The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-06
SETTLED BY COMPROMISE
THE CENTRAL WITHDRAws ITS
CIRCULAR LETTER


Aid the Company in Keeping In
competent Men Out of its Service
and to Furnish AL Information Con-
corning Employees When Called
Upon-Chief Arthur Upholds the
Engineers in Their Refusal to Sign
the Original Circular-General Man
ager Gabbett and the Engineers
Both Satisfied With the Result.
The differences between the Central rail-
road management and the employees Of its
transportation department have been AMIGA
bly, settled. The settlement is the result Of
conference yesterday between General
Manager Gabbett and the officials Of the
transportation department aud Chief Ar
thur and the grievance COMMITTEES Of the
Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers.
compromise was effected by which the
Central withdrew 1.-THE twenty-one ques-
tions," and q substitute contract was
signed, by which the brotherhood pledges
itself to aid in keeping incompetent men
out of the company's service and 70 furnish
whatever information the company desires
concerning employees when calledl upon TO
do so.
THE ENGINEERS FIRM.
The meeting of the grievance committee
Of the brotherhood engineers of the various
divisions Of the Central system resulted in
positive declination to accept the condl-
lions Of the Objectionable circular.
Chief Arthur and the engineers COM
mittee met General Manager Gabbett at the
Centrals general Office at 10 o'clock yester-
day morning. Mr.. Arthur stated the
49, -. h. k..G
and discussed the issue at length. He took
the position that the requirements Of the
road were absurd, and would not reach the
end desired. To require old employees to
renew their application for places he
characterized as foolish. Such require
ments are exacted, he said, by no other
railway system in the country; they are
too restrictive upon the personal liberty Of
the men, requiring absolute abstinence, at
all times, and preventing them from even
entering a place where liquor Is sold;
they demand information concerning pri-
vate affairs which could be Of no use to the
railway, and 70 give which, is embarrassing
TO the men; the information sought could
be Of no benefit, as the road is already in
possession of most Of the information, or
could easily obtain it. Some Of the ques-
tions, Mr.. Arthur admitted, were reason
able but the men could not afford to sign
any circular containing so many objection
able features
A VIOLATION OF AN EXISTING CONTRACT.
The circular itself, he said, is violation
OF the arrangements contract with the en-
gineers made Nov. l, 1889, for one year, in
which it was provided that the agreement
should remain in force for one year from
that date aud should not be changed by
either party except after ninety days no
tice in writing. That agreement is still in
force.
Mr.. Arthur showed the disastrous conse-
ouences which would result from conflict
between the road and its engineers and
other employees of the transportation de-
partment, involving not only the Central
system, but all connecting lines. He was
here, he said, in the interest of peace and
harmony, and he desired an adjustment il
possible. Nevertheless, the men could not
sign the letter.
General Manager Gabbett stated his posi-
ton; that the officials desired the informa-
ton sought in the circular letter for the
good of the service, and to give it could not
inlure the men. MIR. Gabbett maintained
his position, as stated in yesterdays MORN
ING NEWS, that he had always been willing
TO confer with the men. Lawton & Cum
bingham argued at length in support of Mr.
Gabbett's position, maintaining the legality
and propriety of the question and showing
the benefit to be derived by the road from
the information.
WILLING TO COMPROMISE.
Both sides showed a readiness TO compro-
mise and an anxiety for reasonable ad-
justment in a manner satisfactory both to
the road and the men. The engineers were
firm in their refusal TO sign however, and
nothing was accomplished at the morning
conference, which adjourned 10 meet at 4
o'clock IN the afternoon.
The committee at the afternoon con-
ference represented not the engineers
only, but the firemen, brakemen
and non-union conductors also, who had
agreed to abide by their decision. A
MORNING NEWS reporter was informed at
the Centrars yard that all the members of
signed the letter Several firemen said that
only one fireman had signed.
The adjourned conference was short, but
decisive and satisfactory General Manager
Gabbett presented the following as substi-
tute for the circular letter, which was i'm
mediately accepted and signed by the COM
mittee of engineers:
SAVANNAH, GA. June 5.-The Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers, through its grievance
committee, hereby agrees and contracts to use
its best efforts, individually and collectively TO
prevent the introduction of any incompetent
men into the train service of the company and
to use every effort in getting rid of any fncom-
petent man who may now be in the employ of
the company; to report any dereliction or
shortcoming on the part Of any employee.
That they further agree to furnish any infor-
nation In their possession, or that they may be
able to obtain, about any employe when called
on TO do SO by the company.
This shall remain In force during the
tendency of the agreement dated Nov i. 1889
and is a compromise of the differences existing
as TO the answers by individual enginemeu
already employed of the questions contained 10
the blank application for service
W. o. RYAN, Chairman.
J. w. SMITH
T. o. POWELL
Z. W. WATKRHousE,
w. c. LAWRENCE.
+. j. Rae.
The engineers on the committee represent
the various divisions of the Central system
Mr. GABBETT SATISFIED.
Mr.. Gabbett was seen after the confer.
ence. He said that he is pleased with the
easy adjustment OF troublesome question.
The contract agreed upon, he said,
Is, OF course, a compromise, but il
is as satisfactory to him as
the answers 10 the letter would have been.
He has now the power to secure information
concerning any employe, which was all he
desired, and he can easily rid the service OF
Incompetent men. The management, he
said, has no reason TO be dissatisfied with
the agreement
The object Of the railroad company was To
procure more efficient sarvica in its frame