Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-04-20
INDUSTRIAL INQUIRY
President of the Locomotive Engineer
Brotherhood Testif1es.
low The ORDER ORIGINATED
Its Benefit to the Men and Their
Families.
THE QUESTION OF STRIKES

P. NJ. Arthur, chief Of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers. appeared before the
industrial commission this morning
Mr. Arthur explained the nature of the
order he represented They have written
agreements with 80 per cent Of the roads
relative 50 conditions Of employment. The
insurance branch of the order had paid
$4,000. 600 to widows and orphans, 81 500 be-
ing the limit of insurance given. 1t is rare
to find an engineer who becomes intoxi-
Gated. They must be of good moral char
acter. In one year 172 members were ex-
PEELED from the order. They have con-
WINGED the railroads that the order wishes
to furnish them with first-class men and
expel men for dereliction of duty. They
had never dictated to railroads whom they
shall or shall not employ. They have about
90 per cent of all the locomotive engineers
OF the country in the order. The total num-
Der of engineers in the United States and
Canada Is $4,000. Only white men are en-
ployed, the order not admitting colored
men. When asked why colored men were
not admitted to the order, he replied:
Because we don't want them.'
A Question of Age.
He said some companies refuse to employ
engineers who are over forty-five years of
age. Within late years the roads had es-
tablished a system of eXaminat ton which,
from statements made to him, was quite
unfair. He realized the necessity for an
engineer to have good eyesight and
hearing, but he could not see why a
man who had run locomotive successfully
for a quarter of century should be dis
charged because he could not sort out diff
ferent shades of WorSted in a dark room or
hear a watch tick at certain distance.
His experience with injunctions had been
unsa tisfactory. In the case of the North
ern Pacific road strike he and others, in
their offices in Cleveland, had been served
with an injunc ton granted by Judge Jenk-
ms of Milwaukee, which prohibited him
from comforting with the men to counsel
and advise than. The road was in the
hands of receivers. and these receivers
without counseling with the men, reduced
tt cir wages. The men may have talked OF
their dissatisfaction, but they would not
strike without the action of the order after
conference with railroad officials. This in
Junction was issued on the application of
the receivers. He knew of no injunction
being issued because of public opinion or
newspaper discussion. This act he regard
ed very unfair.
a 100000 Strike Fund.
The brotherhood has three funds, one for
current expenses, one for the relief of
widows and orphans and third for use in
case of a strike. The last-named fund had
and now amounts to 100000. Last year
the order paid $4,000 to widows and orph-
ans from its special relief fund.
The men prefer to secure insurance from
their own order rather than from inSur-
ance companies, though he could not say
the companies plans are generally con-
Damned by the men. They object to it
when the companies make it obligatory for
the meIi to go in 1t, but when it was made
voluntary the feeling toward it had
changed.
The brotherhood had refused to affiliate
with the ederation of Labor because they
preferred settling their own difficulties and
did not cara to reegate their affairs to
others not Immediately in interest.
He had heard of rumors of blacklisting
but knew nothing positive which would
prove such acts on the part Of railroad
companies. After the last large railroad
ment and his discharge papers showed that
he quit work the date of the strike he
failed to get employment and that was re-
garded by some as being in the nature of
a blacklist.
Favors Restriction of Immigration
Mr.. Arthur favored the restriction of i'm
migration through educational and prop
erty tests. An immigrant should be re-
quired to have at least 500 when arriving
in this country as a guarantee that he
would not be a burden on the country They
could read the ballot.
Formerly he had been in favor of COM
pulsory arbitration, but it had been in such
i'll favor among members of his order that
he does not now advocate it. He favored ar
bitration. The present arbitration law was
desirable in its effect public opinion in
case either party should refuse to arb-
trate.
Mr.. Arthur described the manner of max
ing contracts by representatives of the
brotherhood and railroad officials. He was
the first man to assist in making a written
contract between the brotherhood and rail-
road officials. The pay of locomotive en-
gineers and fremen is the same today as it
was fifteen years ago, and as a dollar can
purchase rather more than it would fifteen
years ago in that sense they receive
now more than they did formerly.
He thought the liability of railroads for
accidents should be greater than at pres
ent.
The commission took a recess until .
o'clock.
Secretary Mcclure TestiHes.
Mr.. Peter ]. Mcclure, first vice president
of the American Federation of Labor and
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of the United Brother
hood of Carpenters and Joiners of America
appeared before the commission after re-
cess today.
He organized the carpenters and joiners
and was one of the founders of the FEEDER
alton of Labor in 1881. The United Broth
erhood has 4S. 726 members of whom 81, 721
are beneficial members, and all are entitled
to all the trade advantages of the union.
Mr.. Mcclure said strikes in his trade
must be won speedily. and they avoided
strikes as far possible. He said that In
Jos cities carpenters and joiners work eight
hours a day, in 426 cities they work nine
hours and in 800 cities they work eight
hours on Saturday, but work nine or ten
hf1lr n ha hit
ening of the hours had been the result of
strikes.
In 1856 the strikes secured eight hours
in forty-two cities. AT that time the Fed
Grafton of Labor aided them financially to
the extent of $4,000. In May and June of
that year u 800 carpenters and ioiners
Joined the union.
MIR. Mcclure was continuing his testi-
mony when The Stars report was closed