Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1914-07-29
CAUSES LEADING TO THE
IMPENDING RAILROAD STRIKE
Summary Of TIL? Grievances Of the Enginemen
Of Western Railroads,

w. S. Stone, Grand Chief Engineer,
and w. S. Carter, President B. l.. F.
& E., have made official statements
reviewing the causes for the impend
ing strike. The general statement is
as follows:
1.-THE attention of the public is re-
specially called to some facts in con-
nection with this controversy. Out Of
every one hundred engineers promot-
ed, exceedingly few enter the cab Of
a locomotive as a regular passenger
engineer, and not many become reg
ular freight engineer, thus indicating
the terrible rate at which the work
CT selection cuts into the great num-
bers of men who seek employment on
locomotives.
Rapid Elimination.
"This rapid work of elimination is
brought about by the exacting ply
steal examinations that men working
in engine service are subjected. to, to-
gether with the large per cent that
are killed and manned, and those who
find themselves unable to withstand
the hardships and exposures Of the
service.
Increased responsibilities have pill
Ell upon the engineman in proportion
to the sizes and weights Of engines
and trains and further exactions by
way of improved safety appliances
which have also added to the labor
and responsibility of the engineman.
With the advent of the block signal,
and other appliances, many railroads
have introduced a system of surprise
tests that add materially to the al
ready nerve-racking work of engine
men. In this connection is should be
understood that enginemen do not
object to such practical tests as will
demonstrate their efficiency and their
desire to observe the rules.
"These increased burdens, together
with the greatly increased cost of liv-
ing, were the causes that induced the
enginemen in the Western Territory
to make certain requests upon the
Managers of the Western Railroads.
These requests carried moderate in
creases in rates and some improve
ment in working rules that have for
their purpose the Standardization Of
wages and working conditions, which
were to be revisions and additions to
the present schedule and rules gov
erning enginemen in the Western
Territory. When these requests were
submitted to the Managers Of West
ern Railroads, instead of meeting
their enginemen and handling these
requests as had been the custom in
the past, they terminated all agree
ments in the Western Territory and
submitted counter-proposition that
had for it's purpose the complete rev.
olution of the system of compensation
and the rules governing the handling
Of men that had required more than
thirty years to build up.
Men Were Unanimous in Rejecting
Proposals.
"The Committee of Enginemen met
the Committee of General Managers
in early February and several months
of conference followed, in which the
propositions of both sides were dis
cussed. In these conferences the Gen.
eral Managers Committee was not
only unwilling to grant single re-
quest made by the enginemen, but
| were so insistent upon enforcing their
obnoxious rules that there was moth
ing left to do but to break off negoti-
ations and place the whole matter be-
fore the enginemen and ascertain
through their expressed vote their
acceptance or rejection Of the propos-
ition Of the General Managers Com
mittee. This having been done, the
vote Of the men is practically unani-
nous in their rejection Of the Gen,
eral Managers Proposition.
Strike Vote Their Only Remaining
Means Of Defense.
much as Locomotive Enginemen
deplore a strike, they gave this unani
nous expression in the honest belief
that the very life of their organiza
ton and the wages and conditions
that had required thirty years tc
build up was at stake, and that this
strike vote was their only weapon Of
defense against an impending disas
ter in the form Of sweeping reduc
ton in pay by the elimination Of rules
long in effect, and the Introduction O.
working rules that would make pos
sible abuses that would be unbear
able.
''The men feel that they are no
only entitled to maintain such condi
tons and agreements as have beef
demonstrated to be necessary to pre-
vent abuses, but that they are entitled
to some relief from the increasing
hardships that are constantly cominI
to them through the Introduction Q
heavier power, and greater exaction
on the part Of operating officials.
| 1.-THE last general wage movemen
of the engineers and firemen in Wes
ern Territory was consummated dul
ing the year 1910, at which time abou