The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-16
wADLEY AND THE ENGINEERS.

| Defines His Position Relative to the
Brotherhood.
Editor Morning Nelcs: The numerous
rumors OF my resignation from the Central
railroad on account of Judge Speers recent
ruling in the case of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers show that my po-
sition is misunderstood by the newspapers
and as this may be also true of the en-
ploYes of the company, address you this
| open letter which is a full statement of my
| management OF this case since December
| 1892.
In December last was waited upon by a
| committee representing ths Brotherhood OF
| Locomotive Engineers which laid before me
contract drawn up between the Brother
| hood of Locomotive Engineers aud the Cen-
trail Railroad and Banking Company of
Georgia. was informed that this contract
| must be signed by me If peace was TO be
| maintained between their labor orgsniZa-
ton and the Central railroad. l refused to
| recognize the right of this committee,
| claiming to represent the Brotherhood OF
Locomotive Engineers, to require me to
enter into any contract or agreement with
that association, and said to them that did
not intead at that or at any future time
| TO enter into contracts with any labor or
| ganizatlon; further informed the commit
| tee that had drawn up schedule stating
| plainly aud distinctly the rate of pay and
regulations and rIles for the pro notion and
discipline Of the engineers and firemen en-
| ployed on the Central railroad. This sched-
| ule covered all points between the company
| and the engineers, except those Of manage
meut, which did not then and do not now
| consider as matters within the control OF
| the employees. A similar schedule TO that
shown the engineers was given to aud &C
/ copied by the firemen, and since it he's been
| in al no 4 tisfa he.
| arisen. This committee was made to under
| stand clearly that neither they nor any
| other employe of the road would be made to
suffer for belonging to any labor association.
| The committee then notified me that they
would call the grand chief OF their order, P.
| ID. Arthur, TO Savannah for the purpose Of
| considering whether strike would be or
| dered on the Central railroad, hoping that
this action might intimidate Inc and cause a
| contract to be signed.
On March Z, 900 copies of the schedule
| prepared by me were printed and would have
| been placed in effect on the Central
| railroad, but that l had received fustruc-
| tions from the receiver of the company not
| to put item in use until after Judge Speer
| had entertained the case of the Brotherhood
| OF Locomotive Engineers. 10 was hoped by
the brotherhood that Judge Speer would
| order the receiver to enter into a contract
| with them. l was called upon by Mr. Co..
| L0eT, receiver OF the TO9Q, TO make q written
| statement why contract should not be
| made with the Brotherhood of Locomotive
| Engineers. l did so, and sent him at the
| same time a copy of the schedule which |
had drawn up 10 December. These papers
J we're submitted to the court. My statement
| to Mr.. Conner was as followsa
| There are two reasons why q contract
should not be entered into: First, 1t would
| be the greatest hinderance to the officials of
the company in giving the public the best
| service. The Brotherhood of Locomotive
| Engineers is an irresponsible body of labor
| organized to benefit Itself without regard
to the needs because it is ignorant of them)
Of the property, the operation of which gives
| its members work and wages while the rail
road Is a corporation subject to be sued and
| ls held by the courts emenable to the law Of
| the country. Therefore, while the brother
| hood OF engineers, as represented by its
members can and do withdraw from the
| service of the railroad in body creating at
all times confusion, and IN many cases
danger to life and property, the association
| has never been held liable. The rOed, on
the contrary, is always held responsible for
| its liabilities as common carrier and is
subject to any damage which may occur by
reason Of Reorganization OF its service.
THE Brotherhood of Locomotive En-
| gineers having for its sole object the con-
troll of its particular branch of labor, cares
| nOG Wuhb hlLtA Vi lu6u dT6 Lhk6ll INTO 1LS
number 50 long as it is enabled to attain the
| object in view. The road, however, is held
| directly responsible to the public for good
| and safe service, and the excuse of not hav-
| ing control of its employees is not, and
| should not be. accepted as sufficient reason
for non-performance of its duties. There
| fore, in order that its own and the public's
interest should be protected as far as posi-
bic, full liberty should be accorded to the
officials OF the company to use such judg
ment as they may possess In selecting from
| the country at large the best men and
means for handling its business, without re-
| gard to organizations of any kind. There
is a rule book governing each and every
| employe, and every one Is expected to read
thoroughly and satisfy himself that he can.
with justice and credit, work for the COM
| pany. A schedule OF pay is posted, and
each one knows certainly what he can ex-
pect, and the company is left free to select
| the best and most reliable men for promo
ton in their line of service.
| "Second, 1t is un just and injurious to the
men themselves. The railroad never hav-
| ing looked to the brotherhood for its supply
! of engineers, there are to-day many men in
| its service who do not belong to that order,
and should the company give order men
| privileges not open TO all men in its service
| it can readily be seen that the result would
| be q premium offered for order men, and a
large part of the efficiency Of the service
would be abolished. Individual effort in
the shape Of better and more intelligent
work would be lost, as where the rewards
| to good and bad workmen are made equal it
is to no ones interest to improve. Where
ever the beginning has been made in deal
ing with this or any other labor organiza-
ton, it has been taken advantage of to
fasten more thoroughly the tyranny OF
organization on that class OF people known
as labor, and instead Of being benefit to
men and property it has become
a burden TO both. Take a case
in point. Now something over a month
| ago, there being strike of engineers on the
Savannah, Americas aud Montgomery
railroad a connection of the Central rail-
road, the engineers of the latter were in
structed not to haul Savannah, Americas
and Montgomery railroad cars, and notice
was served on the officials of the Central
railroad that this order would be carried
out, aud upon a discharge following a re-
fusal of one of their number TO pull trains
as made up in the yards Of the Central rail-
road at Savannah, strike was threatened,
aud would probably have been executed had
not the engineers realized before too late
that they could not strike successfully.
This man had no desire himself to violate
any of the rules Of the company for which
he was working, but the rules Of the
labor association to which he was
bound by secret oaths compelled him to
obav its oon1 rnauds This case happened at