El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-10

over the lines to get officials to take
the keys and manage to keep all trains |
moving and in this way the passenger
kept up in a crippled manner. A wire
came to Ell Paso for +. B. Houghton, |
division freight and passenger agent, |
instructing him to go out on the line
and take the key but he was in Quay |
mas, Mexico, and could not obey. Like
the agents along the lines and all who
are also operators are handling the
business.
May Become Serious
1t is whispered among operators and
trainmen that move is on foot to get
the trainmen to declare a sympathy
strike and go out in support of the
operators. If this is done the Santa
Fe is likely to be sewed up in every di-
rection.
Local agents of the company, how
ever, do not think that this will be
done as they confidently expect a set
tlement today or tomorrow. They can
give no. reason for expecting a settle
ment but think that the cooler heads
will find some way to compromise and
end the str,Ne.
The operators on the Gulf line, it
appears, have a grievance that they
will not set aside without complete
settlement. They contend that other
roads allow their operators ten hours
continuous rest after hours and that
they have not this right. They are
called at all hours of the night and
their rest is so broken that they have
practically no time of their own. This
together with the salaries prompted
the strike and they state that they
Will not to go TO work until it is set
Alright. The company claims that this
Is not done only where the operators
have very little to do during the day
and the offices are not important
enough to justify two operators.
Should the Brotherhood of Railway
Trainmen go out with the operators
the strike will be the biggest ever
known in the United States and all the
west will be effected.
The operators on the Gulf line have
every right to complain said an OPP
orator here this morning, for they are
OF paid for the over time they are
forced to put in. They are called out
at will and have to put in several
nours a day for nothing. No other
road in the country treats men this
way and all empIoyes or the company
should stick to tue order. If the train
men would only strike too then the
matter would be settled within a day"
THE public does not understand
these things and often condemns the
railroad men for striking when it knew
nothing of the cause. The operators
on the Santa Fe were getting good
salaries when the n alter came up The
public inquiries about the salaries and
then goes no further. The people new
er think of the fact that the operators
have given the company ten hours
good service and just after they retire
and go to sleep they are called out
again. They do two hours service and
| retire again but are called within an
other hour
The Duty of Railroads and Railroad
Employees to the Public
The following article from the Rail-
| way Review bears so directly on the
pending controversy and the strike
that now exists, that it is reprinted in
the news columns. Many men dis
agree with its conclusions, but at any
rate it is deeply suggestive. The ar
ticle is as follows:
With regard to the method employ
ed by the telegraphers and at times
by other railway organizations. some
things are suggested by the incident
which should receive careful consider
alton. A railroad is a public institu-
ton, and, as society is constituted and
business organized, its functions can
not be interrupted without serious loss
not only to the railroad and its en-
ployees. but to the public which both
serve. When a railroad is built its
projectors fully understand that they
take upon themselves certain obliga-
titons to- the public which they are
bound to fulfill. and in conformity to
the principles underlying this obliga-
ton the employee should understand
that when he enters into the service of
the railway company he in turn is
morally bound by such obligations
and has no right to take any action
| I,