Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-07-12

1
great cost to his following.
For this reason the strike of the shop
men is an exceedingly serious matter.
| To Young men who are free to pack
their grips and move to another town
where jobs for good worlSmen are al
ways plenty there is little to lose. but
to the man with a family dependent up
| on him. and perhaps Il home partially
| paid for a strike is as terrible as pesti-
| lence in his household. He can't af-
ford to fight for small things and .ead-
ers who hold in their hands the fort
uneS OF such men, should weigh care
| fully the grave responsibilities which
they carry. Men, too. who have the We'll
fare of their families and homes at
stake should not be afraid to make
theselves heard. The man who argues
for the strike on the street and then fol-
lows a merchant back into his store to
admit contidentially that the men are
asking two much is poor defender of
his own rights or the rights of his wife
and children.
The information presented to the
committee was too vague and indeil-
mite TO allow of Il decision to be made
as TO the merits of the controversy.
altho many of the claims of the men
seemed to be very we'll founded and as
a whole the representatives Of tho
strikers impressed the committee as
being an exceedingly sentlemanlJ
careful and serious minded set of men.
1t is hardly possible that their con-
tentions are all wrong altho the opinion
of the business men was that the work
men should offer Il compromise. Cen
eral Superintendent Sweeney has made
the men a compromise offer which
raises wages from four to eight per cent
above the scale formerly paid. This
offer is unsatisfactory to the men, but
under all rules of business diplomacy it
is now time for the men to make Mr..
Sweeney proposition. 1t is their move.
If they don't move there is nothing left
but test of endurance between men
and railroad company. Mr.. Sweeney
may not accept, he rather indicates that
he won't, but until the men make
move he has the best of the argument
before the bar of public opinion.
AS might be supposed an outsider can
see things to criticise on both sides of
this controversy. Mr.. Brooke says that
the work of his shops is in good condi-
ton to withstand a strike all summer
and it is certainly true that men are
returning to work by twos and threes
every day, but General Superintendent
Sweeney has managed to antagonize
the men until they are in a most I'M
compromising frame of mind. The men
fail to realize that their general super
intendent must be boss, that the reins
OF management must be retained In his
hands and that there must be no sign
on his part of allowing his men to walk
over him, but it seems that he has been
positive with his men.
Undoubtedly it was unintentional on
his part. He impressed the committee
of business men as an exceedingly gent
al and courteous gentleman to deal
with. But in being positive and firm
in his decisions, as man in his posi-
ton should be, he has made the men
believe that their claims have received
no consideration. The workmen are
men with rights and diplomacy in deal
ing with them is as necessary as the
same qualities of leadership on their
part. In other wordS, there must be a
compromise or fight, probably not an
act of violence. but a long, wasting test
of endurance, in which both sides will
suffer.
1t has seemed to the Commercial
Club that the differences are so slight
between the men and the road that it is
Utter folly for the strike to continue.
The road needs the men and can not
put on new men without great cost. On
the other hand the difference of 2l2
cents an hour between the wage offered
and the wage demanded would amount
could be earning s2.75 per day. If the
would take this $2.T5 per day man five
months to make up what he has lost in
the two weeks he has been out, and ii
the strike should continue six weeks
longer, as it may easily do without seri-
Gus loss to the railroad, this $2.75 per
day man will lose eight weeks pay or
1872. And if he then got his 20 cents
increase which is doubtful it would |
take him one year and eight months to
make up what he had lost in wages
curing the two months of the strike. |
The helpers. who have been offered
from S1.5O to s1.70 per day and who
really seem to have the strongest |
claims. would lose less. but are UNI
in poorer condition to afford
to lose anything. The railroad COM
pany, While 1T needs the men, will not
have to pay wages while the men are
out and is thus far compensated.
The men claim that they are asking I
,nly what is paid in other shops. AS to
this there is a difference of opinion
among themselves, for many of their I
own number admit privately that they
ere asking too much. N.Y. Sweeney
.laims that he has taken the wage
scales paid in twenty-five other rail-
road shops and struck an average
which he has offered the men. He
should take into consideration that his
master mechanic is a very particular
man and keeps only the best Workmen,
likewise the men should consider that
The Iowa Central is a poor business /
1t has never paid divi- /
iend, runs from nowhere to nowhere I
md crosses most OF the competing
roads of the west II is in dilapidated T
condition physically as compared with !
other roads and the first thing to do in
it is to improve the road
bed and provide rolling stock so that
freight may be hauled at a profit. The
of shops and stations will
come in due time. but can't be possbl
al at once. Workmen who cooperate