The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-10-23

The Great Northern strike situation Is be-
coming graver every hour and las, night
the statement was made, by those inter-
ested on this division. that at any moment
they expect to be ordered out. The crews
arriving Saturday night and yesterday
morning brought word that some action
would probably be taken yesterday which
caused runor in local circles that the
men had already gone out on the eastern
division. About the yards the men dis
eussed the matter and waited for an order
that would stop work on the yard engines
In the afternoon the rumor proved 10 be
groundless. The afternoon overland pulled
out on time we'll filed with passengers who
toked about the probability OF being stall
ed before reaching ST. Paul.
No word was received from the ST. Paul
men yesterday. The last message came
Saturday night and stated that the general
grievance committee was still In session
and the status of the trouble was I'M
changed. On Saturday a representative Of
T. NJ Arthur. chief Of the Brotherhood Of
Locomotive Engineers was In Seattle He
left Sunday morning ard IS said TO be
somewhere On the Spokane division. What
his mission was no one will admit. other
than to say that ne was here In the In
terests OF the federated employees Of the
road.
A Complete Federation.
A most complete federation Of engineers.
conductors. firemen. brakemen and opera
tors. both In the freight and passenger de-
partments II is said, has been made. All
the labor organizations OF these different
departments have signihed their intention
OF sticking together, although not all Of the
individual members are in favor Of a
strike.
While the firemen were the first to start,
the grievance conditions for the past sew
eral months have been such that all
other employees have been similarly at
fected. The local grievance committee
which has the matter In charge spent a
busy day yesterday answering questions
One Of this committee when asked foc a
statement of what the men were asking
from the road said
THE whole trouble is that the Great
number of men 10 take care OF the busi-
ness. Freight men are working in some
instances twenty hours for several days at
a stretch. Passenger men not tnfrequently
are no better. 1t is fact that in some
instances men have been so worn out
from continuous labor that they were I'M
able to throw a switch without bringing
the train to stop.
Freight men have in some instances
come In after thirty hours run and In
less than four hours have been called ont
means a discharge. There is a United
States law which requires that every man
engaged In the operation OF a railroad
must be allowed at least five hours rest
each day Several men have awaited them
selves of this law, but all who have are
now looking for work which Is hard TO find
because a reference cannot be secured from
the last road where he was employed. This
privilege. however has not been ,.sed as
the excuse for his discharge but all know 1t
was at the bottom OF the result.
Passenger Men Last to Join.
The federation has been complete 'on
turned to st. Paul with the peremptory
order TO return 10 work In ten days. The
passenger men were the last 10 ecme in.
They are paid by the month and receive
extra time for hours OF delay spent on
the road. They also add 10 their griev-
ance that after a long run they are COM
PEELED to cut their cars af-.r accompanying
the train out OF the division Yards In
some instances they are also com,ailed to
load and unload baggage no matter row
long they have been without sleep. These
committee at st. Paul - trying tc have
adjusted
During the pas. few days several men
have been let out and green hands have
taken their runs. In several tns-ances the
excuse given was that records were not
good. II Is significant fact that ma
tortty Of the men were with the road In
1884 when the big strike occurred. .;a,res
\. HILL son OF President Hill, hss the
especial assignment of looking after en-
pioyes records. The orders leigins the men
out have all come from st. Paul. Tie new
men will have no effect on tne situation,
but Will go out II any OF us do
The men on the Cascade division, where
hours 81 labor have been more satisfactory.
arc said 20 be against strike. They claim
that they have no grievance and would
rather see the trouble settled than come
to an issue. They are all. however. union
men and II the order GENES Will. ike
many others on the Pacific Coast division
60 out.
At the present time all are awaiting a
crisis ready TO act when It comes