Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-03-09
THE LABOR WAR.
Considerable Distress on
Account of Strikes.
MANY PEOPLE SUFFERING
Freight and Passenger Traffic
Stopped on Many Roads-Cali-
fornia Fruit Perishing.

Special TO the Herald 5U me Associated Press.
ST. LOUIS, March S.-H. M. Hoxie
First Vice-P President of the Missouri Pa
citic Railroad Company, furnishes tn,
Associated Press with the following
statement regarding the strike now ex
isting on that road. 1t is addressed tc
the employees of the Missouri Pacific
Railroad, leased and operated lines
''That all may understand the present
condition of affairs whereby some 10, ,0OC
men have been thrown out of employ
ment. the operation Of about 5000 miles
Of railway stopped and the traffic from
States affecting over four millions ol
people partially paralyzed, / desire you
to read and carefully consider the fol.
lowing facts for which abundant evi.
dence can be produced and which can
not be controverted. On the 18th of
March, 1885, q strike then pending
over this entire system was set
tied by the voluntary mediation
OF executives of the Kansas and Mis-.
souri, and q circular issued which was
sufficiently satisfactory to cause an en-
tire resumption of work. During the
sixty days subsequent to the above date
committees representing employees at
different points and also various labor
organizations to which they belonged
were met and all grievances bordially
discussed. Satisfactory agreements were
tnen entered into, so that on May 10,
1885. it seemed that perfect harmony
existed between all as co-laborers Of
these companies. Any infraction OF
the spirit or letter OF the understand
ings or agreements made by thecompany
and its employees were speedily rectified
as soon as brought to attention OF proper
authorities. This apparent harmony
and good understanding continued until
September following, when this com
pany was notified by the Knights Of
Labor, that it must not perform any
labor for. nor interchange any business
with the Wabash Railroad, with which
that organization had difficulties pend
ing. The Executive Committee Of the
Knights OF Labor stated at that time
that no cause OF grievance Of any nature
existed against the Missouri Pacific
Railway and associated Companies,
but that to force the Wabash, which
was in the hands of the United States
Court, it became necessary to involve
the Missouri Pacific Railway, on account
Of supposed identity to stockholders in
terests. In order that there might be
no possible cause for destroying the
good feeling then existing between this
company and its employees, the order
above referred to was acquiesced in un-
til the Wabash difficulties were adjust.
ed, on December l6, 1885. The United
States Court took possession of the Tex.
as and Pacific Railway in Louisiana
and Texas for the benefit of its creditors
and from that date the severance of that
railway from this system has been as
complete as if no amicable relations had
ever existed between it and these com
panies. The employees of the Texas &
Pacific Railway became the employees
and agents of A. s. Court, and the Mis-
souri, Pacific management ceased to have
any control over them. Messrs. Brown
and Sheldon, receivers, took posses
sion of the Texas Il Pacific Rail
way, appointed their own agents
and made such arrangements with
their employees as they deemed
proper and tit as to which management
of the Missouri Pacific Railway exer-
cised no voice or control whatever. 1t
is learned that on March 2d the employees
Of the Texas 4 Pacific Railway inaagu-
rated strike, giving as reason that
one c. A. Hall, of the car department Of
that road in Marshall, Texas. was dis
charged without due cause. On Thurs
day, the 4ih inst. the Knights Of Labor
ordered boycott of Texas & Pacific
cars and traffic over these roads, and
such arrangements were thereupon made
as not TO permit that order to disturb
the apparently pleasant relations with
other employees. At 10 A. N. on Satur.
day, the 9th inst. without previous notice,
Of the shopmen, most of the yardmen
and many Of the trackmen stopped their
work and voluntarily refused to continue
as employees of the company, merely
stating to their respective foremen that
they had received orders requiring this
from the executive officers of the Knights
Of Labor. and alleging as their only
grievance the discharge of an employ
by the Receiver of the Texas and Pa
citic Railway. an alien road in the hands
Of the United States Court.