Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-04-20
TOOK THE AGGRESSIVE,
THE q" STRIKERS CALL ON THE IN
TER-sTATE COMMISSION,

ind Get AN Order far an Inquiry That
WIN Demonstrate How the Road 1, Be-
lug Run-'Tho investigation To BE Thor
ough ana Develop the Bottom Facts
Attorney SuliiVns Statement.
CHICAGO, April 20 A petition, emeuating
from the Burlington strikers and numerou,ly
signed 10y prominent business men and railroad
officials was present. d Thursday in this city
TO Hon Thomas NJ Cooley, chairman If the
inter state commerce commission, requesting
the commission to meet here for the purpose of
investigating tho character, the causes, and
the results of the controversy between the
Chicago, burlington & Quincy railroad COM
pany and number of its late employees" In
the petition it is claimed that the controversy
relates almost exclusively TO wages. and that
the strikers have been and are now willing to
submit their claims to arbitration. II is ul.o
claimed that the Burlington has obtained in
competent engineers and firemcn 10 take the
the places of the strikers, and that by reason
of their employment the road is not at pres
emf safe one for the public To travel ON, and
that under its present management it fails to
perform its duties as a common carrier"
Chairman Cooley, after reading the peGi-
ton, Informed the attorney for the strikers
that the commission would grant the petition
and institute the investigation and that the
first hearing would be ordered for n date as
soon after the 9TH of May as possible
Alexander sullivan the strikers attorney,
Chief Arthur, who was in the city for IA few
hours, and Chief Sar GENT of the firenen. held
a long conference at the Grand Pacific hotel
Thursday. In speaking of the proposed in
veStlSatiun, Mr. Sullivan said the commission
would thoroughly consider the whole dill.
Guilty. The origin Of the strike would lie in
veStigated, and also the question whether the
road had been asked TO pay more money for
the services of its men than other companies
wore paying, and whether, as "a common car
lier it was now doing its duty to its patrons
and the general public. The investigation
would bring out the testimony of witnesses
from Colorado, Kansas, Missouri Iowa. Hi
nois, and Nebraska, and evidence would Inc
adduced of such Il character as to convict the
road OF not paying that attention to the safety
of its passengers the law required, 1T
will be shown said Mr.. Sullivan
that the number of casualties and acct
dents have increased at an alarming
rate since the strike, and the testimony of I'm
people will he presented prov
ing beyond all question that the men now EN-
ploycd ON the Burlington road are utterly in
to perform their duties. 1t is
an admitted lact That the road has put Its
best men on the Illinois division, and conS'-
luently when the railroad commissioners
IF this state made their investigation it
amounted practically to nothing so far as the
operations of the road in other states were
Mr., Sullivan said that the inter-
state commission was fully in accord with the |
spirit which prompted this investigation and |
would make it as searching as it was possible |
20 do.
Chief Arthur said he was glad the matter
lad taken its present form, and he was in
lined to think that public investigation
vas necessary in order to make the public
just how the Burlington officials
we're at present managing the road. The
men are hopeful Of victory after the inve5-
igation has been commenced.