Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-04-21

Mr.. Powderly, after thinking for a few mo
ments, said he thought IL would. Gould then
Mcdowell then suggested that Mr.Gould quote
this telegram In letter in reply 10 Mr. Pow
derly's letter OF the 23d. This was agreed TO
Mr. Powderly went to meet an engagement
and Mr.. Mcdowell waited 10 carry Mr.. Gouid'>
letter to Mr.. Powderly. The understanding
was That II the executive committee considered
the letter satisfactory and decided To order the
men back to work the letter and the order
should be given TO the newspapers together
CInet"ise tne letter shouid oe returned 10 MT
Gould. Witness then described what ne called
Mr. Gould's hair splitting, and how he had
avoided compliance with the agreement
The witness said that the order by the eXecu.
I've committee that the men should go To work
was issued under the belief that an agreemenl
had been reached. They had no intlmation OF
any hitch until the next day at noon.
PowDERLY's PLAN.
Witness read a letter which he had received
from Mr.. Powderly, in which the opinion was
expressed that the only way to settle the trouble
was tor Mr.. Gould to take the matter In his
own hands ana treat with the men. The
knights of Labor, the latter said, did not seek
TO hold Its members iii the organization against
their interests, and they were willing that Mr.
Gould should treat with the men either as
knights or merely as his employees. The only
assurance they wanted was that Justice would
DE done them, and that none be discharged on
account ofany connection with the strike unless
they had been guilty OF violence.
THE STRIKERS READY FOR PEACE.
ton that the men would not have complied
with the order Of the executive committee had
the other side complied with their agreement
Witness did not know that Gould had sent a
secret message countermanding the one made
public, but he had drawn certain impressions.
THE CAUSE OF THE STRIKE.
"What was the cause OF the strike? The origi.
nal cause?' asked Mr.. Grain. The witness re-
piled by explaining first something OF the way
in which men did work. They would be put on
piece work. Experience had shown that on the
first day of piece work man. stimulated by
the prospect o. much, would do almost twice as
much work as he could continue to do every
day. The piece workers would be cut down
after this days record was made and the men
obliged to continue at that rate of speed in
order to earn their days pay. Other men would
be sent from place to place during the day TO do
tits of work and only the time spent in actual
work allowed, so that at the end of a week only
4 days work or less would be accredited to
them. These things did not make bullet hole
SO big that the public could see through it. but
it irritated the men. These and many other
as-gra vations led TO the strikes. The general
motive was the strike OF the street railroad en-
pioyes in New lork who had the sympathy OF
the public. There was a general uneasiness
among railroad circles. on account of an in
direct violation of the law which forbids a rail-
road company to issue stock except Tor value.
They violate this law by organizing "A construc-
ton company-a part of the same company
with which they make contracts, ana which
issues the stock which the law prohibits the
railroad company from issuing. He was asked
how that could be prevented.
''By enforcing the law was his reply. 9Th e
law was there: enforce it,
Witness suggested incidentally that If the
empioye could invest his savings In the rail-
roads on which he worked, great good would
result. OF course this could not be, il the COM
pauy were allowed TO initiate their stock for
speculative purposes. AT present the roads
charge high rates, pay low wages and SO man
ipuiate things that the apparent earnings of
the road are very large. Then they mark il up
and mark ii up until il has good market.
,aet, -faid ga
ing, and there is no money to pay employees.
KNIGHTS AND STOCKS
Mr.. Grain called the witness attention to the
intimation that this strike was in the interest
of persons who We're ''short" on the stocks of
these roads; Do any of the Knights have an
interest of this sort?
Witness said he had never held any stock to
be affected, and thought IL exceedingly unlikely
that any of the Knights were interested in
stocks. He had no idea OF such a cause for the
strike.
HoxIE TO BLAME.
Witness said he was impressed that Mr.
Gould meant to be fair i'm his action, and had
honestly intended that a settlement should be
reached, and that he was under the influence of
Mr.. HoXie when he repudiated the settlement
or split hairs over it. He thought Hoxie was
the responsible party.
Mr.. Buchanan called the witness attention
to a statement that had been made that he and
Mr.. Gould were working this strike together to
effect the stock market.
Witness emphatically denied the statement
and said that he had not met Mr.. Gould until
brought in contact with him in endeavOring to
settle the strikes.
Speaking as an expert, witness said that it
was mistake to build parallel roads for the
purpose OF creating competition and reducing
rates. The proper way to reduce rates was to
reduce expenses, not to increase them. 1t was
not right to tax the products of section TO
support two roads when one had capacity to
serve them. But the government ought to
exercise a control over the roads to prevent
over charges on account of monopoly.
WITNESS SUGGESTED A CONFERENCE
Of all the labor organizations; and further on
said there ought TO be q department of com.
merce and labor which should be q cabinet
office.
The examination of Mr.. Mcdowell was closed
a little before o'clock.
WHEN MR.. GOULD Is COMING.
Mr.. Curtin asked when Mr.. Gould would be
here?
Mr.. swayne replied, euardedly, that Mr..
Gould had been summoned for this day.
MR.. PowDERLY GIVES THE HISTORY OF THE
KNIGHTS.
Mr.. Powderly was put on the stand for q few
questions. He was asked when the order OF the
knights Of Labor began. He replied that IL was
in so. Then he gave q history of the order.
Uriah s. Stevens was the founder, starting with
six men. On Thanksgiving eve they met to
effect the organization, then having members.
The order was to be secret The idea was to
try. knowledge was to be the foundation
Of action. Nothing TO be done without
full :ss AND He went
branches Of labor were connected. The miners
struck, they thought it effected no one else,
next dsy no nss his
miners were on strike. What did that have
TO do with him? There was no use for the
mined. Then Iii. Powderiy put this engine ia
repair. When IL was finished he was told that