The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-18
DROPPING BROTHERHOOD MEN.
THE PLANT SYSTEM CONTINUES
DIsCHARGING ENGINEERS.

One of the Adjustment Committee of
the brotherhood says the Engi-
neers Placed the Committee in n
False Light With the Ohicials by
Representing They Did Not Want
the Contract system Continued.
The discharge Of engineers Of the
Plant system has not been limited to the
members who composed the committee
which endeavored TO secure "a contract
from President Plant and Supt Durham.
New heads drop into the basket every
day or so. and there is a very uneasy feel
ing. it is said. on the part Of many OF
those who are stiu at work. About ff-
teen have been discharged so Ear.
The names of the discharged engineers,
so far as known. are as follows: N. W.
Cahiu. a. r. Lodge and z. II. Redmond
of the Savannah division. George Hazel
of the Charleston and Savannah railroad.
S. B. Parker. J. a. Williams. q. A. Rad
ford and Phillips Of the Waycross divis-
ion, J. II. Donehoo and D. J. Bell OF the
South Florida division, W. z. Futch
White and Wright Of the Brunswick and
Western railroad and Hall Of the Alabama
Midland.
names are not known here were discharg-
ed on the Florida and Alabama divisions.
Apparently the officials are making Il
clean sweep Of all the engineers who took
any prominence in the recent effort to Sc
cure a renewal Of their contract with the
system. All the members Of the adjust
ment committee, which acted with Chief
Arthur have been discharged. the engi-
- 49,. AZ
had been in the service Of the system for
years. This was the case with nearly
mittee.
NJ. W. Cahil. the Savannah member of
the committee, had been I'm the employ of
the system for twenty-five years, and
mad never worked for any other road He
began in the service of the company as
an apprentice in the machine shops He
served Tour years as an apprentice and
Two years as a jOurneyman machinst. and
was then made an engineer. which posi-
non ne has filled for nineteen years
Mr. Cahill, when seen Yesterday bv a
-aoFnlng News reporter, seemed 10 take
ms discharge philosophically. and did
5 ioe seem 70 ne greatly cast down. He said
thaI the committee had been placed in
a wrong light with the officials bv the en-
glneers themselves.
we Were instructed to secure an agree
ment from the officials" he said land
endeaNored TO do so. We were given to
understand that the men wanted a con-
ttoNt. We continued our negotiations for
some time without success. We We're
never given any further instructions i'm
the matter, nor were we informed bv the
men that they had changed their minds
NeVertheless many of the men went to
the officials Individually and told them
tnat they did not want a contract. and
mat rhey would be just as well satis-
ned to work without IT. Naturally this
paced the committee in a false light with
the othcials. causing them to regard us
as agitators who were making demands
winch We're not backed by the men. Had
these men come to us and expressed
themselves, or had the lodges given us
instructions to the effect that a contract
was no longer desired we could have
Withdrawn from the situation with credit
10 ourselves and without giving offense
70 the officials. When we found what
had been done we notified the officials that
the demand for a contract was with
draWn. This was too late TO save us from
belng regarded as agitatOrs, demanding
Tor the men what they did not want them-
selves. Under the circumstances do not
blame the officials for holding the mem
bers Of the committee responsible for fine
trouble they had been given"
Mr.. Cahill did not explain how il was
mat many of the engineers did not care
1or a contract, but said that this was The
case nevertheless.