The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-04-14

she mines at Butte and the reduction works
a. q eat Falls. aa we'll 40 Rener ri business
In the iattef city. would feel its ELECTS very
much. The Helena Eisctrie oompanT.
which gets in coal from Sand C0uios.
has quite lot on hand aud could
IN pinch eet fusl Z ON tho Rocky Fork
people.
The troubls between the management OF
the Great Northern and the employees 10 not
Of recen, origin. Ever since that road has
been Ia this state IL has uaid its employees
less than the Nodhsrn Pacific paid its men
for the same service. but there was NOT
much complaint until reductions were
made. The frat was whom the coal beavers
we're cut down 90 81 day. The Butte coal
beavers struck and their wages were 70
stored, bat ths coal beavers 40 other points
are working for a a dav. Then cams
general cut, 20 take effect April ]. This
nsw schedule makes considerable rsduc-
zion In the daily wages Of various employer.
The eDRinemen do NOT care particularly
about the reduction Ia the daily wages bat
u 10 the new rules that tneY object TO. Un-
der the old scale the engineers running be-
tween Helena aud Butte we're allowed
two days. Under the new schedule
thsT are given l4s miles. On bill
work the reduction 10 something that
makes a big dihersnoe 10 the engine men.
Where they we're formerly allowed mileage
for doubling hills, under the new sealo this
IL not paid. These various changes. and
others which are made by the new rules. are
what the enginemen object 90. They ask
that tho schedule that was la eff iot prior 20
August /. 1893, be restored.
The operators claim that they have the
most cause OF complaint. 10 that the wage
they TsosiyO ara away below those paid by
tho Northern Pacific for the same service.
On the Great Northern the maximum paid
telegraph opeTAtorslis 500. 90 = month; on the
Northern Pacific the maximum paid for the
same service 10 $50 month; the minimum
on she Great Northern IL $3.50 and on tie
Nothern Pacific 81. The Great Northern
ope ators give as an illustration OF how
this works the fact that she Northern Pa
eIho operator a. this city gets 3S5 month,
and the Great Northern ope atOr 900. b.
reduction made in the poy OF maohinists,
and ia that OF shop men generally. 10 IN
about the same ratio a. other employees
Representatives Of all the employees who
have quit work claim that the Injustice of
the new schedule lies in the fact that men
on the line living In Wisconsin and those
living in Montana sre placed on exactly the
same footing. They say that what would
be good wages in Minnesota are not living
wages in this state. owing TO the difference
In the cost OF the necessa ie'. Representa-
tives Of the Montana Central engineers say
they never signed the schedule that wsnt
into effect April l, 1894. Their represents
tives signed the old schedule. but not the
new one. Ihsy say the reason the mon
east Of Lsrimoro did not strike IL because
they did sign the schedule aud u was satis.
factory to them because the conditions
there are different.
Last night the men hell a big meeting.
Among other resolutions adopted was one
by which they pledged then selves TO con
duct the strike In an orderly manner and TO
give no caass for the interference Of the
authorities. The deputies APP oiuted By
sheriff CARTS TO guard the railroad prop.
srty were selected from the employees who
went out.