The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1888-03-02
A GREAT STRIKE.

Al 1 O'Clock Monday morning the Engin.
eers and Firemen on the Chicago, Burling.
ton & Quincy Railroad went out on . strike.
The Company operates 5000 miles Of Main
and leased lines, giving employment to $500
engineers and fremen. The Company had
been duly notified Of the determination Of
the Brotherhood Of Engineers to call out tho
men At that hour. They took out al trains
up to that hour, and, If on the road at that
time, were instructed to run their trains to
the end of the next division, side-track
them, 70 to their homes and mo- modest any
one put ON in their places. This was redu'
cling the strike to the minimum of evil such
things entail. No act of interference with
those put on TO supply their places has to
this writing been reported. The Brother
hood is the most conservative, and one of the
highest intelligence, of any labor organizs-
ton in the country. This is the first strike
we recollect of its being engaged in, and its
actions will be most carefully noted by the
country. 1t was only gone into after ma
ture deliberation, and for the establishment
of 4 system Of pay which the Brotherhood
thinks for the welfare of all concerned.
Whether it is, and if it can establish IL, re.
mains to be seen.
There has heretofore prevailed VIVA: is
known as the system Of ''class,6ed wages"
This seems to have been based on . system
Of giving higher wages to engineers who had
been in service . long time, and lesser wages
to new engineers. This would seem to be =
good plan, but Chief Arthur claims that un.
der il, railroads we're discharging the veter-
ans and putting OF younger men Who are
competent to run engines, but who are
hired 1t the reduced wages. Hence the
Brotherhood determined to adopt . uniform
system, and all roads they presented the
matter to acceded until they approached the
C. B. s. @. They have not presented 1t to
all companies, but only to those where the
Brotherhood are, or are supposed to be-,
strong enough to enforce it, believing it were
better to not attempt it where success was
uncertain. But the e. B. & G. employed
nearly all Brotherhood men, and it was
thought it would yield until the Brother
hood got so committed to their purpose with
the company that they could not retrace
their steps creditably. The q. B. & O.,
however, would not accept the new method,
and the war is on. The scale proposed by
the engineers is 81 cents per mile for freight
engineers and 4 cents per mile for passenger
engineers-6remen to receive GO per cent. of
the engineers wages. The 6remen are oil
standing in with the engineers. It may be
said That the G. B. & Q. has recently been
working under . special arrangement per
trip, and the engineers have grown dissatis-
fed with it. Of the actual merits Of the
case, few are competent to decide.
Whatever the result may be to the parties
directly interested, tie immediate effect of
the strike is injurious to the general public,
as freight trait: is for the time suspended,
and the company is directing all its energies
to supplying passenger and mail service to
towns not reached BY other reads. The G.
B. & @. has, however, secured q great many
engineers not belonging to the Brotherhood,
and may be able in . few days to resume its
business In full. During the Southwestern
strike a couple Of years ago, and during the
strike on the Reading road, the Broth
of Engineers were not in sympathy
with the knights of Labor, and in the Read
Ing case a considerable number Of them
-n~A ~n sho -o.I ~ El ~1nnoa ,ennfod hu
The Knights. These now have an opportun-
ity to play back, and while the executive
are taking no sides in the matter,
many Of the Reading employees are coming
to take engines On the c. B. & O., while
other non-Brotherhood engineers are rap
idly filling the places. We do not know any
one who, for the time being, will feel worse
about this strike than Paul Morton, the
gifted general advertiser for the company,
but it will have to turn out q very bad case
It he don't make an advertisement for the
road out of it before it ends.
Since the above was in type, and since q
large number of new men have been put on,
Blu ZVU mOT0 VI tu0 OuStcu IeCou1uS ouSlus
eers were en- route to take engines, Chief
and President Perkins got together
and found there had been a ''mis-
Understandings" and it was believed all
could be adjusted At 3 meeting which was
10 be held yesterday. The belief was that
BY to-day al the Brotherhood would be
back in their places on terms mutually salts.
The c. b. & @. lines have been
practically parslyzed, and while they could
move their engines in . few days,
t is better if their old employees should
.eturn. Two or three accidents and two or
,hree acts of violence are recorded. If mat
are harmonized both parties will be
more careful in the future that . like rupture
not occur, especially as Chief Arthur
appears TO have acted hastily IN wrong as
'umptions.