The Indianapolis journal., 1892-02-16
is DISCHARGING THE MEN
Street-Car Employees Believe Frenzel
Is Trying TO Break Up Their Union.
Five Men Let Out Within Few Days.. ].
Lamb Investigating the Panhandle
Strike of Machinists.
SMASHING THE BRoTHERHooD.'


Unusual Number of Discharges of Street.
Car Men for Trivial Causes.
The chances are that there will be an
other street-railroad strike before many
weeks pass by. The status of the dispute,
in brief, is thiss The board of arbitration
made q decision that did not decide the
question of free rides. President Frenzel
interpreted this decision to suit him.
self and offered the men what they
consider practically nothing. On the other
hand, the men proposed to submit to the
arbltrators the difference of opinion which
had arisen over the decision. This PROPOSE
tion Mr.. Frenzel declined. Thus the dis
pute as to badges remains in statu quo. The
men have only such free rides as were
given them under President Frenzeps cele-
brated order with which he ushered in "the
glad new year."
In the meantime another and much more
serious matter has begun to develop. 1t
was strongly suspected. when President
Frenzel visited his directors IN Chicago
something over week ago. that he and
the directors arrived at the deter mination
TO "smash the brotherhood" and subse-
quent developments have very greatly
strengthened the suspicion among the men.
Of course the easiest way to do this would
be to gradually discharge the brotherhood
mon and replace them with non-unlonIsts ts.
1t is the old method that nearly every EN-.
ployer Of labor attempts when he has fight
with q union.
Within the past three or four days five
brotherhood men have been discharged
from the employ of the Citizens company,
while one other has been reduced to an
extra" and thus forced to seek employ
ment elsewhere In order to make o liveli-
hood. Of course. some cause is given for
each individual discharged. but the men
who have been let out say that all were of
trivial nature, so small, in fact, that had
they occurred before the strike they would
hardly have been cause for DAYS lay-of.
1t IS pretty evident that this phase of the
tronble was the principal topic of discus
sion at the meeting of the brotherhood last
night, though none of the men would say,
after it was over anything about the dis
cussion further than that no action was
self, however," said one of them. II feel
sure that If Frenzel is allowed to
pursue his way undisturbed. it
Is only question of time
until every last one of Us is ont of q job.
We don't want another strike. though we
had everything our own way In the first
one, but If it becomes o question of life or
death, we might as we'll all hunt new jobs
at once as to be compelled to 60 one by one"
At the meeting of the Brotherhood. last
night. resolutions indorsing the blue
Book and sympathizing with the Pan
handle men were offered and adopted as
follows:
Whereas The Brotherhood Of Locomotive En-
gineers have published q book entitled Indiana
Blue Book" B. of l.. t., in which It gives the
names OF the members of the Legislature who
vigorously Opposed the bill NS 4s4
whereas, Ii said bill had become q law it would
have been the first and only safeguard ever
thrown around employees, and
Whereas Ii is our opinion that members of
the Legislature who opposed such q fair iust
and righteous bill are enemies to organized
labor,
Therefore, Be 1t resolved, by the Brotherhood
Of Car-drfvers, Motormen and Conductors of
Indianapolis, that we heartily inderse the action
Of the b. of l.. e. and the contents OF the "In-
diana Blue Book"
Whereas, The machnists employed at the
Panhandle shops are engaged In q controversy
with their employers, and, whereas, we believe
that they are in the right, therefore be 10 re-
solved. that we extend our sympathy to the ma
chinists and offer our aid to the best Of our abil
fty.