New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-20
RAILROAD INTERESTS.
RAILROAD TIME.BROKEEs.
TROUBLES OF THE ERIE RAILWAY EMPLOYEES
ABOUT THEIR WAGES.


TROUBLES OF THE ERIE RAILWAY EMfLoiES
ABOUT THEIR WAGES.
popr JPRyIs. Dec. 19-There are now pend
inc in the supreme Court this county suits the result
Of which the merchants and tradesmcn OF this ana DINER
railroad towns along the line OF the Erie Railway are
awaiting with great interest, rs 1t Will either secure e
I'm the collection of thousands OF dollars que lhe "
Erie Railway employees leave the debts to be paid OF
not as the debtors choose The litigation has led TO the
first case OF boycotting ever known in this
communitv and ono which Is greatly agitating
the peore OF Port Jervs The object Of the boycott Is
merchant OF this place Who believing that inc law
suit in question will be decided favoraby to the cred
itors interest is buying up all the OH accounts ho
by others against railway employees, at heavy discount
on the chance OF making a large sum OF money. Inc
railroad men Interested look upon the merchant as an
enemy and hence they have resolved to punish him by
Doycottng his sore.
The population Of Port Jervis is largely made up OF
Erie Railway employees, and some OF the leading men OF
the place are conductors and engineers on the roa
living in fine houses and having good bank accounts
The great body the railroad men, however, are poor
and use mp all their wages every month"; Many OF them
have kept out of debt, but many owe merchants and
Others large accounts which they either VIII not or can
not pay. The necessities Of this class year ago caeu
into existence business which has done great injury 10
the railroad workman THIS is the buying or discount
ing OF their wages by men who call themselves time
brokers.
In Jersey CITY Port Jervis Elmra Corning, Hornes-
VILE Ruf,lo Rochester DunKfrk md other centres Of
railroad labor with ready money take assignments
of the monthly wages OF employees who need money Tor
immediate wants. and advance 10 them the amounts,
less heavy discount. generally 10 cent and fire.
oueny more according the anxiety OF the man TO get
the money This business grew IN few years 10 enOr-
nous proportions, and finally so complicated the
work OF the paymastcr that tAe company en-
dcavored Tut stop 10 employee scIlhg
| their time The effort was not SUCCESSFUL anu
a. III, lime. lVers
uufu To-day is estimated that OF the hundreds OF
OF dollars the company disbnrSes along It's
line In every month at least per cent OF u goes
into the pockets o the who discount wages one
man I'm s place has made $4,000 IN ten years In the
business Another Jersey CITY has made fortune OF
100000 In the way, within few years Livery
railroad It's broker or brokers VINO nave grown
rich in discOunng time. .,
Recently certain creditors % Eric employees who had
for a long time shown disposition to iqudale thelr
old accounts placed attachments on the wages OF thrl
debtors hands OF the n1Nn"St'r IN hciIy cN'N
instance found that the money haI brch PicNl"u
assigned tmr-buycrs. Tho creditors maintained
that as the ASSIGNMENTS taken only on condition
that large bonuses should be given the assignee the
transaction Wa- aud consequently not gal nud
demanded that tie process ~ attachment should hoid
the money under the law. The tne-huycrH VINO hn.d
the assignments the wages attached contested me
clam OF the creditors on the ground th't we
MONEY The suits referred To were then brou hi totc't
the legality Of the attachments II the ATTACHMENTS are
sustained, The Delinquent railroad employees Will no
longer have the proe tlOn OF the umc-buyer, ana wiz
take SIDES with the tme-buycr. and the acton ot Inc
merchant who f. buying up the Old accounts AGAINST
them ON speculation they rcgnrd ~ direct DO" ~
Themselves am their families. The boycott th'S. nave
uaccd upon him Will seriously affect bis business they
corporation Of the large labor interest mere
which seems probable