Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-09-21
THE UNION PACIFIC STRIKE.

Inc unuerSlgneu, goferilluenG olreCtoTS
of the Union Pacific Railway, pursuant
to law, report that we have made
an investigation upon the spot into
the alleged outrages recently occurring at
this place. We find such condition of
affairs here as, in our opinion, endangers
the property of the road, jeopardizes the
interests of the Government, and calls for
prompt interference. We therefore deem
it most important that full authority
ample assistance to the managers in their
efforts to protect the property of the COM
panv and conduct the business of the road.
Z. 2. ALEXANDER,
NJ. 4. HANNA,
JAMES w. SAVAGE
The runnor OF a strike on the Union
Pacific Railway this morning lends adj
ditional interest to this report which was
sent Secretary Lamar on Friday last.
The news now is that on the main line
and on all associated lines OF the Union
Pacific Railroad a strike has been or
dered. The Chinese massacre at Rock
Springs was a horrible Introductory in
cident to this general strike, and it seems
that the Chinese in Wyoming have been
ordered to leave the mines by the
same association which now orders the
strike. This organization is believed to
be the Knights of Labor, an organization
strong, powerful and compact, whose
orders are mandates which must be
obeyed. The primary cause OF this
rumored strike is said to be owing to a
contemplated reduction of the wages of
the employees Of the Union Pacific, and
to any such reduction the employees are
hostile. The great majority of the
employees are members of the Knights
of Labor society .and to that organiza-
tion they have complained, and their
complaint has been answered by an
order to strike, if rumor and supposition
be correct. The question resolves it.
self simply into this: To whom be-
longs the control and management of
the Union Pacific Railway, the stock
holders thereof, and the officers elected
by them, or to their employees and the
Knights Of Labor? 1t certainly belongs
to one or the other party and not to both.
If the employees of that road, or any
other road, have grievances they are en-
titled to have them redressed, but they
should apply to whose duty it is to
see that all employees of the company are
justly and fairly dealt by and who are
ever ready and willing to correct abuses
and right wrongs if properly presented,
and not to an organization alien to their
employers. The men themselves are far
better prepared to present their case and
to obtain the desired redress than anyone
else; and they themselves would receive
more consideration too
If the employees OF the Union Pacific
Railway have a case, so has that COM
pany, and it should be remembered by
both that the shield has two sides while
either party may see but the one. The
Union Pacific Railway pays higher wages
than any other company in the United
States, if we are correctly informed. APP
parantly it has an immense income, and
so it has, but it also has a tremendous
outlay. Its outlay has increased faster
that its income, and to-day it is running
behind. Expenses in all departments
must be reduced, not only that ends may
meet, but that the road may save itself
from abSoluta hapcr,ptov
1t is this condition of things that has
induced the managers to partially reduce
the wages expense as we'll as other ex-
penses, and to this the employees have
objected, and for this have gone out on a
strike. What the result will be none
can tell, but it is to be hoped that all
difficulties between the road and its en-
ployes may be amicably adjusted. If the
road is turned over to the Government,
as the report of theGovernment Directors
would indicate may be done, it is certain
that the road will not be interfered with
by the strikers so as to prevent the rum
ming OF trains and the transacting of the
regular business. Of course this would
not and could not be the case with the
associated lines of the Union Pacific Rail-
way, for as corporations they are separate