The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-09-17
Voiceof thePeopLe

The striking machinists, boiler max
ers and blacksmiths at the Fitz-Hugh
Luther company desire to make the fol-
lowing statements as to facts in con-
nection with lockout which occurred
there on Sept. 10, at p. m.
The Iowa Central railroad on April
%. 1908. notified their shop employees
that all contracts would be discontin-
fued and that 10 per cent cut would
take place Immediately. The man after
careful consideration could not see why
they should accept the conditions which
the company attempted to impose on
them Some of the trades were willing
to accept the cut but none could con-
Esent to the abrogation of contracts.
The road has about ninety engines of
which sixty-eight are at the present
time tied up. The Iowa Central made
an effort to have their motive power
put in shape at the Baldwin Locomotive
works, but the transportation expense
was too great so they entered into a
contract with the Fitz-Hugh Luther
company for locomotive repairs At
this shop twenty -nine machinists were
engaged to perform the repair work.
These men notified their international
officers of the fact that they were
working on struck engines and J. ].
Stratton and Business Agent A. Greener
ATTEMPTED to get in communication with
the officials of the company with a view
to getting work discontinued on Iowa
Central engines in the Fitz Hugh
Luther company's shop. On the morn
ing of September 10 they were politely
but firmly informed by Superintendent
Stewart that he could recognize neither
the union nor any union grievances as
he had orders to that effect from his
superior officials. Our representatives
then made an appointment at the Chi
cago office where they interviewed Mr..
Schroeder who went over the situation
| with them After considering the mat
ter he referred the unionists to Mr..
Luther who, though knowing that he
was being sought by Stratton and
IGreener passed them on the road on the
way to Hammond. Here he was called
Il by phone and made an appointment
with the machinist's representatives for
shortly after o'clock p. m. However,
when Stratton and Greener got off the
train they were greeted by the men who
had been locked out at p. m. at the
instigation of Mr.. Luther.
The foregoing Is a representative
piece of work on the part of the COM
lpany.- Its attitude to unionists has
never been friendly and the persist in
denying the producers any voice or in
terest in their shop conditions and
wages 1t is estimated by men who are
in a position to know that over 1900
individual machinists, boiler makers
and blacksmiths have been employed
by this concern since the beginning of
Its operations in Hammond, yet they
cannot employ more than rs men of
these crafts at one time. But few men
lean depend on their income for steady
! employment or even such employment
as will encourage them in establishing
themselves in the community. Strict
lorders have been given the strikers to
lengage in no violent encounters of any
kind and if any such occurrences take
place they will be instigated by secret
agents hired for the purpose of bring
discredit to the strikers. We shall be
as vigorous in the prosecution of dis
Iturbors as any law abiding citizen can
be and any public officer lodging his
plain duty is unfair with US.
Respectfully,
EDWARD G. SMITH.
JAS. C. ROGERS
Press Committee.