Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-22

mate result was that three members of
tne Executive Board went to st. Louis.
Mr.. Hayes could tell the committee what
loon place there. The witness was not
present. Another attempt was made at
new ork To bring about a conclusion To
which the witness was party. He had
met Cyrus w. Field.
Mf. cram w no is he? Is he connected
win me railroad company?
ne NltneSs-l do not understand that
ne mas any connection with the Missouri
racine, but he is connected with Mr..
Gould Ia variety OF investments. MIR.
Fleid told me OF differences which had oc-
CURED with employees on the elevated
roads IN New York, and regrt tied that a
settlement could not have been brought
aoout as reasonably and quickly as on
that occasion. | showed him letter in
that line which | had received from Mr..
Fo~derly. 9e asked me to lend him the
Ietter.
GOULD's PROMISES.
He saw Mr.. GoGld aud reported to me
that Mr., Gould had said that if he could
see Mr.. PoWderly in person for half an
nour, he had no doubt he could bring the
matter to quick conclusion. l started
Tor scranton, where Mr.. Powderly was.
ard told MIN what MIR. FIeld had said, and
asked him to go to New York with me the
and unable to go, and he authorized me to
represent him in attempting to reach a
conclusion. He wrote ana handed me a
letter (reading the one already publish
ed J. went with 1t the next morning to
Mr.. Fields house. He took it to Mr..
Goulds house, where there was a confer
euce.
G0ULD'S SUBTERFUGE.
lie came to me in the evening and told
me that Mr.. Gould said that the strike
was entirely over, that the only strike
which existed was at East st. Louis on
the railroads in which he had no interest
except the Wabash, and that was in the
hands Of the United States Court and
could not be interfered with by the stri-
kers. