Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-03-17
THE BEEAOR wIDESrso.
prospect Of ihe EA0i'seers' strLse Krtsnaf,,a
20 Olher H0ads

- VHtTf AoGNa.
phicago dispatch: A most important
move was made 10 day by Chief Arthur
IN the strike. The following Telegram
was sent TO each chairman Of the general
grievance committee OF the brother
mood OF engineers and fremen on the
following lines of railroad, viz: Chica.
go a Alton, Chicago e. Northwestern,
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, Wa.
Dash railroad, Wabash & Western. Mis-
souri, Pacific, Union Pacific, Atclison.
Topeka & Santa Fe, and Wisconsin Cen.
trail:
DEAR SIR AND BRoTHER-You are
hereby authorized and ordered to come
TO the city of Chicago at once and re-
port at headquarters. There are many
important matters TO consider in CON
nection with the Chicago, Burlington &
quincy strike, and your immediate
presence IS imperative. Be prepared to
convene your committee from here at a
moments notice.
what does this mean?" was asked of
Grand Master Sergeant.
IT means that we are here to STAY. /
cannot tell you what move is contem-
plated until after the chairmen arrive. :"
WAS il in reference TO the alleged
selllEg of Burlington tickets over CON
Meeting lines?"
mo. So you can draw your own con-
illusions"
STATEMENT BY CHIEF ARTHUR.
Chief Engineer Arthur tonight gave
ont a long statement concerning the
position Of the engineers and firemen AS
70 their present attitude toward the Bur
llngton road. In it he says, in part:
The men are striking, not to compel the
the railway company TO pay them for
services they do not perform, nor TO
compel the company to accept blind
men to run engines, neither do the men
demand that the company shall furnish
free passes for all their relatives. The
question is, shall the Chicago, Burlington
a Quincy railway nay the same wages
for the same work that is paid by 80 per
cent Of all the railways in the United
States. This is almost the only ques-
ton at issue. The principle of grading
the men according to the years of SER
vice as engineers, adopted byth Chica-
go, Burlington & Quincy, is illogical
and unjust Under that system a man
serves from three TO five years as fire.
man, when he is supposed to be an APP
prentice, learning the rudiments of engi-
neering He then takes a place as
hOstler and runs the engine from the
roundhouse, in which capacity he may
serve for a year or more before he gets
n switch engine for another year or two,
when he may get on the road. BY this
time, he has served an apprenticeship
Of five 10 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 is asked or would submit to the in
justice of being a candidate for the SUI
perannuated list before becoming full
fedged master Of his trade There is
practically no difference in the service
rendered or 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 years of service will
determine mans ability. An engi-
neer of one years service is often better
qualified 10 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 pay for
equal service. In the present contro-
yersy the engineers and firemen can af-
ford 20 lose the fight, but there is no
possible way in which they can reeede
from their demands on the question of
wages, except at the sacrifice of their
entire organization. There is no other
way out of the difficulty but by con
cession on the part of the company on
the question OF wages or a fight to the
bitter end.
THE SITUATION AT CHICAGO.
The agreement between the Brother
hoods OF Engineers and Firemen and
the knights Of Labor had no apparent
effect on the number OF applicants at the
Burlington Office this morning. A ma
jority Of the men, however, look more
like firemen than engineers, The Off
cials of the company claim the situation
is steadily improving. Four passenger
trains were sent out from Chicago to-day
and sixteen came in. The company
commenced coal trains on the Chicago
division to-day, and claim they are run
ming local freight trains on most parts
Of their system.
At the round house on Twelfth street
foreman said TO a reporter to-day:
81 am tired of looking at some of the
men who are employed to take the
places of the strikers. Three of our
finest locomotives are ruined and Others
are badly broken down.
One OF the chief topics talked of in
railroad circles to-day was the alleged
threat OF the engineers and firemen to
extend the strike to lines connecting
with the Burlington road if such lines
sold the latter's tickets. The threat
was received with surprise by the yari
GUS officials, and to representatives OF
the Associated press oil declared that
they were maintaining strict neutrality
in this direction as well as in the matter
OF handling Burlington cars. etc.