The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-18

provided that when working elgnI hours 7
day the company shout / not employ anJ
of the above named craftsmen until after
| 10 per cent of the force had been discharged
| This, Mr. Mcconnell stated, would pre-
vent the men working eight hours, there
by practically taking the control of hiring
men out of the company's hands.
Superintendent Mcconnell could not say
Just how many men would be affected.
The Knights of Labor among the shop
men refused TO strike, as a bulletin VA:
posted by the executive committee of dis
trict assembly No. So ordering all Knights
to remain ut work, AS by striking they
would violate the agreement entered into
by the assembly and the officers of the
road. The number OF knights among the
| men IS small
All the men in the company's shops al
North Platte also went out this morning
The strike inaugurated today affects
about 9, 800 men on the system, but Only
| interests the workers in iron, or those mel
who are working eight hours instead ol
nine, as they allege they we're promised
on January 15 The towns to be most
| affected by the strike, in addition tc
Omaha, are Denver, Cheyenne, salt Lake,
| Rawlins, Armstrong, POcatello, Evanston
| Laramie, Lagraude and Shoshone.
| The consensus OF opinion among the
| officers of the Union Pacific is that the
| road never has been i'll a better condition
to undergo strike han at this time. The
| officials do not hesitate to say that tney
can go for the next ninety days without a
man who walked out today. There Is q
| feeling that tue strike vii! not extend over
the remaining days of April. but that If II
should the company is prepared for the
| worst. President Clark, when seen this
| afternoon, refused TO make any. detailed
statement of the differences between
the men and the company, saying
| that his remarks might be mis-.
| construed, and that irritation would
arise He believed that the men as whole
| would not act rashly and that the strike
would not be general. The men, he said,
| had simply asked more than the company
could grant, and he could not, tc the ex-
teut desired, surrender his authority over
them.
1T KANSAS CITY.
KANSAS CITY, April 1.-THE contem-
plated strike of the machinists, boiler
makers and biacksmiths employed IN the
shops of the Union Pacific railroad at
Armstrong, near here, went into effect at
12:45 O'clock today. The men generally re-
turn to work from their dinner at that
time, but today 140 of them did not resume
work after the dinner hour. The strike
includes all the machinists, blacksmiths
and boiier-makers employed III the shops.
1t was learned that the men acted under
instructions issued from Omaha, the head
quarters of the road, and that the strike
was general over the entire system.
This morning il was estimated that the
half across the continent, from Omaha to
Portland, Or There are large forces at
Cheyenne, Rawlins, Laramie. Salt Lake
and Ogden. A somewhat similar trans
continental strike, but hardly of such
mammoth proportions, has been i'll pro-
gress on the Santa Fe system for week.
Just before noon today the foremen were
notified to order their men not to return to
work at / O'Clock The order came by
wire from Omaha. The strikers went to
the office of Division Master Mechanic
Roberts to see what he was going to do
about it: but Mr.. Roberts could not do
anything for he gets his orders from
Omaha, too. May OF the strikers went to
their homes. while some fingered about the
shops. They were all peaceable aud made
no effort to interfere with anyone. But
few knew what they were striking for,
further than that they were following IN
structions from their executive board at
Omaha. One OF them stated that an agree
ment made by the company at the time
the working time was reduced to eight
hours that no new men would be put on
had been violated, and that the men were
asked to stand shoulder to shoulder until
Division Master Mechanic Roberts was
much worried over the walkout today
When seen by a reporter he sad:
II don't think the men here had any
grievance, although it is possible they
may have grievances elsewhere, The
Union Pacific company has at the Kansas
City shops about the finest lot of mechan-
les to be found anywhere. They are
nearly all old men, and those who Went
out did so, | think, not particularly from
any choice of their own, but because they
were ordered out.
A mem Der of the local grievance COM
mittee stated that the Union Pacific COM
pany had between 5000 and 5000 men in
the shops at various points an the system.
About all the mechanics and boiler
makers in Kansas City. Kan, are union
men, but among the blacksmiths only two
were members OF a union and went out.
The others are Knights of Labor and re-
manned at their posts of duty. President
Broderick of the federation board, IN
letter to local mechanics, laid the blame
for the strike on the shoulders OF Mr.. Nc
Connell, general superintendent OF motive
power of the Union Pacific system. In
the letter Mr. Broderick says:
'"The strike would never have come
about had Mr.. Mcconnell shown any dis
position to treat us fairly. Mr.. Clark
showed disposition to be fair, and we be-
lieve would have signed the agreement
only for Mr.. Mcconnell. Now, brothers,
Omaha is solid in all departments. SO
stand shoulder to shoulder until victory
is ours, and you hear from us.
Late this afternoon the striking mechan-
les held meeting in Kansas City, kau.
and discussed the situation thoroughly.
They decided to stand firm, and think by
so doing the company Will be forced to
submit within a week. The meeting was
entirely harmonious and soon adjourned.
A well-known engineer, talking tonight,
said that he thought the engineers and
firemen would not go out as they had no
grievance against the company.
Its a fight between the company and
the mechanics" said he land | don't
think we will be called upon for assist
auce."
NO STRIKE AT DENVER,
DENVER, April 1.-THE shopmen of the
Cuion Pacific railroad at this point are
at work. but are ready to go out on IA mo-
ment's notice, and are only awaiting an
order from Omaha. ri the order comes
they will quit their places at noon.
The knights of Labor this morning
posted the following notice at the shops:
''The strike ordered by the unions is in
support of demand for an agreement
with the company covering only machiu-
iSts boilermakers aud blacksmiths and
which is in direct opposition 10 the spirit
of the agreement entered into between the
company aud the knights of Labor. All
members Of the knights OF Labor and all
who believe in equal justice TO all Will
refuse to uphold the action of the unions.
and district assembly Ne. s. will guaran-
tee support to all who stand with the or
! ganization IN this matter
! DENVER, April 1.-THE threatened
strike OF machiaists. boilermakerS and
| hlacksmiths, employed IL the Union
| Pacific shops here did not occuc today
| Tho man IL, tb.. Il arL- par,ayi -