The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-11

| this morning The machinistS deny
that a strike is impending. and state
| that there is nothing new to give out
News at Albuquerque.
The officials at Albuquerque seem to
have the opinion that the strike viii
blow over. "A dispatch from that place
says:
The threatened strike of the machin-
| lists in the employ of the Santa Fe has
been declared off and the matters on
which the company and their machin-
lists differed will be settled by arbitra-
ton.
! Commencing Monday morning the
shops of the Santa Fe railway will go
back to the ten hour schedule and the
forces in all departments will be ma
terially increased.
At the railway offices in this city
the look of concern whichS has be-
clouded the countenance of the heads
of departments has changed to a look
of happiness and the machinists' smil-
palmer than words could tell that
their differences were being settled
and that there would be no strike.
This viii have a marked effect on
the business interests of the city as
the prospects of a strike on top of a
dull season made the outlook for the
business people of the city rather
gloomy. It is believed that had the
strike come it would not have been of
long duration, but the tying up of the
freight and passenger traffic on the
Santa Fe system would have it's bad
effect on business in all lines
The machinists are to be cOngratu-
lated on the conservative manner in
which they have conducted their side
of the case and the company is also
deserving of commentator for their
good offices in preventing a calamity
which would have affected every town
between Chicago and San Francisco
on the line of the Santa Fe.
Confidence has already been restored
nd fe he in
now pending will be satisfactory to all
of the parties concerned. At the shops
in this city the news was a relief to all
parties.
Master Mechanic S. L. Bean refused
to make a statement but he was all
the time humming a little tune and
looked to be the happiest man around
the premises. He has a force of men
at the shops that have been very sat
isfactory to him on account Of long
acquaintance and faithful service, and
the possibilities of a strike were in
no wise pleasant to him. The clouds
have passed and all is well.
From Railway Age.
In the Railway Age, a great deal Of
space is devoted to the pending nego-
tiations between tina Santa Fe and
the Machinists union. The demands of
the union and the replies of the Santa
Fe are printed in full, and the follow
ing editorial opinion is given:
No one can carefully read the 20 rules
which the International Association of
Machinists has presented to the Santa
Fe railway management for adoption,
under penalty of a strike in every shop
the system, without realizing that
/ their acceptance or rejection involves
grave and farrea ching consequences.
/ As to wages, no material changes are
/ asked, although there is a demand IN
/ regard to hours of labor which would
cost the company some money, If
granted. The real issue is the open
shop-the right of the company to en-
/ plOy WOrkmen without regard to their
membership or non-membership in any
organization; and this involves the
broader question whether the employ
ing company or the employees organi-
cation shall be paramount. The result
of the long strike in the Union Pacific
shops, in which piece work was the
apparent issue, while not an unQualifi-
ed victory for the organization, gave
It's leaders encOurag cement to proceed
in their campaign for the subsection of
all the railways to their demands. The
Santa Fe seems to have been selected
as the next system for attack on ac-
count of its great extent and import
ance, although the wages and cOndi-
tons on this system compare faVOra-
bly, with those of any other company.
The Santa Fe mana cement is now
compelled to face the question whether
the company or its employees shall con-
troll its shOpS-a question which every
other road viii have to face if the is
sue III IulS case IS against the COIn-
pany. 1t is not question of the ex-
istence of the machinists' union or of
any labor union at all.
The Santa Fe has taken no stand
against labor unions, on the contrary, the
great majority of its employees are union
men and are working in entire harmony
with the mana cement. The Order of Rail
way Conductors, the Brotherhood of Rail
way Trainmen, the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Engineers and the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Firemen have contract rela-
tiOnS with the Santa F'e which appear to
be materially satisfactory, although there
are nOn-uniOn men among the employees
IN all these branches OF the service. But
these organizations appear to be conduct
ed in a different spirit from that by which
the leaders of the machintsts have been
on the Santa Fe for the last two years or
more. The real friends of labor Organiza-
tiOnS can not but diSapprOVe of the bel
ligerent and unreasonable action of the
citation, who probably has succeeded in
causing a thousand well paid, fairly
treated and previously cOntented men in
the many shops of the Santa Fe system
from Chicago to Texas and California, to
abandon their work and enter upon
course of violence against the men who
stand ready to take their places
The demands which the company has
declined to accept, whole, the
basis of a contract, speak for themselves.
Some of them are reasonable and are
would form basis for friendly negOtia-
/ tons; but some are so antagOniStic in
their intent to the just relations of en-
I pIOyer and employed that it seems APP
parent that no self-respecting mana ge-
ment can voluntarily accede to them. We
commend to our readers Mr.. Hendricks
analysis of the rules proposed by the ma
chlnlsts' union, which is published in this
issue, and which is a most excellent essay
/ upon the proper relations of employer and
employe.