The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-01
SURE THEY WILL WIN.
Machinists Delegates Confident oi
Winning Santa Fe Strike.

I It is the unanimous opinion of the
delegates to the annual meeting of dis
trict lodge No. Al of the International
Association of Maehinists, which began
here today, that they will win their
strike against the Santa Fe All of them
are particularly sanguine as to the out
come of the strike and their opinions as
to its progress and ultimate conclusion
are perhaps summarized in a statement
made by Thomas L. Wilson, fourth vice
president of the International Associa-
ton, who organized District lodge No.
Al. This lodge is made up of delegates
from all the local unions of machinists
on the entire Santa Fe system. Mr..
Wilson is attending the meeting.
Speaking of the condition of the strike
Mr.. Wilson said:
1.-The situation from our standpoint
never looked as favorable as it does
now. All strikes have an end and we
have nothing to lose. The Santa F'e
needs competent machiniSts now MORE
than they ever did. All we are asking
is for the reinstatement of the old men
at a union scale of wages and the dis
charge of the scabs. The Santa F'e
was never able to get enough good ma
chinists in times of peace and they are
handicapped greatly now when there is
a market for the labor of all machinists.
| Because the Santa Fe is unable to keep
its engines in good condition through
| the unskilled labor that is being en-
/ ployed in the machine shops, the road
1 particularly on the west end, is not able
| to operate freight trains that have a
tonnage in excess of eleven hundred
| tons. Competitive systems with their
engines kept in proper repair, are able
to haul trains of $500 tonnage.
! When the strike was first called over
a year ago the Santa Fe for a time was
able to get along all right in their ma
chine shops because the market was full
of machinists.
Nov, however, when there is plenty
of work for machinists, the nonunior
men, who amount to anything, will FIND
work in shops other than those where
a strike is on. This fact has put the
Santa Fe in a hole and it won't be LONG
before they will come to our terms
The meeting of District lodge No. A.
was called today in the headquarters
of the striking machinistS in the Office
block on Fifth street. President L. c
Meyer of Fort Madison called the meet
ing to order and those in attendance
| were C. w. Smith, of San Bernardino
Cal, secretary and treasurer; ]. c. Wa
ters of Ration, George Craig of Albu
querque, Frank Twin of Cleveland
Texas William Dewitt of Argentine
Kan; H. H. Fischer of Newton, Kan.
and Walter Emmerton of ArkanSa'
City. After organizing this mornin:
and appointing some committees an ad
journment was taken until tomorrow
Business of a routine character was al
that was transacted this morning
l Among other questions to be disposed o
at the session of the lodge which will
continue for the rest of the week, is tn,
election of delegates to the national con
vention of the International Association
of Machinists which will be held il
Boston on September IL.
Members of the local machinists' un
ion are to give a banquet this evening
at the National hotel in honor of tn
delegates to- the meeting of the DiStric
lodge. About so persons will partici
pate in the affair 1t is to be purel.
social in character and any mention o
the strike or other business affairs o
the organization will be tabooed. w
L. Stark, president of the local machin
lists union will preside as toastmaster
F. L. Cole, F. L. Boltz and G. H. Hill
comprises the committee which has haC
charge of the arrangements for tn
banquet.