The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-26

Relations between Ihat branch Oh
the Service and the Road Are
Most Satisfactory, and Have Been
Well and Shaded Disputes to
Their Advantage in the Past.
/ The position Of the Great Northern en-
gineers with reference to the talk Of a
strike on the Great Northern Is indi-
Gated by statements made yesterday by
the chairman of their grievance commit
tee, ]. D. Harrity, 2122 Western avenue,
Minneapolis
The Great Northern engineers have no
grievances except those incident to the
usual routine of work, all of a minor
and unimportant character. Mr.. Harrity
states that the talk which has been cur
rent is not only unfair to the railroad
employees but unjust and unfounded for
the most part. In speaking Of the pres
ent situation when seen yesterday by the
G o b e, Mr.. Harrity said:
There is no possible chance of
strike at the present time. | am chair
man of the grievance committee of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,
representing the men employed on the
whole system, and am in q position to
give correct information concerning their
attitude. There has been no talk with
the engineers of going on strike, and,
in substantiation of this, 1 can say that
during the past eight months / have
never been inside the general superin-
tendent's office. Our relations with the
jcfa in RI o1112
and there could be no pretext of striking,
as we have been treated fairly in every
particular. In case there were any
grievances important enough to make
tie-up imminent 1T would be my duty
to lay them before the management. The
fact that the engineers are not at is
sue with the management of the road is
sufficiently well indicated by the fact that
the grievance committee has had no deal
ings with the general superintendent for
a number Of months. In fact, the in
stances when it has been necessary to
see Mr. Ward have been SO few that 1
doubt If l could recognize him if l were
to meet him on the street.
"The only question of pay which has
been raised by the engineers Is that Of
compensation for running the new loco
motives Of the mastodon type They have
been in service for but three months
and 1t is yet too early to tell what
just rate of pay for this work will be.
Neither the company nor the men will
be able to agree upon fair cOmpenSa ton
for this service until these engines have
been In use long enough to tell what work
is required on them and what a just
wage will be. This matter will come up
in the regular course of-business, and
there is no possible doubt but that the
engineers and firemen will be paid what
ever is just and right.
II have been with the Great Northern
and with the roads which now compose
the system for more than twenty-five
years. My experience has been varied
and comprehensive, and l have seen
number of questions of more Importance
than those al present settled between the
management and the men. During that
time the balance has always been tipped
in favor Of the engineers on close de-
cisions.
THE grievances Of the f1remen can be
summed up briefly. as those involving
the wage question. They, have always
received the same consideration which
we have enjoyed, and such questions as
are before them now will be satisfac-
torily settled. They wish men placed at
coal chutes to break coal and load en-
gines in the operation Of their runs. It
would be good thing to inaugurate
changes such as they desire, and when
their wishes are brought to the attention
Of the management they will undoubtedly
be considered. and, If found worthy of
adoption, such changes will be made
can agreement between the engineers
and the road was entered into In 1887.
Since that time there has been hardly
a change in 1t. Under the agreement
the scale Of wages for the engineers is
as follows: