The Portland daily press., 1886-03-30
THE LABOR QUESTION.
A Hitch in the Proceedings for
Settlement
OF the Troubles on the Southwestern
Railroads..
Jay Gould Declines to Appoint
Arbltrators, O.
And Says the Whole Matter Rests II
Vice President Hoxle's Hands.

Vice President HoxIe's Hands.
Notes on Labor Troubles In other
Sections.
NEW YORK, March 29.-In an interview
this morning, Mr.. Jay Gould said:
My telegram to Mr.. Hoxie was prepared before
my conference with Mr. Powderly yesterday, and
It was not the result of anything Powderly said.
In 1t IS the expressed stand which the Missouri
Pacific has taken from the beginning. namely,
tnat the company IS always ready to arbitrate any
differences It may have with its own employees.
Mr.. Powderly seems to have assumed from that
telegram that have agreed to plan submitted
by the executive board of the knights of Labor
Saturday, providing for the appointment OF an ar
bitration committee of seven members, OF which
three are to be appointed by myself and three by
the Knights OF Labor and these Six to Jointly
choose a seventh member. Now must emphati
cally deny that there was anything in my lt tele-
said at the conference yesterday to warrant any
one in believing that flor moment assented to
RRe wSoe masr
in the hands of Mr. Hoxie, and if he can arrange
a basis for arbitration which will include both
sides of the question will make no objection
But the whole matteiwill have to be arranged with
him. am now preparing letter to Mr.. Pow
DERBY, which will clearly set forth my position as
outlined above
stating that the men had not resumed work
this morning as they were ordered to do by
Mr.. Powderly.
What Judge Advocate Mccary Says.
ST. LOUIS, March 29.-J. j. McGary, judge
advocate of the Knights of Labor, was seen
this morning by reporter, and in reply to
an inquiry as to how the order of Grand
Master Workman Powderly would be receiv-
ed, said: "If Irons received it early enough,
he might put cipher despatch ON the wires,
and by one o'clock every man could be back
to work"
"Will the men go back to work on Pow
derly's order"
''No, sir; not until other matters are arbi-
trated upon, and then, no matter how this
arbitration results, all men must be taken
back without discrimination being shown
against any for being leaders or for any 9TH
er cause
"But will not refusal to obey Powderly's s
orders be violation of the laws of the
knights of Labor?"
1T will not. You see he might be mistak-
en-. We want arbitration first before we go
thinking. Imet them at Marshall, Texas,
and know their sentiments"
what are the questions you want arbitra-
''We have asked that truckmen and un-
skilled laborers on the Gould Southwest sys-
TEN receive $1.50 for ten hours of work.
Heretofore they have received $1.15, but
have made only nine hours time, getting ac-
tually only $1033. Next, we have asked
that apprentice boys who have been contin-
ued as such since 1884, but are really jour-
neymen, shall have their wages raised and
be recognized as journeymen. Some are re-
ceiving only So, and they do as much work
as others who receive $2S5. The bridge
building matter was and is most serious.
Men engaged in that branch of business
might set out on Monday and not reach their
destination until Wednesday, yet that time
was not allowed them. A man might be six
days out and come back with only three days
allowed him. We asked that full time be al
lowed them, whether in the shop or on the
road, but no time was asked for night
travel"
''Then you want those questions settled by
your demands being granted in whole or in
part before you will return to work ?"
Eyes; arbitration first, and then written
agreement that all men shall be taken back
without discrimination"
He also defined the mode of arbitration
proposed and said: ''We shall abide by the
decision of the arbitrators in the matter, no
matter what their decision may be-
''And what about the Hall matter?"
THAT will have to go to the courts.
The Situation on the Railroads.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, March 29-The strike is
over. The joint executive committees of the
District Assemblies 101, SO and II, in session
in this city, have issued the following
circular:
To the Knights of Labor of the Great Southeast
Fellow Workmen,-We congratulate you one
and all on your manhood and fortltude during our
late great fight for recognition and right. Now
that the battle is fought and victory won let us
wear our laurelS as men of dignity and mOdera-
ton Let every man go to his post and to his duty
vii at lfC ia cqn ms
zeal for the upbuilding of the business of the
West that we have just done in proving that labor
is king.
The situation in the Missouri Pacific yards
this morning was one of quietneSS and or
der. The crowd present was small and un-
demonstratiye, and no interference was. Of
ferred to the running of trains. One freight
train was started out soon after 10 o'clock,
and another followed an hour later. Neither
of them excited any particular interest. Up
to noon none Of the strikers had presented
themselves at the shops or yards to resume
work, and probably none will today. 1t is
stated, however, on authority of the commit
tee that the workmen will return to work to-
morrow, and that they are under, or will be
placed under, instructions to that effect this
afternoon.
THE LATEST.
New YORK, March 29.-The following let
ter from Jay Gould to Mr.. PoWderly is made
public tonight:
NEW YORK, MARCH 20
Dear Sir-The papers this morning published
the following:
"Jay Gould has consented to our proposition
for arbitration and has so telegraphed Vice Presi
dent Hoxie. Order the men to resume work at
once.
(Signed) I. V. PowDERLY, G. M. W."
They also published an interview with you,
which leads on" to think the officers of your order
in st. Louis may miSconstrue your message into
consent on the part of this company to conform to
the requirements contained in the letter from the
secretary of your order, dated Philadelphia,
March 81, 1886, which in my letter to you of the
same date declined to consider. You will re-
member that in our conference Sunday l said to
you that the position of this company was un-
changed in this respect and that the whole matter
was left in the hands of the first vice president
and general manager with the instructions con-
tained in my telegram to him, which was written
before my Interview with you and read to you at
the time. This telegram stated: I'VE see no OBJ
lection to arbitrate any differences between en-
ployes and the company past or future"
While feel confident that your understanding
of this matter is the same as my own, write you
this in order that there may be no grounds for
mi understanding hereafter.
Very respectfully yours,
JAY GOULD, President,
Missouri Pacific r. r. Co.
When this letter was received Mr.. Pow
derly was sick in bed, so he could not keep
the engagement made Sunday with Mr.
Could Mr.. Powderly therefore wrote down
these notes which were taken to the confer
viz:
"Do understand from your letter of this date
that your company refuse arbitration? And must
so telegraph Martin Irons?"
When the committee arrived at Mr..
Goulds office, he had gone out, but they
were received by Second Vice President
Hopkins, who made this answer to MIR.
Powderly's question, viz:
''You may say distinctly to him No, we do not
He is not so to understand that letter. but he Is
simply referred to Mr.. Gould's written communi-
cation to Mr. Hoxie, which he is prepared to
carry out in every particular"
The committee then left Mr.. Gould's office
and returned to the Astor House.
About 7.30 this evening the following let
ter was sent to Mr.. Gould's house by a special
messenger:
Mr.. jay Gould, President Missouri Pacific Rail-
road Co,
Dear Sir--I regret exceedingly that my sickness
has prevented me from keeping the engagement
made by my associates with you for o'clock this
afternoon. Our proposition that the men, should
return at once to work on the agreement that any
complaints that they might have should be sub,
mitted to arbitration, was made in perfect good
faith and when, after receipt by you of our letter
OF Saturday night and our conference Sunday, you