The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-26
RAILROAD NEWS.
Former Santa Fe Official Talks
of the Strike.
Says Strike Was Lost Day Men
Went Out.
TOO MANY IDLE MEN.
Places of All the Strikers Will
Be Filled.
Admits That Many Engines Are
Out of Service.
TOO MANY IDLE MEN

Q. F. 1ape, travelling representative
of the Scully Steel and Iron company,
of Chicago, who has been west in the
interests of his firm for several weeks,
came up from Los Angeles yesterday
and will visit here until Monday, says
the San BernardinO Sun
Owing to Mr.. Lape's trips over east
ern territory which place him in a po-
sition to know of the labor situation
there, and the fact that he was for
seven years connected with the Santa
Fe on it's coast lines. his opinion re
garding the present strike situation
being that of a wholly disinterested
party, is most valuable, while San
Bernardino people will remember him
kindly in connection with his years of
residence here as division master me-
chanic.
When seen by a reporter Mr.. Lape
was quite willing to give his views on
the subject He said:
''I have been interested in the pres
ent strike situation for some time, this
being natural because of my former
connection with the Santa Fe and the
feeling I have for many of the men
who, in the days gone by, were most
loyal to me. For these men, these old
timers who worked with me when I
was division master mechanic here, l
feel from the bottom of my heart, for
places which they have given up to
enter into the most foolish and ill
advised strike that I ever heard of in
my railway experience.
Il feel dOubly sorry for the men in
San BernardinO, because am certain,
in fact from conversation which l
have had with some of the old-timers,
that they struck against their own
came from their grand lodge, and the
step was taken. I hope that they may
be given their old places again, but I
fear that this will not be granted
them.
Says Strike Is Lost.
GAS for the strike, it is lost-in fact
1t was lost the very day the men went
out. I do not say this haphazardly,
but because it is my firm conviction.
There is not so much as the shadow
of a chance for the men to win the
strike. In fact so far as the company
is concerned, there is no strike; the
Santa Fe officials consider that the
trouble is a dead issue and have
pushed it into the past.
''As / said before, the strike was ill
advised and untimely. This because of
the labor conditions in the east and
because of the season of the year
ent times are fair west of Chicago, but
east of that place such is not the case.
There is hardly a construction shop
which is doing more than repair work
manufacturing has laid off many men.
'As you perhaps have noted in the
press dispatches, the Pennsylvania
Central has but recently cut a great
slash in its force of shop employees.
All these men are without work.
Many of them have families depend
ent upon them. 1t is indeed true that
the majority of these are union men,
but many are not, and it is these lat
ter that the Santa Fe is drawing upon.
LAS for the union men taking the
places of the strikers here? Well,
that will depend upon two things
Hunger and the need of the necessi-
ties of life will overthrow many bar
riers. The question is, VIII husband
and father see his dear ones in want
when he can obtain that which they
need by accepting work in the west ?
Yet that is a problem which 1 do not
care to answer Time will solve it.
The Other Side.
ION the other hand, there is another
phase to this question. If the suppo-
sition was that union men could be ex-
pected to take the places of strikers
where their succor to the company
would overthrow the possibilities of a
victory on the part of the men out, it
would assume a different attitude; but
if they come to fill the places of men
whose cause is hopeless and who can
never expect to win their fight, could