Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-01-22
BIG STRIKE On
MEXICAN RAILROAD
American Employesin Neigh
boring Republic are
Dissatisfied
TIE-UP WILL Be COMPLETE
Chances for a Peaceful Settle
ment of Controversy Are
Very Slim.

San Antonio, Texas, Jan. 22.-There
is no longer any doubt that within a
few weeks the National lines of Mex
leo and their American and foreign
employees will measure their respec-
tive strength in general strike or
lockout. For some time past rela-
tions between employer and employ
ed have been very strained, and had
it not been that both sides had been
anxious to fence for time things
would have been brought to an issue
before this The management of the
road entirely under the influence of
the Mexican government which owns
about 50 per cent of its stock has
been trying TO settle the difficulties
with the American and foreign en-
gineers, fOremen, conductors and
dispatchers, by gradually eliminating
them and the latter have kept up
desultory warfare in one way or an
other
The present situation may be said
to have had its inception about five
years ago in the strike of the loco
motive firemen of what was then the
Mexican Central and in the strike of
the machinists in the Laredo shops,
occurring little later. The first
move on the part of the Central was
the transfer of the machine shops
from Laredo in Texas to Nuevo La
hp CiH of ha 10
Grande and other points in the inte-
rior, such as Monterey and San Luis
PotOSi. For a while it was thought
that the bitter antagoniSm between
employer and employe would make
room for better feelings, but griev-
ances on all sides kept adding to the
fame, and last summer the govern
ment, after having gained control
over the railroads that had been
merged into the National lines, decid-
ed to displace as many foreign and
American employees as possible. The
Office force composed entirely of
Americans was the first to go, brake
men and yard employees went next
Their places were filled with MeXi-
cans. 1t was not possible, however,
to follow like method in the case of
engineers, conductors and dispatch
ers. However, these, too, had been
slated for removal and to get Mexi-
cans with the necessary training the
National lines established a number
of railroad schools. The graduates
from these institutions have already
taken the places of many Americans
and contrary to popular belief are
proving excellent railroad men.
Some time ago about 100 engineers
and others resigned their positions
apparently for the purpose of putting
the system in a bad fix The plan
does not seem to have worked as an
ticipated and no disturbance in the
regular traffic of the roads resulted.
For all that there are still enough
American and foreign employees con-
nected with the system to tie it up
completely should they decide to go
on a strike. That this will be resorted
to by. the engineers, dispatchers and
conductors in an effort to fix their
status can no longer be doubted. Their
claim is that the National lines have
not acted with fairness in a good
many instances. A short time ago
rule Was adopted making it obligatory
! that all promotion examinations of fire.
men would have to be passed not in
English as heretofore, but in Spanish
! oatb bi11o oh
to do. OF 175 who presented them
selves for the examination only
to 10 passed. This arrangement, of
course, will mean that the American
fireman will either have to learn
Spanish or remain fireman while
] Mexican becomes his engineer. The
management of the National lines ar
cues that a man not able to speak
| the language of the country after
MANY years residence in it, does not
deserve what amounts to practically
public employment by having shown
the absolute lack of interest his ignor-
| ance of the language implies. A pro-
test from the Brotherhood of Locomo-
I tive Engineers has been answered by
the management to the effect that a
/ Mexican wishing to pass an examina-
ton for position ony any railroad
in the United States would have to
know English.
However, the American. railroad
employees are not seeing the matter
in that light and conference now
going on between their leaders and
the National lines management at
Mexico City may result in either
modification of this rule or a general
strike over the entire system. In
view of the fact that on the whole
the conduct of the American and
foreign railroad men in Mexico has
in the past not been marked with too