Omaha daily bee., 1892-08-16
FROM A RAILROAD OFFICIAL.

| mcteou the IchlSh Nailey
Tells His Side of the Story.
| PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Aug. 15.-Thc switch
mems strike on tho Lehigh Valley railway
| which, though viewed with becoming seri
| BUSINESS by the Reading management, occa-
| sions no apprehension as to the outcome.
| Men in numbers more than sufficient to fill
the places of tho strikers have been secured
| and thus far there has been no absolute stop
| page of traffic. Three freight trains were
! moved this morning. None of the perishabie
| freight has been stopped.
| In an interview today President Mcleod
! furnished some exceedingly interesting in
| formation regarding the strike.
ITO intelhgently unders tand the situation
at Buffalo," he explained, you must know
| that Buffalo is the dividing line between the
western roads and the trunk lines. Both
| concentrate here and this point forms the
geographical line between the western and
eastern railway systems. 1t likewise sup
| plies the differing conditions between the
| eastern and western roads. The roads west
| of Buffalo get higher rates for their traffic
| and the classiticatons are higher; every
| thing is on higher scale and the cost of liv-
| ing to the railway employees greater, hence
| they are paid higher wages than are paid in
| the east.
| Inangurated the Movement at Chicago.
"Some years ago the labor organizations
| starting at Chicago inaugurated a movement
| for higher wages along the western lines,
| moving eastward IN their work of arbitra-
| ton. One by one they took IN the various
| railroad yards uutil Buffalo was finally
reached. Here the two systems meet, and
| here, as in Chicago the employees OF the west
| ern roads get higher wages because the
western ROADS, receiving better rates can af-
| ford to pay the difference. The walking dele
gates jumped ut the opportunity, and urged
| equal rates, Notwithstanding the widely diff
| fering conditions. When the demand for an
advance was made 10 the eastern roads at
| Buffalo all declined except the Delaware,
Lackawanna 81 Western, which granted the
| ADVANCE. although In SO doing 1t exercised
manifest discrimination against Its other
employees IN the east.
"Althongh the Lehigh Valley declined to
meet the demands Of the men when tho road
| was separate organization, they renewed
them when the road was leased by the Read
ing. / Investigated the matter and decided
| that we could not grant tho advance without
raising the wages OF our men in New York,
| Philadelphia, Reauing and everywhere else
on our system, which, under the circum-
| stances, was unwarranted To have done so
| would have been unjust to the rest of our
people.
son our dccliuation the strikers held
meeting on July % at Waverly. What oc-
Cured there may be cleaned from this chap
| ter Of the proceedings.
| Counselled Violence.
"The worthy master says that the present
occasion would be good one to decide how
| the strike should De conducted. Mcnamara
| SAYS he was IN favor Of using force, should it
become necessary to do so. That his plan
| would be TO run cars off the etrack. go through
| the yard, knock holes into engine tanks, cut
| hose, ETC., 50 as to disable engines. Murray
! Smith and others spoke against too much
violence; agreed that, however, that a little
would be good thing.
"McNamara further said the plan of the
| strike was to have man named Cross, a
big, reckless fellow from Buffalo, and one or
two others from there, take charge of this
| end. The strike would bs declared at mid
night. The Buffalo men had given their
word that all arrangements had been made
to run Off the track and wreck freight and
| coal cars enough from l2 o clock midnight up
! 10 a. m. TO block up the whole road for a
whole week as the yard was full of cars. He
| (McNamara). thought there should be some
| thing done at this end of the line so that no
| cars should be sent over the Erie, or the Del
| aware, Lackawsnna Il Western. They had
the assurance of the other SIX roads running
| into Buffalo that they would not handle
car on the Philadelphia IL Reading, and the
/ Erie had the same question OF wages before
them and could be depended upon to stand
| by the Philadelphia * Rearing switchmon.
| Sweeney said he did not expect to get the
| ad Vance without short struggle, out was
cOnnuenL OF Winning Sweeney promises
| them that they would receive their wages or
! sink the organization"
Restrained from Working by Force.
at IS significant to note" added Mr.. Nc.
| Leod, "that those threats of July - were
| carried out yesterday. Our cars were
wrecked and burned and the worst kind OF
| lawlessness prevailed. / can only add" con-
| tRued President Mcleod, that there arc
| thousands of competent men ready TO 20 TO
| work for us in Buffalo, who are deferred only
| by violence. All we ask is protection by the
| local authorities and this ! am sure will nc
| furnished us. In fact / am just Informed
| that the sheriff OF Bradford county, Penn
sylyania, with fifty men, is now Ia charge OF
| our yard at Sayre, Pa. | have no doubt of
| the outcome. We are certain 10 win.n
| When asked whether he would make any
concessions TO the demands OF the strikers
President Mcleod answered emphatically,
| "No, SIR"
| Prospects for Extending
New York, Aug. l5.-rhe strike OF the
swltchmen ana train hands on the Lehigh
| T.lI Is.ta