The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-12
The Railroad Strike.


The strike on the Vanderbilt system Of
railroads seems to be ill-advised. The
gri=va9ces and demands Of the mep appear
10 have had very little to do with causing 1t.
The strike was a mere punctilio, because
somebody was angry The New York Cen
trIl railroad dismissed two Knights OF
Labor. who. 1t was claimed, were
too freely meddling with the busi-
ness of the corporation. Then a
committee CALEB o1 Vice President
Webb, and attempted 10 consult vita him
10 regard to these dismissals. He would
not talk, but ordered them to leave mis- office.
with the curt remark that the road would
manage its own business. It was perhaps
this discourteous conduct of Vice President
Webb that reused the knights to prompt
action.
But the men were as precipitate in their
action as Vice President Webb. and it is
therefore to be regretted that President
Depew, who is in Europe, was not at home.
He knows how to al with men and meas
ures. and would probably have prevented
the trouble, which has resulted in great IL
convenience 10 the public and COM
merce. While the officials and directors Of
the road may approve Vice President
Webb'S action, the general public will not.
The public are opposed to strikes like this
on principle. The circums stances which led
to it do not justify the complete stoppage
Of transportation aud the prostration Of
commerce. The burdens and Inconvenience
do not fall on the railroad alone,
E,,r
use railroads as common carriers
More than 100000 tons of freight are
locked up on s1de-tracks. This will occa-
sion serious loss to business men, most of
the freight being perishable goods.
There is apprehension that the strike
may extend to the engineers and firemen,
though the engineers are independ-
ent of the knights During the strike
on the Reading road a year or so ago
the engineers were specially involved,
and they felt hurt because the knights,
they claimed, did not back them up suffi-
Gle lily. This strike on the New York
Central is a move of the Knights of
Labor to secure recognition for their order.
They base their ultimatum upon two very
extreme, rot to say unreasonable, PROPOSE
tions One is, that certain employees re-
Gently discharged be reinstated, The other
is the establishment of a rule that in
minor branches of the service promotion
shall be made by seniority, recognition
which would be eqlivalen emit to establishing
the principle that merit and faitnfulness
shall no longer be factors in determining
promotions.
The company, on the other hand, through
Vice President Webb, has also declared its
utlmatum. 1--WE shall select our own
men," he said. land we do not propose that
they will be designated by the Knights OF
Labor or It's commit tee. When men are
dismissed we shall rid ourselves of the inefi-
Gent, most vicious, and those least in accord
with our interests. When promotions are
to be made, we will not be bound by the
seniority rule of the Knights of
Labor" Thus the situation stands. Both
sides are firm. The railroad officials, how
ever, say that they have the upper hand,
and that the strike will soon be at an end.
The knights should have followed the plan
of the Brotherhood of Engineers-settIed
their differences by arbitration. 1t would
have been the wisest and easiest way out OF
the Il ifficulty