The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-05
THAT CIRCULAR LETTER.
ITS OBJECTIONABLE QUESTIONS
6TIRs Up THE ENGINEERS

and Boyfst--Ths Conductors Max
ing Common Cause WITH the Engi-
ueers - Interviews With General
Manager Gzbbstt and e1perinrsnd-
ent starr-Chief Arthur 20 Confer
With the Central Oncisls Today.
The ObjsctiOnsbls questions which ths
Central railroad s1thorirtss psrsist in eom-
rellinz the suplOyss IN the trzosportztion
department % answer under ras pain q
discharge have created s Si3espreed disszt-
isfactio1 among railroad employees. sad
where for yszrs there have bssa the
most harm0niOus rslstIOls bstwss1 ths
Central and its large cJrps Of faithful en-
pI1yes there l. now some friction, and some
Of the men say that thsq1ss-i0ns submitted
70 thsEn have bad NJ equal since TIE bigs
Laws q Coonsc.iczt were abolished. S9pt.
Porteris msddlesOns qusstioas nOs excepted.
DISCUSSING The CIRCULAR
Groups Of railroad employees were GATH
cred On West Broad and On Liberty streets
yesterday quietly bat earnestly discussing
the situation
Chief Arthur Of rhe National Brother
hood q Locomotive Eaz1nssrz Il On TIE
ground, and Chief Conductor z. Z. Clarke
and Chief Fireman r. r. Sargent, repre-
seotinx respectively the national essocia-
tons Of CONDUCTORS and frsmen. are
expected 10 arrive to-day, and il ia thoughs
tbs matters a. Issue viii Be adjusted after
reasonable concessions from botb sidss.
ARRIVAL or cHIKY AETHUR-
p II. Arthur, grand chief eaginesr Of the
Grand and Nsrional Brotherhood 81 Loco
motive Eag1rssrz, arrived e. 6s5o O'Clock
last night over the Central road and Is
cnartsred az the Pulaski A MORNING.
NEWS reporter called on Mr. Arthur after
Tea, tut found him nOD-committel as % tbs
probable action the brotherhood would take
IN the matter.
Mr.. Arthur said that copy OF the circu-
lar letter hal been sent 70 him, and be had
bssn requested 70 come on 70 Savannah
from Cleveland, o ., a. the call u the local
brotherhood. Mr.. Arthur talked unrs-
ssrys1iy about the List 81 questions. and
said the letter was very absurdly gotten
Up. Il was made out il the torn Of an
application for position, - Be signed by
men who had been working for the road
for years, SONS as long a. thirty years.
A sENsELEss CLAUSE
The Incorporation Of the minors release
clenss 10 this application appeared ssDssless,
said Mr.. Arthur. No minor could act as
enginser under the laws Of the Brotherhood
Of Locomotive Engineers. IL appeared
very strange that the management Of the
Central system should suddenly call upon
their employees 10 pass a most unhezrd-of
examination. II was very proper tina: new
men, coming into the service Of any road,
should be examined Is TO their QuaIiflca-
tioDs for the positions they desire % Gil II
there were any Incompetent employees Of
tie road the management was az liberty %
discharge them
UNUSUAL AID UsHEARD or.
The questions and requirements Of the
Ceatrafs circular, said Mr.. Arthur. are IN
usual and unheard Of, and Il Is a mistake
that any system prOyides for any such re-
quirements Of its n8sn. He had heard that
tins Richmond and DanviIIe had endsavored
10 enforce similar set Of rules, but the
engineers Of that road have Informed him
that they have not signed them and do not
tats1d %. The Erie railroad had erdeaY-
ored 70 enforce some such st Of rules, but
had failed. The chief laughed when be
sasd that Il Il absurd and boyigh for a great
railroad system 10 want ~ know the color
u an employees hair and eyes, aud the birth
marks of his body.
RAvORs A HARMONIOUS SOLUTION.
MIR. Arthur says that he Is here In the in
terest II peace and harmony.
An effort will be made to adjust the
trouble by conference with the railroad man
agenent. The chief seemed to be ia full
sympathy with tbs engineers, number Of
whom surrounded him and listened at
tentively 10 the conversation, occasionally
taking p6t In it. Personally am opposed
b signing anything" be said in response 10
some remark about signing agreements
"suppOee," queT1sd the reporter, ''the
COMMITTEES should decide against answering
the questions aud the management should
enforce the order relieving the engineers,
what theni Could the road get men else
whereF1
CAST GET TIE ENGINEERS
Chief Arthur did not believe it possible
for the road - gecure a sufficient force Of
nnsn for It's business 'Such action. - said
he, would produce strike, involving
every railroad system In this section. The
brotherhood engineers would refuse to
handle the CentraIs cara on any road
A Savannah. Florida and Western en-
gineer sitting near said that there are $50
Central cars on the Savannah Florida and
western road waiting % be loaded with
watermelOns 10 he transferred over that
line, but II the Central discharged its engi-
neers for refusing 70 answer the questions,
not an engineer on the road would move one
OF the Centrals cars and he added, "W here
would the watermelon crop be thenF' The
sentiment was generally approved by
the engineers, a crowd Of whom from both
the railroad systems was present.
coSFEhRTSG WITH THE BROTHERHOOD.
Mr.. Arthur held a conference last night
It'll the committee Of the brotherhood Of
locomotive Engineers. All this divisions
II the Central system were represented
including tho Alabama aud South Carolina
Lines. II Is expected that Mr.. Arthur will
lave conference with the Central officials
to-day.
The action Of the engineers depends on
that conference. The engineers say that
none Of their number have signed vet. as
has been reported, nor have any been dis
charged. They are practically a unit against
answering the questions.
One Of the main features Of the letter 70
which this men object 10 questions Nos. 10
and 20, requiring them TO abstain from the
use Of intoxicating drink while In the SER
vice of the company, 10 keep away from
places where IL is sold, and lend their infiu-
ence 70 keep others away. The men do not
like TO have their personal liberty 30 restrict
Cd. They say that while they believe In
temperance they are not prohibitionists,
and 1t is not their business to
keep others away from saloons.
POSITION OF THE CONDUCTORS.
The reporter talked with an officer of
the Order Of Railway Conductors who said
that the conductors earnestly disapproved
Of the requirements OF the circular letter,
though they are keeping very quiet. He
slf,oa mt holfava that AZ fba ~, 49,.