Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-08-05

'"ey VIII remain part of, and
the general committee or general chair
man Will be met and dealt with by the
company In these eases in precisely the
same manner as all other matters are
handled, and further provided
That if the electric service is ex.
tended to such an extent that steam
line crews are permanently supplanted
because Of invasion of steam territory
or where steam lines are electrified and
turned over to be operated by electric
divisions, such men who are supnlant.
ed and turned over Cor other men TO
the extent in number of those suplant.
ed or turned over will be given the
right to bid into the electric service
carrying their seniority with them, but
such men will be required to remain
IN the electric service when they ae.
cept such transfer"
The same day E. E. Calvin, of the
Southern Pacific Company, replied as
follows:
Ohanges proposed in yours of July
Sth to plan outlined in mine of lima
18th, would not work out satisfactorily
and cannot be accepted by us. A com.
mlttee such as l met in this matter
consisting of some 50 men from all
parts of New Mexico, Arizona, Cali.
fornia, Nevada, Utah and Oregon
would have no knowledge nor appre.
citation of conditions on electric lines
IN Portland and vicinity where we are
to be in sharp competition with other
lines, and where the demands of the
publlc as to character of service re.
qulred OF us will be more than usually
exacting.
Neither could we consider for n
moment agreeing in advance as to fin.
ture electric lines. Each situation will
have to be worked out upon its own
merits as in the cases that have
arisen. However, there can be no fault
found with our treatment of Them,
Therefore all that justified the train.
men in voting to strike was:
First-A difference of opinion as to
whether grievance committee of Port.
land, Eugene & Eastern men should
handle disputes, as contended for by
the company, or committee of men
from Oregon, California, Arizona, New
Mexico, Utah and Nevada, as demand.
ed by the employees, and
Second-A demand that on Southern
Pacific lines which may be electrified
IN future years, all steam operatives
should be retained in the electrical ser.
vice.
Mighty small matters on which to
embroil the business interests, farmers,
manufacturers and laborers of six
states, causing tremendous losses of
money and suffering untold. That the
railroad companies are right in wish.
ing to adjust future disagreements with
their own men, instead of dealing with
men from other states; and right again
in refusing to bind themselves regard.
ing future operations, admits of no dis.
cussion. To the ordinary "sensible
citizen" the strike appears to be fool.
ish, i'll advised, and losing fight for
the trainmen.
Under the conditions the public at
once becomes concerned in the pro.
posed strike. No organization of labor
has a right to bring disaster on the
country without just cause. The con-
ductors and brakemen are servants of
the public, the people, because the com.
panies they permit to employ them are
public service corporations engaged in
handling the products and merchandise
Of the people between farm and mill
and the markets of the world The
public has more millions of dollars at
stake than have the trainmen, the
Southern Pacific and the Portland Eu-
gene & Eastern Company combined, The
growth of the Pacific Coast is going
to be advanced or retarded by electri.
cal railway development,
No strike was ever won when public
opinion was against the strikers be.
cause of an unjust cause, and on such
flimsy pretexts as the trainmen will
rely, if the proposed strike goes into
effect, there can be little doubt of the
result.
The Southern Pacific and the p, Il.
& E. companies have pledged them.
selves to arbitration by appealing the
entire matter to the board Of mediation
and Cancellation, recently appointed by
the president under the Newlands act.
The companies are thereby tacitly
bound to accept the decision Of that
board. Under the circumstances the
trainmen can hardly do less.
A SHIPPER.