The Topeka state journal., 1904-05-02
IUb6HHH6EB ObN WW
Santa Fe Lockout Doesn't Apply
to Them.
Mr.. Nudge Thinks Shops Will
Reopen Wednesday.
OF ST RIKE
Trouble With Machinists Dates
From 1902.
Vice President Wilson Held
Responsible by Company.

at work at the shops here. The fire
department crew is still on duty in
side the yards. and the wreclzing crews
are at their posts ready for work The
clerks in the motive power account
ants office and in the storekeeper's
department are also at work.
John Purcellsuperinte of shops
said today: Il don't have any idea
when the shops will be reopened for
business. That is a matter for Mr..
Nudge to decide
probably be reopened on Wednesday
morning.
History of the Strike.
James O'ConneH is president of the
International Association of Machin-
lists His headquarters are in Wash
ington. D. c. His first interview with
]. w Kendrick, third vice president of
the Santa Fe and head of the operat-
\ ing department, seems to have been in
June 1902, and was perfectly friendly.
In July of that year, the Santa Fe ma
chln1sts at -Cleburne, Texas, struck
| without authority of Mr.. O'COnneIl, and
the Santa Fe claimed that this strike
afforded evidence that the T. A NJ
could not control its own members. A
| similar strike occurred at La Junta in
July, 1903, and this did not promote
! good feeling and confidence between
| the machinists' union and the Santa
/ Fe officials.
Last October one of the vice presi-
| dents of the machinists' union named
| Wilson made a trip over the Santa. FHe
| lines in the interests of his union. Will
son seems to have been a good deal
of an orator, and to have been inclined
to make radical statements about
! things. The Santa Fe officials call him
a Tabor ag1tatOr'' and a good many
other things not so polite as that. VIII
son boasted that he had pumped and
dubbed strike into the heads of Santa.
! Fe men," and counselled violence if
necessary to accomplish. the purpose of
the strikers.
In February. 1903. after Wilson had
soWed the seeds of revolt among the
men along the Santa Fe President
O'COnneu and Third Vice President
Kendrick met and arranged for a con-
! ference in March. This conference
took place on March. %, and was fol-
! lowed by two other conferences within
| a week. The machinist officials pre-
sented twenty rules which they desired
the Santa Fe to adopt. On April 1, Mr..
4 Kendrick formally declined to enter
into contract for the observance OF
these rules, and the machinistS at once
commenced to poll the machinists to
see If a majority of the members OF
1 the union wanted a, strike The result
of this poll has not been announced
from Washington, but 1t IS supposed
to have been in favor of strike
Santa Fe Has Been Busy.
Ever since April 1, when the grave
| danger of a strike first became ap-
parent, the Santa Fe has been getting
ready for just what has now actually
happened, and it is doubtful whether
a railroad company ever went into a
| strike better prepared than the Santa
Fe has gone into this one
| Not only has the Santa Fe had time
| to collect for imm ediate use great
number of non-union machinists, but
! it has even had the foresight to build
around all the shop yards on its sys-
tenn not already provided a very high
and substantial board fence, which
almost amounts to a stockade. 1t is
easy to picket such a fence and keep
everybody outside of the shops. Hun
/ dreds of deputy sheriffs and detec-
] tives have been placed on guard at
the shops of the company.
| When the Santa Fe officials say
they have. sent 400 non-union shop
/ men to the coast lines, and have a
great many more who can be called
upon at any time to fill the places Of
other strikers, they may not be max
ing an empty boast. They have had
! time to prepare themselves.
| While making active preparations
of warlike nature. the Santa Fe has
| not neglected more pacific measures.
It has published two pamphlets, set
I ting forth fully the contentious of the
machinists and the reasons for the
/ cOnpany'S refusal, and every machin-
1St has Deen sent a copy II mas also
posted notices in its shops, warning
| prospective strikers that any damage
they might do to the cOmpany's prop
/ erty would be punished to the full ex-
tent of the law. and that no strikers
would be taken back into the COM
| pany's employ.
If the nachinists are as well sup
piled with funds as they claim, the
fight may be stubborn, for having
taken their positions, there is not
much chance for retreat on either
side.
Topeka Not in Sympathy.
The union machfnists employed at
the Topeka shops are known to be not
in full accord with the present strike
They have opposed it, but now that it
has been called, they will probably
stand by the union. Some of the more
| conservative union men here de-
/ nounce Wilson in emphatic terms In
all probability the Topeka shops viii
! be running as usual in a few days.
1 There is such a large proportion of
non-union machinists that the COM
here
In one of ]. W. Hendricks recent
pamphlets, he says:
1.-The growth of this order upon the
Santa Fe system has been watched
very carefully during the last two
years. It has not been particularly
successful. There is not a shadow of
of this order to control the actions or
policy of the employees of the Topeka
shops, because The union in those
shops is feeble and not representative
/ of the principles or wishes of the ma
jority. The formation of a district
son, proves this. Official representa-
ton in this lodge WAS conferred in ar