The Calumet news., 1914-07-27
RAIL STRIKE
MAY COME SOON
Arbitration Now Is Only Avenue
for PeaceabIe Solution

With arbitration tne only solutlol
for the dimculty of enginemen oi
railroads of the middlewest and onl!
a meagre prospect that both sides will
give ear to that suggestion, the posi-
bility of a great strike involving prac
tically all the steam roads is grave
Conner country enginemen who have
been questioned about the outlook fol
peace declare they are hopeful for L
settlement. though that the solution
is proving a difficult matter is general
~ admitted. With the acknowledge
ment of the federal commission Sat
urday that mediation failed. the sit
nation became more acute and If il 4.
inpossible to induce both sides to ar
bitrate, there can be no other recourse
but a strike.
In their stand against mediation. or
arbitration, the men declare the ex-
perience of previous attempts to arbi-
trate have been n failure, in that they
aver the railroads did not carry out
the HWlIuS. flONtNtip NH'N taill bt
assured the roads will live up to any
findings in favor of the men, the sit
uation may take a different turn.
Contentious of Enginemen.
committee of the enginemen pre-
sent the following statement of their
side of the contention:
THE attention of the public is re-
spectfully called to some facts in con-
ncction with this controversy. out Of
every one hundred engineers promoted,
exceedingly few enter the cab of loco
motive as a regular passenger engi-
reer, and not many become a regular
freight engineer, this indicating the
terrible rate at which the work of So
lecting cuts into the great numbers
of men who seek employment on To-
cCmotives.
"Thc rapid work of elimination is
brought about by the exacting physi-
cal 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
hardshps and exposures of the service.
Increased responsibilities have pill
ed upon the enginemen 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 enginemen.
With the advent of the block signal, |
and other appliances. many railroads
have introduced n system of surprise
tests that add materially to the al
ready nerve -racking work of engine
mem In this connection IL 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 |
rnginemen i'm the Western Territiry to
make certain requests upon the man
ayers of the western railroads. These
requests carried moderate increases in
rates and some improvements in work
ing rules that have for their purpose
the Standardization of wages and
working conditions, which were to be
revisons and additions TO the present
schedule and rules governing engine
men in the western territory. When
these requests were submitted to the
of the western railroads, in
stead of meeting their enginemen and
the requests as had been the
custom in the past. they terminated all
agreements in the western territory
and submitted n counter proposition
hat had for its purpose the complete
revolution of the system Of compan-
sation and the rules governing the