The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-12
PLANT SYSTEM ENGINEERS.
Reports That $4,000 is Being Dis
tributed Among Those DISCHARGED
Thought to BE a Mistake.


Editor Morning News: The statement
has been made in a number Of pa,ys-
papers that the Brotherhood of L,ocono-
i've Engineers is now distributing the sum
Of 5000 among the engineers who were
recently discharged from the service of
the Plant system. The statement is also
made that this money is being divided IN
among the engineers discharged without
a cause.
There must be some mistake about this
The laws of the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Engineers provide that the engineers
on any system or any road can only quit
work after two-thirds of the engineers
in the employ of such road or system of
roads have voted in favor of a Strike ar
as they term 1t quitting work" Where
this two-thirdS vote has been obtained
and the engineers quit work, the laws
of the brotherhood provide that the strik-
ing engineers shall be sustained, and the
brOther6Ood executive committee shall
be empowered to levy an assessment uDon
all members of the brotherhood, except
honorary members, for their assistance
and that the members so out Of work
shall receive $50 per month for three
months, If out of work for that length
of time.
Now, there must be some mistake about
the disposition of this money, because two
thirds of the engineers on the Plant svs-
tenn have never voted to quit work. and
this is the first step to be taken in order
to entitle those out of work to claim
from the brotherhood this $50 per month
1t must also be mistake, because not
single engineer discharged from the
Plant system has been out of work for
three months. The first engineer dis
charged lost his place Feb. 9. and his
three months would not be out until May g.
There are to-day only thirteen men ont
of work, who were discharged from fhe
service OF the Rant system, and $1,000 di-
vlded among thirteen men would be great
deal more to each than is allowed under
the laws of the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Engineers.
All told, twenty-eight men were sus-
pended or discharged from the Plant sys-
tenn, and, for satisfactory reasons five
of these men have been put back TO work
Every man who was discharged lost his
place on his own individual record Fveryy
man discharged had participated 70 q
greater or less extent in an effort TO
organize a strike on the Plant system
without any grievance more serious than
that they did not have a written con-
tract with the company.
Practically no contract had existed from
the early part of the year 1895 and when
this disturbing element in the brother
hood begun to agitate the question of a.
contract or a strike, their individual rec
ords were thoroughly known to the Off
Gals; and those who were CONSUMING r1Iot
ting and Scheming against the ordarI,,
conduct of the business of the comnany
were dismissed from its service.
An EFFORT has been made to create +ba
impression that the committees were Sc
lected to be discharged, whereas the truth
IS Mr.. Durham the general superintendent
has had nothing whatever to do uritb
the committees. He has always Insisted
upon his right to deal directly with his
employees, meeting them face to face Mac
ing each man upon his own merits. and
without the Intervention of any commit
tee or any other third party.
1t mas already been shown that under
the almost autocratic powers of the
brotherhood, the rankest discrimin9 tions
existed IN Its own organization and arnong
its own members: the faVorites taIrire
for themselves the high priced nIaces
and leaving for the less fortunate hrotberS
whatever they might chance to nick IN
II has also been shown that the earnin9s
of some engineers on the Plant system
were from 1850 to more than 50 OO0 ne1- an
less than $500 per annum. All this uniUst
and unreasonable discrimination nv ono
element of the brotherhood against an
other element, Mr. Durham broke IN
He established n more equitable and inst
rule, arranging the runs of the engineers
so as to as nearly as possible place them
upon an equal footing.
The brotherhood also undertook to pre-
vent the employment of capable engineers
for the simple reason that such were 1of
members of that order Mr.. Durham ala
not think this was just, and he yvoul6
have none or IT. He insisted UNION bie
right 10 employ any engineer whom ne
pleased REGARDLESS Of his connection with
the brotherhood, or any other organfza-
ton. WHAT the railway company needed
was eihelent, loyal, capable men to man
age IT'S engines. He denied the right OF
any committee to dictate terms 70 the