Connecticut western news., 1890-09-03
NEWS OF THE STRIKE.
Chief Arthur Replies and Says MT. Pc
 derly Prevaricatos.

derly PrevAricates.
 NEW YORK, Aug. 28.-P. M. Arthur, chief engineer of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, has written tho following letter to R. H. Holman, an engineer on the Third Avenue Elevated railroad, in response to g letter on the subject of tho New York Gen. tral strike. This is the first written utter ance of MT. Arthur. which fully defines his position toward the Central strikers and the Knights of Labor:
 "DEAR SIR AND BRoTHER-Your letter of the 2Sd inst. with MT. Powderly's let ter and other clippings from the New York papers inclosed, were received. In reply will say that have not received any letter from MT. Powderly. He claims to have written me private letter on the trouble and wants me to define my position. If he considsrs his letter that appeared in the newspapers 8 private one, I don't nor will I answer letters that reach mo in that way.
 "lt 1s unnecessary for MT. Powderly or any one else to ask me to define the posi- ton of the Brotherhood of Locomotive En- gineers in the present trouble on the New York Central and Hudson River railroad. The policy of the brotherhood is we'll known to him and the public, as 1t has been 1speatedly explained from the public platform and published in the newspaper. He says that some time ago I autographed him (neaning mel thGt would meet him in Cleveland, and when arrived there I could not find him high or low. learned that the telegram had been received by him, but my efforts to locate him were fruitless.' Now, the facts in the case as near a can remember are these: Some four years ago received telegram from Powderly requesting me to meet him at fhA T1nfOv, darot fy, G1ovo1and on kho arr rival of . certain train on the Lake Shore road. Owing to my absence from the of- flce did not receive tho message until after the departure of the train and so in- formed him by letter, addressing 1t to him at Scranton.
 "I do not believe he stopped over and looked for mo. If he had he would have had no difficulty in finding me at my office or at my house, as am always at the one or the other when in Cleveland. He tells . wilful falsehood when he says other leaders have been unable to find me whom they tried to do %. Any man who tries to find me when am in Cleveland can do so with very little effort, and no man, whether leader or private in tho ranks of labor, ever came to my office that he was not treated courteously. While differ with men as to the best methods to be employed " 000uAo OoAeoAA oASAo, ! AnV0 0AW0y0 U0OA liberal enough to concede to every man the same rights and privileges ask for my self
 'When the present trouble on the New York Central first occurred advised the engineers to abstain from all participation in 1t, and to attend strictly to their own business.
 T gave the same advice when the strike occurred on the Gould system few years ago. My advice to the Brotherhood of Engineers when men employed in other branches of railroad service have been on . strike was to mind their own business and not do anything thnt did not properly belong to them as engineers Can MT. Powderly say the samei I think not. Whenever the engineers have been on . strike we never asked any other labor or ganixation to assist us.
 Ut Is true some members of the order during the Chicago, Burlington and Quin- cy strike importuned tho switchmen to quit, but they did 1t on their own respon- ability and not by the authority of the or ganization. Consequently hold that we arc perfectly justified in maintaining strictly 8 neutral position when others are engaged in 8 conflict with their employers. MT. Powderly accuses members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers of taking the places of striking flremen. If that Is true the division of which they arc members will deal with them. It is not within the province of my authority to if MT. Powderly had the knights expelled who took the places of our men in the C., B., and O.? Yours fraternally,
 "P. M ARTHUR"