The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1888-03-16
RELATING TO THE STRIKE.
Governors and a Board of Railway Com,
missioners Heard From.

Dies MONIES, March 1O.-The Board of
eating for several days charges of incompe.
tency made against the engineers of the Bur.
lington road who have taken the places Of
strikers. They summed up the testimony
aud submitted it to the Governor to day.
After reciting the testimony the Commis-
sioners say: "Mr. Brown, Superint endent of
Iowa lines, admits that under the condition
of all his engineers leaving OH twelve hours
notice he was compelled to run passenger
trains with new and inexperienced men. 1t
may be regarded as proven beyond question
and admitted that the men above designated
were inexperienced under the general rules
laid down by railroad companies for the
running of trains, and, tried by their own
statements, the Commissioners do not hest.
tate to say that they are incompetent" At
ter discussing the employment of incompe-
tent engineers the Commissioners say: eve
think we are safe in assuming that in these
particulars the new men running these
trains cannot be equal to those who had
been previously selected from the oldest and
most competent engineers to run passenger
trains. The Commissioners believe that the
examinations that have been made and the
tests that have been applied to determine
whether engineers are competent to run
locomotives are dictated by prudence, and
to neglect them is unwise. They would
advise the e. 3. & @. to allow no engineer
to ruu a passenger train who is not fully up
to the established standard of skill and abil-
ity. The law governing the carrier of pas
sengers says he 'must use extraordinary care.
caution, the highest skill, the greatest fore.
sight, and the best appliances 'the highest
degree of care, skill and diligence of which
human effort is capable.' The diligence
must be extraordinary and liability follows
the slightest negligence. 1t not being an
issue the Commissioners have not thought it
within the scope of their investigation to
discuss the merits of the differences that led
to the engineers and fremen leaving the
service ofthe c. B. & Q. railroad company"
To-day Governor Larrabee sent a letter to
President Perkins advising him to settle the
trouble with the strikers by arbitration.
DENVER, March 11.-Governor Adams. in
conversation with an Associated Press re-
porter to night regarding Governor LARA
bees letter to President Perkins and the
decision of the railroad commissioners at
Des Moines yesterday, said: II am of opin-
ion that the decision of the Commissioners
upon the matter of permitting incompetent
engineers to run passenger trains on the
Burlington Railroad is right and ever Just,
ard nc man who has even thought himself
competent to run a locomotive should be
permitted to jeopardize the lives of hundreds
of passengers, as we'll as property of the
company, by being put in charge of a train.
Were my opinion asked as to the best way
to settle the troubles, I would advise the
officials Of the Burlington to accede at once
to the demands of the engineers and fremen
upon the basis paid these men by other cor
porations having an extensive territory as
the Burlington. If this is impossible, then
l heartily agree with the ideas of the Cover
nor of Iowa embodied in his letter to Presi.
dent Perkins, advising a settlement by ar.
bitration Immediately.