Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-03-08
\ LEGAL COMPLICATION
BoBS UP TO ANTAGONlzE THE BRO
THERHooD OF STRIKERS.

l
That win Be Piz-n to Boycotters al
Burlington Buslness--Symphtby Bring
ON the Threatened Burlington A. Nnrth
ern Strike-GAthering OF Grisvan". Com
mittee- at Chicago.
| CHICAGO, March $. The threatened strike
On the Burlington a. Northern was made a
fact Wednesday at 10 a. m All the brother
hood men walked out and left the road in tho
lurch, The strike was "A sympathy" affair
TO help the 20" men by disabling the North
ern from taking freight from the %" How
| it may result for the strikers is prOblematical
There was very little freight going when the
strike occurred, and tue railway officials
were confident that they could go right ahead,
On the other hand the men were equally con,
fident that the te-up was successful. This
confidence was not fortified by later develop
ments, for all the passenger trains went out
| on time Wednesday afternoon, and the
| management claimed that they would have
no trouble. Nevertheless they have only
twenty-five engineers, while the regular num-
| Der is seventy. The road is handling no
| freight
All the interest in the Burlington strike
| centered Wednesday night around McCoy's
hotel There the members Of the grievance
|
gathering for the purpose of considering the
| desirability of tieiug up the Chicago x North
| western for its action in handling freight
passed over the Burlington, Up to o'clock
all the members OF the committee had not ar
rived and il was considered doubtful wheth-
| er meeting would he held before Thursday
morning Meanwhile reports were coming
| into headquarters that the grievance commit
tees Of the st. Paul Wisconsin Central and
other roads were in session on their respect
i've divisions.
The Northwestern men postponed their
meeting for the day at 0p. m. The dele
gates say they have no grievance against the
road on their own account, but charge il with
carrying 90 freight and passengers, and
they say this would justify strike, III this,
however, Chief Arthur does aot coincide.
j. j. OBrien, who is directly associated
with him in the present trouble and who is
chairman of the press committee, said late
"Wednesday night: There is no imminent
danger of il general strike ON all the roads, for
the reason that neither Mr.. Arthur nor those
associated with him feel like paraly2ing the
trade Of so great a territory. To
order general strike would be to Stagnate
the business of the country, to throw tens of
thousands out of employment, and to cause
untold suffering He said further that some
of the roads had not kept their agreement not
to handle "Qn business, and this line of action
was calculated to precipitate strike.
A statement credited to Chief Arthur that
if any of the "Q' connections discharged an
engineer for refusing to take freight IA strike
will Immediately follow is an important one
in view of the provisions of the inter state
commerce law, which makes it an otiense
punishable by fine for one road to refuse to
pull another roads freight or passenger cars
over its lines to the point of destination
There was a prolonged conference during the
afternoon between the head officials of the
Burlington and the representatives of its
legal department, and at its conclusion Paul
Morton said to the representative of the
United Press:
1--WE intend to open up for through bust
ness If other lines refuse to handle our bust
ness we will take such steps as may he deemed
necessary We are public servants, and we
intend to accommodate our shippers If we
find that under existing conditions we are
powerleSs to do so, we will go into the courts
If necessary. We are common carriers, and
are compelled to receive freight offered. The
connecting lines are also common carriers,
and they likewise must receive freight il Of
fered 1t seems that the representatives of
the hrotherhoods are going to attempt to an
noy us. 1t is not action of this kind that Will
make us give in to them. We are not going
to them, nor will the men that have left us at
the dictatiun of Chief Arthur better their CON
dition by attempting to obstruct shippers and
delay business. 1t must be remembered that
us a last resort we can obtain an order of
court compelling connecting lines to handle
our freight, No, we do not regard the situa-
ton as being at all critical
The usual reports were received at the
90 ~, hat
and passenger traffic was moving in good
shape, while kilograms were received by
Chief Arthur from Kansas City, Terre
Haute, Palestine, Texas, and other points,
pledging hearty financial and moral support
The strike is involving the other roads at
the stock yards Wednesday morning five
Lake Shore engineers refused to take a train
Of Burlington cars from EnglewoOd to Six
teenth street, declaring that they would quit
before they would haul anything bearing the
90 label The cars consequently remain at
EnElewoud The Wabash switchmen re
fused to receive Burlington cars which We're
brought to the yards at Root street
Tie switchmen employed by the Union Stock
yards and Transit company, which has charge
of all the switching at the yards, also decided
that they would handle no Burlington cars
The company has as yet taken no action on
the matter. The twenty-five employees of the
20" at the yards, whose business it is to care
for all the stock arriving over the Burling
ton, were discharged, as no stock is arriving
and consequently there is nothing for them
to do.
General Freight Agent Ripley issued a no
tice Wednesday night to the effect that
the company was prepared to handle
live stock when accompanied by car
load of emigrants' goods to any point on the
Burlington road in the states. This is for the
accommodation of emigrants who are en-
route west with live stock for the purpose of
settling upon new farms.