The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-24
TIE ANN AKBoR STRIKE.
Position IF the Brotherhood of Engineers
stated by Chief Arthur.

Position IF the Brotherhood of Engineers
stated by Chief Arthur.
CLEVELAND. o., March 2a-Chief Arthur.
OF the Brotherhood of Locomotive EDgi-
neers. has deemed it advisable TO set before
the public, in an official communication.
the position which the brotherhood occu-
pies in the Toledo strike. Mr.. Arthur's
statement Is follows:
After reading the various comments and
criticisms IN the different papers Oh the To-
ledo, Ann Arb0r * North Michigan strike
and Judge Ricks's decision, feel compelled
10 state my side of the story. In the first
place, | find It very hard To make the public
understand that | do not order any stop
page OF work. and could not If l
wanted TO. The men themselves
vote upon il. and If majority
decides TO stop WORK. OF conrse It Is done.
in sll cases where the engineers and fire.
men have q contract with railroad COM
panies we have no trou BILE and find 1t much
the best way TO do. The great trouble has
been on the small roads. and especially to
take advantage of tho men in making them
work for less wages and giving no pay for
overtime.
''ln the last case every honorable effort
was made to adjust the difficulty, but with
ont success. and here 1t is said that the men
stopped work with out giving notice. which
II not true. as | myself addressed letter
10 General Manager Ashley, of the
Toledo & Ann Arbor road informing
him that bis engineers and iremen
had determined to leave his service
at o'clock A. NJ. Wednesday, March
Z. thus giving him ample time TO decide
whether he would grant the reasona bic re-
quests of his men or not. HI. w. Ashley,
the gens-al manager, when Informed him
That would appeal 10 HE father. the pres-
dent, remarked very abruptly: He is an
old man aud does not know that | am pay
ing cents q mile or 81, and must not be
disturbed
'If there had been n head TO the Ann Ar
Dor road that believed in living and letting
live. we wolld not have had trouble. but SO
long as this grinding process IL carried out
by the railroads. Just SO long Will there he
trouble with the companies. An engineer's
lite IS hard one ut best: he must
report for duty many times when
not able to do so. or lose his
Situation. and il he be man
Of family it Is not an easy thing TO do.
BESIDES. many times the men are made ez-
amp!es of To crafty the petty spite of o
superintendent or master mechanic, and
are removed at the slightest pretext. It
does not take some mrn long to forget that
they came from n switehman's 10 o super
Intendents position. or from wiper To q
master mechanic. All the engineers and
fremen ask Is fair play. and there will be
no trouble.
III mon are not at liberty to quit work
when at any time 1t s1iis their convenience,
then certainly the same rule will apply to
rdlirOaQ companies anu deny bneIn the
right to discharge @ man at any time they
choose. without consulting his convenience
or comfort. We are at any time ready to
subscribe Co any rule that will apply alike
70 employer and employee"
Testimony of Lake shore Engineers.
TOLEDO. March 23.-The taking of testi-
mony was completed in rh cases of the
Lake Shore men in tho District Court this
morning. James Lennon, an engineer. de-
posed that be left the Lake Shores service
rather than hanl Ann Arbor freight and
help coBpsny which could not do Justice
to it's own employees. John Conley. the
next witness. who is not q member of
the Brotherhood. left tho Lake Shore
because he would not handle freight
the other men had refused TO toncn. Three
firemen-kessler. Thompson and James
stated that they left work because their
engineers lad omit. Conductor WiIlets " as
then called and questioned as to the re-
fusal OF engineer Leonard TO take an Ann
Arbor car az Alexis Owing 10 the illness
OF Frank Hurd. of counsel for the en-
gineers. court adjourned until Monday.