the armies of labor-第17部分

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ay　employees　on　the　Pittsburgh；　Fort　Wayne　and　Chicago　Railroad；　it　amended　its　constitution　and　excluded　firemen　and　machinists　from　the　order。　This　exclusive　policy；　however；　is　based　upon　the　stern　requirements　of　professional　excellence　and　is　not　displayed　towards　engineers　who　are　not　members　of　the　Brotherhood。　Towards　them　there　is　displayed　the　greatest　toleration　and　none　of　the　narrow　spirit　of　the　〃closed　shop。〃　The　nonunion　engineer　is　not　only　tolerated　but　is　even　on　occasion　made　the　beneficiary　of　the　activities　of　the　union。　He　shares；　for　example；　in　the　rise　of　wages　and　readjustment　of　runs。　There　are　even　cases　on　record　where　the　railroad　unions　have　taken　up　a　specific　grievance　between　a　nonunion　man　and　his　employer　and　have　attempted　a　readjustment。

》From　the　inception　of　the　Brotherhood；　the　policy　of　the　order　towards　the　employing　railroad　company　has　been　one　of　business　and　not　of　sentiment。　The　Brotherhood　has　held　that　the　relation　between　the　employer　and　employee　concerning　wages；　hours；　conditions　of　labor；　and　settlement　of　difficulties　should　be　on　the　basis　of　a　written　contract；　that　the　engineer　as　an　individual　was　at　a　manifest　disadvantage　in　making　such　a　contract　with　a　railway　company；　that　he　therefore　had　a　right　to　join　with　his　fellow　engineers　in　pressing　his　demands　and　therefore　had　the　right　to　a　collective　contract。　Though　for　over　a　decade　the　railways　fought　stubbornly　against　this　policy；　in　the　end　every　important　railroad　of　this　country　and　Canada　gave　way。　It　is　doubtful；　indeed；　if　any　of　them　would　today　be　willing　to　go　back　to　the　old　method　of　individual　bargaining；　for　the　brotherhood　has　insisted　upon　the　inviolability　of　a　contract　once　entered　into。　It　has　consistently　held　that　〃a　bargain　is　a　bargain；　even　if　it　is　a　poor　gain。〃　Members　who　violate　an　agreement　are　expelled；　and　any　local　lodge　which　is　guilty　of　such　an　offense　has　its　charter　revoked。*

*　In　1905　in　New　York　City　893　members　were　expelled　and　their　charter　was　revoked　for　violation　of　their　contract　of　employment　by　taking　part　in　a　sympathetic　strike　of　the　subway　and　elevated　roads。


Once　the　practice　of　collective　contract　was　fixed；　it　naturally　followed　that　some　mechanism　for　adjusting　differences　would　be　devised。　The　Brotherhood　and　the　various　roads　now　maintain　a　general　board　of　adjustment　for　each　railway　system。　The　Brotherhood　is　strict　in　insisting　that　the　action　of　this　board　is　binding　on　all　its　members。　This　method　of　bargaining　and　of　settling　disputes　has　been　so　successful　that　since　1888　the　Brotherhood　has　not　engaged　in　an　important　strike。　There　have　been　minor　disturbances；　it　is　true；　and　several　nation…wide　threats；　but　no　serious　strikes　inaugurated　by　the　engineers。　This　great　achievement　of　the　Brotherhood　could　not　have　been　possible　without　keen　ability　in　the　leaders　and　splendid　solidarity　among　the　men。

The　individual　is　carefully　looked　after　by　the　Brotherhood。　The　Locomotive　Engineers'　Mutual　Life　and　Accident　Insurance　Association　is　an　integral　part　of　the　Brotherhood；　though　it　maintains　a　separate　legal　existence　in　order　to　comply　with　the　statutory　requirements　of　many　States。*　Every　member　must　carry　an　insurance　policy　in　this　Association　for　not　less　than　1500；　though　he　cannot　take　more　than　4500。　The　policy　is　carried　by　the　order　if　the　engineer　becomes　sick　or　is　otherwise　disabled；　but　if　he　fails　to　pay　assessments　when　he　is　in　full　health；　he　gives　grounds　for　expulsion。　There　is　a　pension　roll　of　three　hundred　disabled　engineers；　each　of　whom　receives　25　a　month；　and　the　four　railroad　brotherhoods　together　maintain　a　Home　for　Disabled　Railroad　Men　at　Highland　Park；　Illinois。

