New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-19

MIR TOUCEY CALLS TT SWFENEY'S STRIKE
ONLY SLIGHT INCONVENIENCE EXPERIENCED

ONLY SLIGHT INCONVENIENCE EXPERIENCED
AT THIS END OF TIE PRINCIPAL ROADS
General Manager Toucey, Of tho NcwYork central
Railroad Company, who Is nov the hghes, "A1uuNe
officer OF the road at this end Of the ne refers 10
the present trouble at Buralo rs "sw"en"yS strike.
He SAYS that the men would have remained AT uer
ros, had NOT Grand Master Workman sweeney brought
shout the trouble for tie purpose OF gratifying
personal spite. .
81 call this strike svecncy's strike" said Mr.
Tolcey 20 a Tribune reporter Ihr sulhc was
ordered simply to rratfy this one man. wv hrs'
ACQUAINTANCE with Mr. sweeney was in 1880. In
August OF that year there was a strike at huhAlo
among the svitchmcn. our switching force be-
lonrod TO the switchmcn's Union. Not on" OF Va"
men was n member ~ the knights OF Labor Just
about the time Of the trouble sweeney suddenly hohF
TN in Buffalo. Tie labor agitaors hnd sent con-
mlttees to Buffalo 10 excite tho men and TO annoy u'
ard they successful. But they suc'''a'" WI"
ont Mr. sweeney knowledge. Informed Mt
Sweeney o, the state ~ affairs and pointed out 10
him the errors the men had made In leaving 'h'lr
posts Mr.. sweeney replied and said he would
ord he men lack thought that MI sweeney
would koeJ his word aid With the assurance no"
him that the men would be ordered back to Work
/ notified the local superintendent anu Nv vi" ''
employ any now men
Mr. Sweeney however, did not fulfil his promise
and the result was that the freight business In th"
ward. at Irtal1 VS. a; shhdsui l"r io'N '''t"
hours. simply to accommodate MI sweeney J"
f,-rcd Mr.. Sweeney the next dnr TINT II III" ne"
we're not at thdr posts at u y. m. they could never
cam. hack lie failed TO order the men back, ana
tho result was that the swtchmons Zion and tn
New.York Central Railroad Company have not reoog'
nized each other sce. The wages We had been paying
st buffalo were fixed In 1858 by an agreement mace De
tween a committee Of the switchmcns Union anu our
selves and II was satisfactory to all until Mr. sweeney
luu ~
by the hour into effect. Mr. sweeney appeared
a, nurolo and urged the men to make n demand
for more pay. He was anxious Tor thc return oi
the prestige used to have on the N"wi DIRK central
Eut the men declined 10 make the demand, anu
Mr. sweeney then turned to The L'hgh valley All"
Erie roads. and succeeded In getting IN" men ont
there. evidently with the view Of bringing about
,r,l. an the New York Central through sympathy,
and thereby enabling him more to become master
of the sItuaiion lie beat himself In 1850 lie VIII
no doubt repeat the dose THIS time His one OBJECT
~ M. seems 10 be 70 get the New York Central under
his Clutches
Mr. Toucey saws that the New York Central has not
hceu Inconvenience In the least by the strike All
that the company requires he says, Is the protection
of life and property, and business Will continue aS
,suol Al the Grand Central Station yesterday and
Of tho wards everything being moved as II
nothing unusual going on at any point on the
road Passenger trains were arriving and departing
ON fine and nll the freight was being handled rs
usuaI large number OF men seeking employment
called on the general manager. but he told all the
callers that at present the Central had all the men
it could employ.
u Iayng general manager 81 the West shore
RaIlroad is another railroad official who Is Of the
| on,uion TINT Grand Master Workman sweeney Is no,
a man 10 fulfil his promises and stand 10y agreements
which he signs. Mr.. Laying says that two weeks
| ago n committee from the swltchmen called on him
| and asked for n 10 per cent advance.
Il told them that could see no good reason ioi
| crontnc thc advance. md the committee left me
few DAYS later, about ten days ago, Mr.. sweeney
called on me. About three years ago We made
| very material advance In the wages OF the men ana
an agreement reached. signed the agreement
for the West shore and Mr. Toucey for The New YORK
central The committee with Mr.. swccney's per
MISSION also signed the agreement Well, when Mr.
sweeney called me ten days ago and urged an
| advance ! said 70 him:
Have not kept the agreement we made WIN
| YOU three years agOr
YES he admitted.
well all want you to do, them said. rs Tor
you keep yours
| IL told him that II he could produce any argu-
ments that would go TO show that the railroads were
making any more money to-day than they three
years ago. at the time the mutual agreement was
signed would listen these arguments, but to none
other.
! AT the time granted the advance 10 the men
at Buffalo who made the dcmand through their COM
,pittee we also advanced the wages of the switch
men at Newark, SYRACUSE Kingston and other yards
| Inc men at those points did not make demand
| but the company thought that II II mir 10 al
vance ut one place. 1t was also fair 10 give the au
| vance at other points where the work tie same
| 20 we voluntarily made the advance, and ever since
then until the present time the have been sails
ned And the men have no grievance now. INC
| f,ul Is with the but walking nelt
| gates Men who are satisfied with their positions
| as these men were. are not going % starve 'he't
| families because they are anxious Ia. The mistake
| the men have made Is In plac.ng themselves IN
| position where they must submit to slavery. man
doesn't generally OF his own free WILL set fire W Dis