The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-10-13
Freight Train Nan Prepared to
Strike on Great Northern.
GRIEVANCES NOT HEEoEo,


Trouble n brewing on the line Of the
Great Northern from O.. Paul to Seattle.
and unless certain alleged grievances pre-
scented 10 the officials Of tie road by the
engineers, firemen. braksmsn and con-
ducfors On freight trains are carefully
handled by the officials there II every
probability that . general strike win b
declared from one end OF the system to
the other.
The grievance committes sent from Seat
tie to St. Paul to confer with General su-
perintendens Ward. returned yesterday.
bringing the answer Of the Great North
srn. Through Superintendent Ward the
dtssatisned employees are ordered to return
to work within ten days. o. their places
will be niied. This Is the initial point on
which the various railroad labor organise
tons are going to work Everything II
being done quietly. while the men are At
work. and giving evidence that the matter
has not been dropped.
Grievance Committees Sent East.
4 month ago the engineers and hrsmen
along the entire road presented = petition
70 Superintendent Ward, asking that their
vast amount Of freight being handled by
the read. the petitioners stated. the crews
were compelled to work overtime. and
we're % frequently called into service that
they were unable 10 get SUFFICIENT rest.
Il asked that the division be shortened.
and that extra crews be put on. This the
road promptly refused TO do. giving 40 q
70 carry osa ss ss. 81 tho ss IN.
1lneeSb and nremen-
The conductors took the matter up and
were followed In . few days by the brake
men. Committees were called for from
each division, and Nil these met in 81. Paul
week ago They had 4 meeting with
Superintendent Ward and other officials,
the result Of which was that they were
0rdAF&A IN ttnA ttv
Of DISCHARGE.
After leaving the general ofiees Of the
road In ST. Paul the members OF the divis-
Ion committees held a meeting and decided
70 DO ~ bid, but By no means to allow the
matter to droc.
Freight crews. with the exception Of the
conductors. are paid mileage. and no com
plant on the scale Is made. Engineers
set cents mile and up. according to
their engine or the amount Of work IL will
do. BrAkemen receive 2 cents 4 mile, and
conductors receive 80 and upwards .
within thirty days this whole thing
VIII Be settled one way or another" said
one Of the men Interested IN the outcome.
yesterday. There viii either be a gem
erai strike on the Great Northern system
or the working hours Of train crews will
be cut down. There are no two ways about
IT. We cant stand the work We are doing
strike. II VII! be good one, fully equal to
the great strike on this line Ave years ago.
Wnen not wheel turned. We are all back
TO work. but have matters already no in
hand that ut any time. after the railroad
union ofiIcerH have done all they can with
the oilcials Of the road tending toward a
settlement Of the grievances. a general
strike, affecting every department on the
line. can be called.
M strike nuRia1 Present Rush.
We do not for a moment think II viii
come to such \ pass a. q time like this,
when every car on the road II full Of
freight and trains are being rushed both
East and West
Representatives Of railroad labor unions
are already here and at work Even the
Hss!e shopn ~ Interplay have been setn
and the fifteen or twenty men employed
there on repair work are ready to render
any assistance In their power 10 help the
freight men.
The Coast division Of the road II the one
most interested. as II II stated even for
ordinary business. they are short one or
two crews. The amount OF business ham
died here the men say IL enough to fur
nish employment TO one third more men
yet they are asked to perform II all In
doing so, IL II stated that ofttirnes 4, o.
ours that sufficient time Ia not allowed ba
tween In and "out" for even four hours.
sleep.
There is also a rumor OF pending trouble
at the Cascade tunnel. The men II ts
stated. are not satisfied with the wages
they are receiving from the contractors
and threaten 10 leave or work az any time
II Is not believed. however. that this ar
nculty has anything whatever 10 do with
the general grievance trouble