*　The　following　figures　show　the　status　of　the　Insurance　Association　in　1918。　The　total　amount　of　life　insurance　in　force　was　161；805；500。00。　The　total　amount　of　claims　paid　from　1868　to　1918　was　41；085；183。04。　The　claims　paid　in　1918　amounted　to　3；014；540。22。　The　total　amount　of　indemnity　insurance　in　force　in　1918　was　12；486；397。50。　The　total　claims　paid　up　to　1918　were　1；624；537。61；　and　during　1918；　241；780。08。


The　technical　side　of　engine　driving　is　emphasized　by　the　〃Locomotive　Engineers'　Journal〃　which　goes　to　every　member；　and　in　discussions　in　the　stated　meetings　of　the　Brotherhood。　Intellectual　and　social　interests　are　maintained　also　by　lecture　courses；　study　clubs；　and　women's　auxiliaries。　Attendance　upon　the　lodge　meetings　has　been　made　compulsory　with　the　intention　of　insuring　the　order　from　falling　prey　to　a　designing　minoritya　condition　which　has　proved　the　cause　of　the　downfall　of　more　than　one　labor　union。

The　Brotherhood　of　Engineers　is　virtually　a　large　and　prosperous　business　concern：　Its　management　has　been　enterprising　and　provident；　its　treasury　is　full；　its　insurance　policies　aggregate　many　millions；　it　owns　a　modern　skyscraper　in　Cleveland　which　cost　1；250；000　and　which　yields　a　substantial　revenue　besides　housing　the　Brotherhood　offices。

The　engineers　have；　indeed；　succeeded　in　forming　a　real　Brotherhooda　〃feudal〃　brotherhood　an　opposing　lawyer　once　called　themreestablishing　the　medieval　guild…paternalism　so　that　each　member　is　responsible　for　every　other　and　all　are　responsible　for　each。　They　therefore　merge　themselves　through　self…discipline　into　a　powerful　unity　for　enforcing　their　demands　and　fulfilling　their　obligations。

The　supreme　authority　of　the　Brotherhood　is　the　Convention；　which　is　composed　of　delegates　from　the　local　subdivisions。　In　the　interim　between　conventions；　the　authorized　leader　of　the　organization　is　the　Grand　Chief　Engineer；　whose　decrees　are　final　unless　reversed　by　the　Convention。　This　authority　places　a　heavy　responsibility　upon　him；　but　the　Brotherhood　has　been　singularly　fortunate　in　its　choice　of　chiefs。　Since　1873　there　have　been　only　two。　The　first　of　these　was　P。　M。　Arthur；　a　sturdy　Scot；　born　in　1831　and　brought　to　America　in　boyhood。　He　learned　the　blacksmith　and　machinist　trades　but　soon　took　to　railroading；　in　which　he　rose　rapidly　from　the　humblest　place　to　the　position　of　engineer　on　the　New　York　Central　lines。　He　became　one　of　the　charter　members　of　the　Brotherhood　in　1863　and　was　active　in　its　affairs　from　the　first。　In　1873　the　union　became　involved　in　a　bitter　dispute　with　the　Pennsylvania　Railroad；　and　Arthur；　whose　prompt　and　energetic　action　had　already　designated　him　as　the　natural　leader　of　the　Brotherhood；　was　elected　to　the　chieftainship。　For　thirty　years　he　maintained　his　prestige　and　became　a　national　figure　in　the　labor　world。　He　died　suddenly　at　Winnipeg　in　1903　while　speaking　at　the　dinner　which　closed　the　general　convention　of　the　Brotherhood。

