The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-15
SANTA FE STRIKE.


The strike in the santa Fe shops OF
the Brotherhood of Boilermakers and
Iron ShipbuiIders' union is an unfor-
tunate one for the Topeka shopmen
concerned and for the city as a whole.
There. seems to be no material local
grievance. The strike is what is
known as sympathetic one. The
men here are not asking for less hours
or greater pay. The locality Is not
interested in shipbuilding and the
sympathy appears to be in the main
for men who are working under diff
ferent conditions some two thousand
miles from this locality.
The Topeka boilermakers have the
reputation of being good citizens. Very
many of them have homes here They
appear to have quit work upon orders
from the outside to help outsiders. A
strike representative says: 1.-THE
Santa Fe has turned out 1913 fire boxes
at the Topeka shops which should
have been built elsewhere. We will
not permit our men to do work which
ought to be done on coast lines More
work here means more men, more
money. more inhabitants.
The Santa Fe recently constructed
new, model and extensive shops here,
putting In machinery different from
any machinery IN any of its other
shops and capable of handling a class
of work better than it can be han
died at any point on the line between
Chicago and the Pacific coast.
The men in Topeka have heroically
given up their places to help those far
away. The opinion seems to prevail
IL
their permanent positions and in the
end leave Topeka and their homes in
this city. This may depend upon the
outcome of the strike, and at present
this outlook is not very encouraging
for the men.
The Santa Fe has the general repu-
tation of treating its Topeka men
quite fairly and reasonably well. The
fact that the men are not asking for
more money or fewer hours would in
dictate this.
The strike is unfortunate for To-
peka workmen and Topeka city. for
the reason that there is a tendency
on the part of railway companies and
large factory interests to move their
shops to the smaller towns. on ac-
count of continued serious labor
troubles in the larger cities.
This week the Commercial club re-
ceived information that the Union Pa
cific people were considering moving
their shops at Kansas City to Topeka
because the reputation of the workmen
of Topeka has been a good one. Serious
difficulties with labor here are almost
unknown. Local unions have been gen
orally fair. The larger the shop and fac
tory interests in Topeka the more work
for boilermakers, machinists and shop
men generally and the greater our town
will become.
1t is to be hoped that the company
and the men viii arrive at q satisfac-
/ tory agreement. In the Topeka shops
there is supposed to be no discrimina-
| ton for or against the workman
whether he is union man or not a
union man. If the strike is merely
one to entrench the union, it may be
| long drawn out and bitter. The rail
way company should at least be frank
and truthful in its statements. The
remark of superintendent Purcell to a
/ reporter yesterday can not be justified
when he said: There is no strike
We have simply laid off IS of the men.
/ Work is getting slack. There is nc
trouble at all The company simply
heard of the threatened strike and
fired" the men in advance.
Neither can the anonymous circula-
ton of bills by the strike sympathizers
/ be approved when it is placarded:
you are risking your life on the Santa
Fe. Engines are running with broken
cylinders, frames and driving wheels
Incompetent workmen and small
wages. Canvas and human lives
1 cheaper than iron"