The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-03-08
THE swITcHMeNs DEMANDS.

CHICAGO, March THE Herald says
that at noon yesterday the officers OF the
different railroads of the United States re-
ceived the following petition from the
Switchmen's Mutual Aid Association of
America:
1--WE, the switchmen employed by your
corporation, respectfully present for your
consideration the following:
"E'irst-The rate OF pay for swltchmsn
to be as follows: Day foreman, 81 cents
per hour; helpers, 80 cents per hour; night
foreman, 81 cents per hour; night helpers,
32 cents per hour.
''Second-That ten hours work be guar
anteed each crew, day or night"
The officers of the thirty-two roads CEN
.ering in this city received the petition
from a committee of the men employed on
each road. The petition contains no
threat, and is mild in its wording, and 1t
is partly owing to this reason that 1t was
accepted by the general superintendents.
The superintendents have referred the
communication to the general managers
association. The association held short
meeting yesterday afternoon. intending to
take some action Oh the matter, but the
subject was too serious to be decided hast
lily, SO they adjourned until today, when
an answer was to be given TO the switch
men.
The situation may develop into serious
state of affairs. There are 1900 switch
men employed by the different roads in
this city. If the general managers refuse
to grant any part of the schedule. strike
is imminent. A strike around Chicago
would be serious enough, but the proba-
bilities are that there would at the same
time be similar strikes all over the coun-
try, as every railroad hasreceived the new
schedule. This would jeopardize the in
terests of the worlds fair.
PHILADELPHIA, March An advertise
ment in a paper for railroad switchmen
and yardmen, to work in yards away from
Philadelphia, at good wages, is attracting
ii large number of men to No. 20 Thlr-
teenth street. In a room On the third
floor James 5. Stanton, who is hiring those
who apply, said that they were to go west,
to take the places of railroad switchmen
about to strike, and that their destination
would be Chicago. A number Of appli-
cants was engaged.
CLEVELAND, O., March 7.-An agent
giving the name of A. J. Shirk has been
in the city during the past few days en-
gaging Swltchmen to go west.
OMAHA, March 7-The conference be-
tween the switchmen's committee and
Manager Dickinson OF the Union Pacific
was resumed, with no apparent result.
Mr.. Dickinson refused TO make any propo-
sition to the switchmen, aud they We're
disappointed at his attitude. He returned
this morning from Chicago. and it is be-
Ieved that his action today indicates that
no advance will be given to the sMtchmen
anywhere.
PITTsBURG, Pa, March IA general
strike ofathe switchmen of the Pennsyl-
vania Western system and probably of the
Baltimore and Ohio road is threatened.
The officials OF the Pennsylvania company
are nowjn Chicago with their ultimatum,
which is a refusal Of all demands.
OwOSSO Mich, March THE old en-
gineers on the Toledo, Ann Arbor and
Northern Michigan railroad are being re-
lieved as rapidly as they come off their
runs, and new men are taking their
places Everything is quiet. Unless the
strike come soon, it will fiud no brother
hood men on the engines to obey the order
to strike.
TOLEDO, O., March 7.-Tomorrow morn
ing at o'clock fifty engineers and as any
firemen of the Toledo, Ann Arbor aud
Northern Michigan railroad will go out
on strike. The order to that effect was
issued today by Chief Arthur Of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and
Chief Sargent of the firemen. Attempts
to close the differences between the COM
pany and the engineers have proved futile.
General Manager Ashley of the Ann
Arbor road left today and the other
officials of the company have nothing to
say on the matter. 1t Is thought, how
ever, that the places of the strikers will be
promptly filled by non-union men.