The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-14
WAITING TO SEE Mr.. PLANT.
CHIEF ARTHUR RETURNS HERE
FOR THAT PURPOSE.


pany. which il sim UnsettIed-He
Talks Freely on the Subject of the
Differences between the Plant Sys-
lem and the Engineers, and IN
plains Several Mnttcrs-iie believes
Mr.. Plant VIII Take a Different
View of the Matter After Hearing
From Both sides.
Chief P. n Arthur OF the brotherhood
Of Locomotive Engineers arrived in the
city yesterday morning from Augusta
where he has been since he loft Savannah
Dec. 81, enleavoring TO effect settlement
Of the differences between the engineers
and other employees of the Georgia railroad
and the company
The purpose Of Mr.. Arthur's return TO
Savannah is 10 secure definite answer
from Mr.. Plant as TO the date which the
latter has agreed to name for confer
ence with the engineers Of the Plant sys-
tenn on the question Of contract. " hen
Mr.. Aurthur was in Savannah last Mr..
Plant promised to name a date for the
conference within three weeks. Two weeks
Of the time has expired and the date has
not been named. Mr.. Arthur is anxious
that it be fixed. as he has other matters
requiring his attention.
Mr. W. f. Futch, chairman OF the board
of adjustment of the Plant system engi-
neers. met Mr.. Arthur here at the latter
request. When seen at the Pulaski yester-
day by a Morning News reporter, both
gentlemen talked very pleasantly. Mr..
Arthur was asked about the difhculty IN
Augusta. He said that the situation there
Is very unsatisfactory. The trouble be-
gan IN the different construction placed
upon the contracts with the men, made
by the former general manager, MT. }. w.
Green, by the present general manager
When Mr. Arthur arrived in Augusta he
found that conference had been arrang-
ed for between the employees. committee
and the general manager. lie aWalJed
the conference. which resulted IN noth-
ing. A conference of the employees was
then held and proposition Tor an agree
ment submitted to Mr.. Scott. He reject
ed the proposition and declined to make
any concessions. A conference was neld
between Mr.. Arthur, Mr.. Sargent, chief
of the fremen's brotherhood, and other
chiefs, and a proposition was submitted
70 the general manager that the Wnole
matter be left to arbitration, one man 70
be appointed by the railroad, another by
the men and these two TO select third
man. and these three men to
compose a board of arbitration whose de-
cision should be final. Mr.. Scott said
that this proposition was something en-
tirely new to him and he would nave 70
have time in which TO consider II. lie
agreed TO give an answer Wlthin Two
weeks time, or by Jan. q. Having his
time on his hands while waiting for Mr..
SCOTS answer Mr.. Arthur decided to re-
turn TO Savannah and endeavor to ar
range the date for the conference with
Mr. Plant.
one of the matters complained Of by the
Georgia railroad engineers and other en-
ployes is that they are allowed only two
days pay for the run from Augusta to
Atlanta and return. a distance OF 3i2
miles, whereas for the same service they
We're formerly allowed three days pay by
81 n hnFa he
ond conference was held with General
Manager Scott the men agreed to waive
all other points of difference, and asked
only that the Old rate of pay be restored.
This proposition, however, was refused
by the general manager The several or
ganizations of the employees of the Geor-
gia railroad are federated and act to-
Mr. Arthur had copy of Saturdays
Morning News, in which an interview
is published with Mr. Plant. and he chal-
lenged certain statements made by him.
Mr.. Plant Is quoted as saying" said
Mr. Arthur, that because of reductions
in business and unsettled business and
financial conditions il would be unwise
for the company to bind itself to the en-
plOyment of any certain number of men,
as II might have the men to pay when
there was no work for them to do Mr.
Plant certainly could not have read the
previous contracts of the road with the
engineers, or he must have forgotten
them. The principle Of these contracts
is no work, no pay. If the wheels do not
road may have 100 engineers in its
employ under one of these contracts,
and if there, is only work for. fifty only
nfty are paid. We, ourselves, insist upon
the employment of the minimum number
of men with which the road can be opera
ted with safety and dispatch"
Mr.. Arthur said that 1t was a mistake
that contract interferes with the con-
troll of the men by the officers of the road.
The only stipulations in the contracts
of this character are that the oldest en-
gineers shall be given the preference in
the work. when competent and worthy,
ana that the men shall be sent out on
their runs in rotation. This, he explained,
is done to prevent favoriteism and in
Justice on the part of the minor officials,
who would otherwise exercise their au-
thority TO give the advantage in the
work to their personal friends and IA
Worries, and who might shut out old and
experienced men in favor of younger
ones.
THE statement made in the same arti-
cle,' said Mr.. Arthur, that the con-
tract requires a full days pay for men
who were on the days list, but whose
trains did not run on that day. is an error.
The contract requires that when q man
IS called to take out certain train and
the train is afterwards annulled he re-
ceives half days pay II he waits over
tve hours he gets full days pay. This
is only just to the man who is called out
of his bed at any hour of the night and
VINO often waits several hours before il
Is decided whether or not the train Will be
run.
Mr.. Arthur has. several other matters to
DIiHS up. understand. ne said. that
Mr.. Riley, master mechanic of the Sa-
vannah, Florida and Western railway.
has charged that l am going about the
country, agitating strikes. This is false
have never ordered or advised strike
have always exhausted every honor
able means of settling a difference be.
tween the men and their employers before
consenting 10 a strike. The question OF
quitting work is left to the men them.
selves and the rules require a two-thir1s
vote to make such action binding If Mr.
Durham and Mr.. Plant will not give tht
engineers a contract and the engineers de
eide among themselves by a two-thirds
vote TO quit work they will have my con,
sent and approval and the support of tn,
organiza ton. We are DESTROYS of main
tanning friendly relations with the Plan
system and will make all honorable con.
cessions to do 50. Contracts of the kline
sought by the engineers are in force OF
go per cent. of the railroads of the country
We believe them to be of advantage t
both the men and the companies TIL,
men feel that certain rights are guaran
teed them by the contracts and that the,
need be in no apprehension of an infringe
Inent on these rights while the contrac
is in force. A contract protects the inter
ests of the company. This was proven il
the great strike of the American RAILWAY
TTafon al Cfhica 90 in 1894 WI &