Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-22

Board of Arbitration and Cancellation
to investigate said strike and report
ateonce in accordance with the laws OF
the State and
WHEREAS, the parties to this con-
troversy have it in their power to re-
fuse to arbitrate and may prolong this
struggle to useless end that will result
inevitably to the great injury of each
other and irretrievable loss to the
peerfe of this State,
WE THEREFORE,, the Court of the
people OF Maine in Legislature as
samhled call upon this Railroad Com
many and its said employees to imne-
diately submit through their regular
officials this controversy to arbitration
and to abide by the result. recognizing
as we do that the present hour de-
mands for all civilized peoples to sub
nit all issues between capital and Ia
nor to the Court of Arbitration and
any refusal Of either party to such
controversy to so submit must be nn-
dersteod to be a defiance of public
opinion and must in the end result III
the defeat Of the party that attempts
to prolon@ such struggle against the
wishes of the people, be it therefore
IDRDERED, That the House concur
ring. a copy Of this order signed by the
President OF he Senate and the Speak
er Of the House. be sent by the secrc-
tarv of the Senate to the president Of
said railroad company and to the of
fetal representative of the labor union
Of said striking employees
Mr.. HERSEY: Mr.. President, I wish
to state for the information Of the
Senate the reason for putting in Tins
order at this time.
very serious condition has arisen
in the northern part Of this State. \
great railroad that extends hundreds OF
miles through that northern country,
employs thousands of hands, is at th''
present time unable to DO its work on
account of the strike of it's engineers
and firemen The Bangor & Aroostock
Railroad was built through that coun-
try with its several branches, forming
a net work over the country. 1t is a
great freight, railroad, has the usual
passenger traffic, but its large business
is freight moving the lumber and pulp
and farming products, to market. Dur
ing this present time OF the year 1t is
almost impossible under the most fav-
orable circumstances to get rolling
stock sufficient to move the immense
freights from that country. At this
time of the year, at the present mo-
ment. shippers of potatoes from the
county Of Aroosteok are confronted
with their contracts TO ship to south
ern cities seed potatoes. They are un-,
der contract, and hundreds of carloads
of potatoes are waiting to be shipped
iC a
serious condition. 4 8f7 ff4R
Not only that, but all the great luI1l-'
Der mills Of the county must stop
their business unless they can snip
and fiiI their orders. The Great North
ern Paper Company at Millinocket
must cease to work unless it can meet
its orders. The great business OF the
northern country must cease at the
present time, to the great loss OF the
people. unless this railroad can do its
work.
Now for many years the Bangor and
Aroostnok Railroad Company has been
conducting its work along these lines.
The late President Cram had been for
many years getting an efficient body of
men on the road, engineers. f1remen
and employees. and knowing the men
as | do, they have had up to the pres
ent time "A very efficient force of men.
Their engineers have been among the
best in the county. Their firemen and
their other employees have worked for
them for years and have become very
efficient They have established all
along the road homes for themselves
and families. and they have grown up
with the railroad, so to speak, ana
have become a part of the railroad, and
for the railroad to lose these men at
the present time, hundreds of those
men. all their best men, would be Il
serious loss not only to the road but to
the people of my county and this
State.
The men think they have a grievance.
They say that their labor is harder
more rigorous. longer hours, than
that of any other employees in the
State on any other railroad,--or any
other state And their wages are not
so much, and they say they should be
made equal This is their grievance.
The railroad says I'VE cannot raise,
your wages: we cannot afford to do it."
/ understand, if it is reported rightly
in tne newspapers that the striking
eHipiuyttS Sdy tiltS VIII Subiilil tliS
question as to whether their wages
should be raised or not to arbitration.
And l understand, through the Press
and otherwise, that the railroad com
pany refuses to arbltrate
Unless arbitration takes place. Sem
ators, there must be just one result of
this fight. 1t will result in the defeat
of both parties. If the railroad COM
pany can by any way replace these
men, they must replace them by those
who are inefficient, by this wandering
labor hoard, that loses its regular en-
ployment in the country, and wander
ing over the face of the earth. known
as scabs, waiting to take the. place of
men who have families and regular en-
ployment. And those men, inefficient,
with nothing at stake. with no respon-
sibiiity upon them, are now to take the
place, if possible, of those striking men
who are efficient, and ii must result, if
that is done, by getting in my county,
in that part of the State, lot of en-
ployees upon the railroad, on passen-
ger and freight trains, that must he
inefficient. and it must finally result IN
in,