Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-23

you intend it as peremptory order, or
merely as advisory?
Mr. Gould-Not even as advisory. |
intended it as a matter OF precautiOn. |
meant TO put the whole matter in his
hands, to give entire control, aud TO hold
HIM responsible for the results.
Mr.. Burnes-Did you send TO Mr.. HOXie,
or did you cause to be sent to him, either
on Monday or on Sunday, or the Saturday
preceding, any other telegram or any
other adVice3
MIR. Gould-NO, SIT. My telegram to
Mr.. Hoxie means just what it says, and
we have not changed from that day to this
by the crossing OF Or the dOtting OF
an i.
HIS EXPERIENCE WITH ARBITRATION.
Mr.. Burnes-m your testimony as to
this dispatch to Mr.. lioxie YOU seem to
favor The principle ot arbitration for ii
settlement of contentious between en-
plOYer and employees. Give us The results
and experience OF your observation as to
how that principle can be carried out
practically.
Nj. Gould-Arhitration ia getting to be
a very easy and popular way OF settling
difficulties between individuals and cor
po! atlons, and between corporations and
their individual employees. have always
been in favor of arbitration. ! regard the
employees of a railroad company as upon
a different footing from the employees OF q
manufacturing or other private corpora
ton, A railway corporation acts in two
senses-frst, as a private organization;
and second, as a public corporation. having
a contract with the State. by whichit has
certain duties to perform. These duties
are to be performed not by rails and en-
gines alone, but by the entire organiaa-
ton, and they clothe themselves with
public duties, IRON the president to the
lowest employe. They clothe themselves
with public duties which appertain to the
operation OF that railroad as an entirety.
Mr.. Burnes-Have you considered the
question as to whether there is any mode
by winch the whole working force of
railroad can be put under the control of
the people?
ALREADY COVERED BY THE LAW.
Mr.. Gould-Yes, sir. The laws do that
now. The difficulty is only in enforcing
them. You see that on roads operated by
receivers strikes are rapidly overcome,
because there is respect for the United
States courts. The pHbllc has a right to
have the railroads operated. Any law
which defines that right and couples with
it provisions for arbitration would
be a practical solution Of
the question, but arbitration
should not be after tire men had struck
and seized the property OF a railroad COM
Pany. 1t should be the duty Of the men
to keep on at their work. A alrOad ls
not merely rails, ties, gradings, lOcOmo-
tives and cars, but it is the whole thing. 1t
is the duty of somebody to manage it.
Mr.. Burnes-M ght not the general gov
ernment license and thereby govern and
control the officials of railroad, from the
perintendent down.
Mr.. Gould-I think the officials assume
that to be their duty. 1t might be made
more distinct by some enactment, and
then II any injustice De done, there should
be mode OF arbitration. | have been
| always in favor of that.
IN WAR TIMES.
The Chairman reminded Mr.. Gould
that during the civil war the public du-
ties OF railroad officials We're recognized
by law, in fact that they were exempt
from cOnscription, and Mr.. Burnes men
toned as an analogous case, the licensing
OF pilots.
Mr.. Gould-I think that Mr.. Powderly
is undertaking to do too much. All that
| can do is to manage the Missouri Pa
ciiic, and | have no end of trouble with
that, but Mr.. POwderly is running shoe
makers, men who make pegs aud leather,
all other tradesmen, and not only the
employees of the Missouri Pacific railroad,
but OF al the employees on l30, 900 miles OF
broken down under the load. l think the
government should have such a right 10
govern and control railroads as to have
! troubles arbitrated even without consult
ing company or its employees.
COMPULsION NOT JUST THE THING.
MIR. Burues--You mean compulsory
arbitration?
Mr.. Gould-Public opinion on these
questions IS all powerful. Perhaps vol
untary arbitration would have Il greater
effect than compulsory arbitration.
Mr.. Burnes-Aud J ct, for some reason,
you aud Mr.. PUwderly ana Mr.. Mcdowell
were in consultation endeavorins To bring
about settlement Of the alleged gIeYan-
ces and it WAS not brought about?
Mr.. Goull--Oh, no; 1 was not endeav-
oriug to do that.
Mr.. Barnes-Y on were not endeaYOring
to arbitrate?
Mr.. Gouid-No sir. We met as individ.
uals 10 have talk over the situation. Tne
matter was in MIR. HoXie's hands. Ineyer
changed IL In any shape or form. l said
at the start that / would not. | so stated
in my letter and / have always stated so.
IL is one OF the matters OF detail which l
do not take up. "a
WHY THEY FAILED.
Mr.. Burues-Why were not your views
that are friendly 10 arbitration carried
out a. 81. Louisy
Mr.. G0uld--Mr. Hoxie has been always
ready 10 carry them out. That has been
always our policy. We are ready 10 ar
blrate any grievances between tue COM
pany and its employees, but the interpre-
tation which Mr.. Powderly put upon IL
was that the Knights Of Labor were to
step in and oversee this arbitration.
There are 10000 men employed
by the Missouri Pacific Company VINO are
not members Of that order, put are MEM
bers of other organizations which deal
with us directly. After the strike IN 1855
we terminated our relations win the or
der Of the Knights of Labor. They had
taken possession OF our road.
NEW DEAL.
"Then there was new deal. We put
them on different footing. We took
back the men, but we took them back as
individuals. We did not ask them
whether they were Knights ot Labor or
Methodists, or Baptists, or anything else.
We did not propose % deal with the
knights Of Labor as an organization. Mr.
Powderly understood that distinctly, be-
cause | stated it. distinctly in that inter-
view"
MIR. Burnes called attention 10 the order
referred 70 in the testimony yesterday d..
recting that no Knights Of Labor should
be employed az foremen. Mr.. Gould de-
MED any knowledge Of that order, but
justified IL on the principle OF not putting
on guard any except those who could be