The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-06-17
Conflicting Reports About the
Coast Lines Strike.
Officials Claim That the Trouble
is All Over.
SAN BERNARDINO STORY
Report That General Strike
VIII Be Ordered.
Admitted That Usual Work is
Going on at San BernardinO.

Reports concerning the progress of
the Santa Fe strike in the boilermaking
department Of the coast lines continue
to be very conflicting The officials q
the road, both here and in the west.
assert with great emphasis that the
strike is broken, and that while the
strikers are trying to give the impress
sion that they have the upper hand, the
fact is that the boilermaking depart
ment of the coast line shops is moving
along in its work very much as usual.
The San Bernardlno newspapers, the
sun and transcript. evidently sympa-
thize strongly with the strikers, and
the officials say that their reports are
partisan. Local officials deny that there
is even a remote possibility that the
boilermakers on the eastern part of the
road will go out in sympathy.
As was reported in Mondays State
Journal, another lot OF imported boiler
makers passed through Topeka en- route
for the west The officials here denied
any knowledge of any such movement,
and adhered to the statement that the
Santa Re is not shipping any n ore men
to the west The information that the
bollermakers went west was received
by the bOilermakers here, and is be-
lieved to be correct.
AS an incident to illustrate that many
of the men who are being taken to San
Bernardino are incompetent, one of the
San Bernardino papers printed the fol-
lowing:
Say, my friend, what hand do you
DRIVE . asked a DOlleTnlakeF. striker o.
one Of the gang Of imported men which
reached the city from the east yester-
day evening Well. I don't know much
about making rivet points, but If you
give me the material and place to sit
on a tailor's bench I can make as good
a pair of trousers as anyone answered
the stranger.
One feature of the strike which is
causing great amusement among the
men who are out is the fact that one
of the men who refused to strike when
the others did is accompanied home
each night by deputy, and it is said
that deputy stands on guard at his
cottage all through the long night
Work in the shops seems to be go
ing right along as though no strike was
IN progress"
The fact that the San Bernardino
paper admits that the work is going on
in the shops there as though no strike
was in progress indicates that the stu
alton there is really somewhat favorable
Tor the company, even in the eStima-
ton Of the friends of the strikers.
A special dispatch to the San Ber-
nardino Transcript from Needles. Cal.
says:
s.Three Of the eight men who have
been doing the work in the Santa Fe
shops at this place in the place of the
striking boilermakers quit their jobs
this morning. -Four others are expected
to quit tonight. The eight boilerna kers
arrived several days ago from the east
to take places in the boiIermakers' de-
partment. When they found out that
they were working in the places of
strikers they decided to quit. The strik-
ers are IN cheerful mood and are con-
Hdent of finally winning the strike
There are no distur Dances of any kind
THE local boilermakers have received
no word from Kansas City and the
strike situation is the same here as the
night when General Manager Wells re-
fused to recognize the demands of the
strikers"
The San Bernardino Sun, in a scare
head article, announces that the Santa
F'e officials have been notified that the
demands of the coast line boilermakers
must be granted or a general strike of
the boilermakers on the system will he
ordered. The Sun also attacks the San
Ia F'e coast line officials. and intmares
that in case Third Vice President Ken
drick resigns, there viii be a lot of Off
Gals thrown out Of their jobs. The Sun
says:
From an official, who occupies a high
position in the employ of the Santa Fe
railroad company, but whose name, for
obvious reasons, is withheld from pub
hcation at the present time, it is learn
ed that the company has been notified
by the executive council of the grand
lodge of the bOilermakers' union that,
unless it agrees to take back the strik-
erS at this place and at Needles on
reasonable terms and before a given
date, the boilermal5ers on the entire
Santa Fe system will be called out.
with regard to this assertion on the
part Of the one who is in a position to
know whereof he speaks. the chairman
Of the bollermakerS' grievance commit
tee at this place was asked as to the
truth of it. Among other statements
made he said:
With regard to the Information you
are III possession of I have nothing
definite to say, but viii say that it is
possible and more than probable. So
far as our lodge is concerned, we have
had no word from our grand lodge.
That. however, does not argue that the
Santa Fe officials have not heard from
them. Often times it is customary in
cases such as ours for the council to
decide the matter before them and to
notify the railroad management before