Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1903-05-07
f MEN and
: IHf RAILROAD

Xiii N7ulnVVW
=, ~ REVIEW OF THE coNTEN,
-. oF THE EMPLOYEES WITH
The GREAT NORTHERN
,.,n Grand Forks Daily Herald,
, ,nesday morning, April 18th, 1903.
ORAL column
The Matter Of Strikes.
strike or not to strike seems to
~ question to be decided by the
w Snrthern trainmen. It is con.
~ ~ hat this is the matter on which
sts is is now being taken all over the
W., and the result will be awaited
.sl not little interest throughout
Northwest.
NJ particular matter of disagree
-. ;. 81 this time is the compensation
~ Maid trainmen for work on dou-
~ sosder trains. After a long con.
.nos in which all the subjects in
. .royersy were thoroughly gone
VA agreement was reached on every
=, except this, and on this both the
%,{tees representing the employees
4 the general manager of the road
mined firm. The conference was
.rofore broken off. and the men are
- voting on whether they will &C,
" the situation as it now is or not.
General Manager Ward has issued
pamphlet in which the proceedings
The conference are reported, and
summary of the contents of that
mnhlet so far as they apply to the
estion at issue, is given in another
hmm. Still more briefly stated. the
Rntroyersy resolves itself into this:
The trainmen claim that the com
nv by running trains with two en-
mes and only one train crew, is Inn
bsing work on the single train crew
At would ordinarily be performed
tvo with a proportionate increase
responsibility. The idea seems to
! that any train too heavy for one
! zine is too heavy for one train
lew. They demand. therefore, either
lat the practice of double-heading
hall be discontinued or that the train
|evs employed on this work shall re.
Five double pay.
The company claims that there is
|actically no double-heading done on
he road except on the mountain di-
6sions, where an additional engine is
bmetimes employed to help heavy
Fains over the steep grades, and that
be company is expanding large sums
money to avoid even this Mr.. Ward
dmits that the men have a right to a
Dice in the decision of questions af-
pctng their comfort, wages and con-
itions of work, but denies that any
these elements enter into the ques-
ion of double-heading on the Great
iorthern road. He says that the
ompany cannot permit the employees
} dictate as to the makeup of trains.
5 that is solely an administrative
AFTER
As in all questions of this kind.
sere is a third party which is in
'nsely interested in the question, the
eneral public The public is inter
tied primarily in the regular running
trains, that business may be car
ed on with the least possible delay
I'D inconvenience. For that reason
le public is always injured by a
nike. At the same time the public
interested in the fair compensation
:all who serve it, whether as owners
railroads or as employees thereon.
strike is an act of war. War is
metimes justifiable. There are times
hen it is the only means left for the
evention of abuse or the accom-
Shment Of reforms. But for n war to
Justifiable there must be an ade-
late cause. 1t would be inexcus-
lie Tor nations to appeal to force for
e settlement of a trivial question.
mlarly the precipitation of strike
Anout sufficient cause would not be
eSed patiently by the great ship
as and travelling public which must
1er the inconvenience and eventu-
y pay the bills. In the present
Sc there does not appear to be any
ing OF real value to either of the
ftes involved in the controversy.
aoes not appear that the question is
sufficient Importance to warrant re-
II 10 extreme measures.