we may take
some of the engineers back, but ! don't see
much chance for vacancies among the switch
men.
Not or Yet,
Chicago, May 9.-Alexander Sullivan, coun'
sci for the striking engineers and firemen,
said TO n reporter this morning that the re
port circulated last night TO the effect that
the Burlington strike had been declared on
was without foundation. ''There will be No
such action taken" he said, until after the
investigation by the interstate commerce
commission is concluded"
--S----
Nj. IL. Conference.
NEW YoRK, MAY AT the second days
session of the twentieth annual genera
Methodist conference this morning, BishoI
Merrill read ar address In which he said
since the las. conference, four years ago
not less than four hundred and hity thop
sand souls have been brought into tit
- II A.. .,av.laanl.sH. huA fpgRnaEad