When　P。M。　Arthur　joined　the　engineers'　union；　the　condition　of　locomotive　engineers　was　unsatisfactory。　Wages　were　unstable；　working　conditions　were　hard　and；　in　the　freight　service；　intolerable。　For　the　first　decade　of　the　existence　of　the　Brotherhood；　strike　after　strike　took　place　in　the　effort　to　establish　the　right　of　organizing　and　the　principle　of　the　collective　contract。　Arthur　became　head　of　the　order　at　the　beginning　of　the　period　of　great　financial　depression　which　followed　the　first　Civil　War　boom　and　which　for　six　years　threatened　wages　in　all　trades。　But　Arthur　succeeded；　by　shrewd　and　careful　bargaining；　in　keeping　the　pay　of　engineers　from　slipping　down　and　in　some　instances　he　even　advanced　them。　Gradually　strikes　became　more　and　more　infrequent；　and　the　railways　learned　to　rely　upon　his　integrity；　and　the　engineers　to　respect　his　skill　as　a　negotiator。　He　proved　to　the　first　that　he　was　not　a　labor　agitator　and　to　the　others　that　he　was　not　a　visionary。

Year　by　year；　Arthur　accumulated　prestige　and　power　for　his　union　by　practical　methods　and　by　being　content　with　a　step　at　a　time。　This　success；　however；　cost　him　the　enmity　of　virtually　all　the　other　trades　unionists。　To　them　the　men　of　his　order　were　aristocrats；　and　he　was　lord　over　the　aristocrats。　He　is　said　to　have　〃had　rare　skill　in　formulating　reasonable　demands；　and　by　consistently　putting　moderate　demands　strongly　instead　of　immoderate　demands　weakly　he　kept　the　good　will　of　railroad　managers；　while　steadily　obtaining　better　terms　for　his　men。〃　In　this　practice；　he　could　not　succeed　without　the　solid　good　will　of　the　members　of　the　Brotherhood；　and　this　good　will　was　possible　only　in　an　order　which　insisted　upon　that　high　standard　of　personal　skill　and　integrity　essential　to　a　first…class　engineer。　Arthur　possessed　a　genial；　fatherly　personality。　His　Scotch　shrewdness　was　seen　in　his　own　real　estate　investments；　which　formed　the　foundation　of　an　independent　fortune。　He　lived　in　an　imposing　stone　mansion　in　Cleveland；　he　was　a　director　in　a　leading　bank；　and　he　identified　himself　with　the　public　affairs　of　the　city。

When　Chief　Arthur　died；　the　Assistant　Grand　Chief　Engineer；　A。B。　Youngson；　who　would　otherwise　have　assumed　the　leadership　for　the　unexpired　term；　was　mortally　ill　and　recommended　the　advisory　board　to　telegraph　Warren　S。　Stone　an　offer　of　the　chieftainship。　Thus　events　brought　to　the　fore　a　man　of　marked　executive　talent　who　had　hitherto　been　unknown　but　who　was　to　play　a　tremendous　role　in　later　labor　politics。　Stone　was　little　known　east　of　the　Mississippi。　He　had　spent　most　of　his　life　on　the　Rock　Island　system；　had　visited　the　East　only　once；　and　had　attended　but　one　meeting　of　the　General　Convention。　In　the　West；　however；　he　had　a　wide　reputation　for　sound　sense；　and；　as　chairman　of　the　general　committee　of　adjustment　of　the　Rock　Island　system；　he　had　made　a　deep　impression　on　his　union　and　his　employers。　Born　in　Ainsworth；　Iowa；　in　1860；　Stone　had　received　a　high　school　education　and　had　begun　his　railroading　career　as　fireman　on　the　Rock　Island　when　he　was　nineteen　years　old。　At　twenty…four　he　became　an　engineer。　In　this　capacity　he　spent　the　following　nineteen　years　on　the　Rock　Island　road　and　then　accepted　the　chieftainship　of　the　Brotherhood。

Stone　followed　the　general　policy　of　his　predecessor；　and　brought　to　his　tasks　the　energy　of　youth　and　the　optimism　of　the　West。　When　he　assumed　the　leadership；　the　cost　of　living　was　rising　rapidly　and　he　addressed　himself　to　the　adjustment　of　wages。　He　divided　the