The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-10


at the order.
"The points of Mr.. Hoxie's letter will be
answered at another time.
sBy order of the local executive committee
.sP. J. NOLAN Chairman
John B. WILLIAMS, Vice."
Receiver Browns Story of the Strike.
ST. LOUIS, March "a very long statement,
containing all the material facts in connection
with the strike on the Texas & Pacific railway,
made by ex- Governor John G. Brown, receiver of
that road, has been received here. The essen
tial parts Of the statement are as follows:
After stating the fact of the appointment of
receivers for the road by Judge Pardee, of the
United States Circuit Court, on the 10th Of De-
cember last, Mr. Brown Says
."About Dec. 10 Receiver Brown went to Mar
shall to supervise the transfer of the property
and to arrange for paying the rolls of the en-
ployes for the previous month. On reaching the
shops he was waited upon by three gentlemen.
representing themselves as q committee Of the
employees of the shops, and asked if the receiv-
ers would confirm and ratfy an agreement made
IN March, 1885, with the then management Of
the Missouri Pacific system, defining the relation
OF the management and the employees. Receiver
Brown replied that he and his associates had
been appointed by the court to control and
operate the properties, under the orders OF
ou0 SoNrIs W % tlIu0 10 JudU
the railway and it's properties were then in the
hands OF the United States Circuit Court; that
the receivers were mere agents or officers Of the
courts; that no contract or agreement could be
made by the receivers without authority or sane
tion of the court but that the receivers would
deal with the operatives in spirit of the utmost
frankness, fairness and impartiality, and the
same rate of wages would be paid to them as
prior thereto, and as promptly as they were paid
Dy the former management The committee
paid Immediately.
''No complaint was made to either of the re-
ceivers, until Receiver Brown, on his return to
Texas, in January received communication
purporting to come from w. NJ Moore, chair
man, and others, signed as a committee, which
again drew his attention to the agreement. a
copy of which was iDclosed; also. code of regu-
iatons which they expressed an earnest wish
that he would indorse. and which is as follows:
MARSHALL. Tex, Jan. 26 1886
with desire to have harmonious relations be-
tween the Texas & Pacific Railroad Company and the
knights OF Labor of said road would respectfully
request that the following agreement be thus entered
into:
Il That there be no reduction in the rate of wages
OF any employe the road unless it be decided
by an arbitration committee appointed-the railroad
three.
-. That all rolling stock of this company be re-
paired on its road and all foreign rollingstock in
ured his road be repaired at the companys shops
-. That no employe be discharged without just
said employe having the right to ask for an in
vestigaton if he thinks he unjustly discharged
a. That all promotions, such as foremen, be made
from the ranks.
''5. That all work after the regular working hours
be paid at the rate of one and one-haf time e
70. 1t 1t become necessary to reduce expenses, the
men should be consulted to whether it shall be
ducIon OF hours or reduction of men.
II. That should any matter up between the
employees and the comp&ny, it shall be decided by an
arbitrating committee of six appointed three from
the company and three from the Knights of Labor
and the company and the knights of Labor agree to
abide by their decision. -
Receiver Brown replied to this, substantially,
as he had verbally replied to the other commit
tee, adding. however that contracts made by
the company are not binding upon US, nor can
we make new contracts except under the advice
and direction of the court"
Mr.. Brown then proceeds:
The reasons why the receivers could not
make the proposed agreement are so obvious as
to require no explanation. The leading reasons
may be briefly stated:
Il. the power and authority conferred by
the court on the receivers to manage and control
the property would, by that agreement, in many
essential and vital respects, be delegated to the
Knights of Labor
e. That it proposed to deprive the receivers
of the right to control and operate the property
under the we'll defined rules of law and common
sense.
''3 1t creates board of arbitration on all
questions of reduction of wages which would
duce expenses no matter what the financial
emergency might be.
~ 1t forbids the receivers having their own
rolling-stock repaired, or the rolling stock of
any other line, injured on the service line, re-
paired in other shops. No matter how badly or
negligently the work may be dore by employees,
they are forbidden to discharge them or. not
wi:hstanding they may be unable to operate
their own lines because their own employees Will
not make the necessary repairs. In other
words the rAc0lVArs wOuld thoiv
questioned right as we'll as duty, to maintain
their rolling-stocls to a standard equal to the
demands of business.
70. The receivers required to make all
promotions from the ranks, regardless of any
question of fitness.
"6 Although more than 60 per cent. of the
employees Of the Texas & Pacific railway are not
Knights of Labor, method is provided for
their protection, nor have they reported any
grievance, nor proposed any agreement or guar
antee.
'The refusal of the receivers to sign the fore
going agreement is the sole cause of the strike
and any other allegation of cause is an after
thought or certainly the grievances would have
been preferred to the receivers.
Since the appointment of the receivers the
wages of the men have not been reduced No
employe has, so far as the receivers know or be-
lieve asked for his wages to be increased or his
hours of labor to be diminished, and, in fact, no
employe has, to their knowledge, referred any
grievance of any character or description to the
receivers. directly or indirectly.
"On Feb. "A the following dispatch from Mar
shall was received by George Noble, general
agent for the receivers:
please come to Marshall immediately to settle
trouble in shop. T. j. BURNETT
Member Executive Board, K. of L..
Upon inquiry of the proper authority, we
could not learn of any trouble in the shops, nor
did we know who I. j. Burnett was nor what
connection he had with the Texas Pacific railway
or its employees. and, therefore, a reply was made
thereto as follows:
"'DALLAS. Feb. "a.
1T. J. Burnett, Marshall:
II have heard of no trouble at Marshall shops.
Am too busy to go there to-day. GEORGE NOBLE
''Under date of Feb %, Colonel Noble received
a message from one Martin Irons, representing
himself chairman of the executive board of
the Knights of Labor as follows
Governor Sheldon referred me to Dallas. cannot
to Dallas; cannot control matters here long If
not settled by o'clock March L. must call out Texas