The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-04-05
MAY Be STRIKE ON C. R. R
Engineers and . Firelnen
Want to Be Paid By
the Mile.

A strike on the Jersey Central Railroad
is regarded as probable. The presence of
the heads of several organizations Of rail-
road workers in New York simultaneously
with the appearance of advertisements for
experienced brakemen, engineers, firemen
and telegraphers may mean a general tie
up.
p. M. Arthur, chief of the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers; F. p 4 Sar-
geant, Grand Master of the Locomotive
Firemen, and P. H. Morrissey, Grand
Master of the Railroad Trainmen, have
been at the Grand Union Hotel for sew
eral days in consultation and have been
in communication with labor leaders in
other cities.
today. Upon the decision arrived at at
these meetings most important develop
ments depend.
The whole Philadelphia and Reading
system may be involved if a strike is de-
clared. The Central practically passed
into the control of the Philadelphia and
Reading owners and through the control
of the larger system may find itself in
trouble.
The actual control of the Central takes
place on August Is. 1t is for this reason
the employees say that their own officials
are Indifferent to their demands. This
| makes the situation all the more dan
gerous.
]. Piermont Morgan practically owns the
Philadelphia and Reading system. He is
now on his way to Europe for a rest and
cannot do anything toward averting the
trouble.
That the officials of the Central expect
trouble and are preparing for it, is shown
by the advertisements that have been in
serted in various newspapers for engi-
neers, foremen, brakemen, conductors and
| telegraph operators.
All the employees of the road are organ
lied and if one set go out the others
will almost certainly follow suit.
The grievances of the men are in con-
nection with the method by which they
are paid. The engineers have been re-
ceiving s5.75 day, and they want to be
paid by the mile, as is done on the Penn
sylvania system. The firemen, whose pay
| is s3.1S day, want the same thing The
trainmen receive 50 day. and have some
been appealing for better conditions for
Of the five orders of railroad men, all
secret and strongly organized, the conduc-
tors are the only ones who have no griev-
| ances. The conductors are not mentioned
in the advertisements inserted in the
papers. This Is probably due to the fact
that they have no Grievances. This, too,
causes speculation among the men as to
what attitude they will take in the event
of their fellows going out Every effort
will of course be made to have them join
in a general strike if one is declared.
The railroad officials today denied all
responsibility for the advertisements for
employees. Their denials however, are not
credited by the men. They say that they
are mere attempts to bluff them, that the
company may have more time to prepare
for the trouble and be ready to fill their
places If an issue is forced.
General Superintendent J. H. Olansen
said today
There is little uneasfness among rail-
road employees all over the country be-
cause they want more money and think
that the general business prosperity
would make it possible for the railroads
TO pay more But there is no danger OF
any trouble that know about. About six
weeks ago some of our engineers and fire.
men asked for an increase and within the
| last month we have increased the pay of
| long runs with the big locomotive"