El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-10-16

louisiana, president TnOrnwel Fay has
made the following statement
"The management Of the sunseu-Cen-
tral lines has not hesitated IN the past
TO make contracts with labor unions
In pursuance with this policy sepa-
rate agreements have been made in the
past with shop organizations OF ma
chinists, bOilerma kers, blacksmluns ana
carmen. Concessions have frequently
been made TO these organizations and
since January ], 1906, increases In pay
aEEregatlnE in some cases as mucn as
80 percent and averaging In all
classes about 20 percent as well as I'M
proved working conditions have been
put on, so that these lines at the time
of the strike were paying as mgn
wages az any line in Texas, and good
deal higher wages than paid by many
Of the lines In Texas
Federation Formed.
Last June the different organiza-
Lons or snopmen on Wlat IS known -
the Hartman lines, had a conference In
Salt Lake City, where they decided to
form federation, after which they
presented what are probably the most
unheard Of and most unusual demands
ever made on q railroad or an en-
plOyer. In the matter Of wages alone
their demands, if compiled with, would
have amounted to an increase OF from
IS percent to 20 percent, in addition
to the increases already granted since
1906 as mentioned above.
Among some OF their absurd de-
mands was one that all present or Eu-
ture employees not members Of their
unions must join same within 80 days
OF that the company must, discharge
them
Another was that the company must
agree that the control and final settle
ment Of differences with their en-
pIoves should rest with a federated
committee made up OF representatives
OF all five crafts. The effect OF this
demand would be 20 place the whole
body Of workers IN all the crafts be-
hind a demand made by one or them,
no matter how unreasonable
Employees as Bosses.
They demanded that IN case Of
foremanship TacRnCay IN the shops the
Oldest man IN the shop, regardless OF
qualification, should De given the posi-
.'They demanded If forces were re-
duced employees should say who would
FURTHER demand was that no en-
should be discharged or suspended
without the -reTious consent OF the
employees committee
several other equally absurd de-
mauds were made.
derstand in a few words the meaning
of the demands Of the men Wou-d
state that the practical eject OF same
was that employees should absolutely I
dictate whom the railroad company
should employ. and should also abso-
luteIv dictate whom they should dis
charge. Whenever an employer con- Z
sents that his employees shall tel hlEn
whom he must hire and also snail nave Z
the right to say whose services ne can 4
dispense with, the control OF the en- 4
nIOrer over his business ceases NO I
employer could ever consent 10 such .
en- impossible condition
tsThe public Of Texas is vitality con- I
,erned that these demands have been .
rejected, because If they had been
greed to- in case some emplOye OF \
railroad in Oregon, in Utah, In Kansas I
Ia Nebraska. in California, OF In other I
controversy which would have resulted /
.n strike, O similar strike would nave I
been called on the lines IN Texas IN I
spite Of the fact that the relations be
tween the company and the men IN !
Texas might al the time be entirely /
harmonious. II is quite apparent that 4
the public of Texas and Louisiana {
would not for a moment consent to I
have railroad transportation In their
states interfered with or attempted 70 4
be- fnterfered with because some rail-
road in the states named above might
have a controversy win some OF lls
proof of the statement made above, be-
cause it was brought about through the
of men from distant states,
md I don't believe if the men in Texas
and Louisiana had been left alone to
work out their own problems any strike
would have occurred.
Violation of the Law.
ASIDE from all other considerations
which prevented the Sunset-Central
ines from making an agreement with
This federation OF shopmen, the attor-
leys of these lines ADVISED the o1tlcerS
ha7 they would have violated not only
he Texas antitrust law, but also the
federal antitrust law, in entering into
IN agreement not TO employ or to allow
20 remain in their employment any man
except such as the federation might
select In other words, the practical
-esult would have been conspiracy
between the officers Of the company
Ind the members Of these unions To
prevent citizens of the United States
Who might not be members Of the
ricus from obtaining employment. the
,fCicers would lay themselves open TO
ndictm ent and imprisonment in the
lenitenuary if such an agreement
mould have been made
a great many Of the older employees
If these companies did not want to
trize and were very reluctant to take
UGH action. Many Of them were forced
o do it through fear OF violence, abuse
nd Ostracism Of themselves and their
antilles. Instances have been recited
o me where the innocent little chill
Import themselves and their families
ave been called sCabs' and tainted
nd abused by other children at school.
"a Fact Overlooked
'eThe leaders who called this strike
EnOred the fact that there were many
of skilled mechanics idle
throughout the United States and that
general depression al business existed
veryWhere- We have been daily en-
Toying competent .nen TO take the
1aces of the strikes and have now, I
nd have had for several days, all va
ancies in some Of the crafts filled and
-ithiu very short time viii have our
OrEaI forces at work in all depart
lents of our shops everywhere The /
-rikers' officers seem to try to deIude
1me Of the men by statements as to
be iucapacity Of the new employees.
Whilst some few new men may have
Tipped in under false pretenses, their
ervices have been promptly dispensed I
18th when they were found incOmpe-
INT to do the work"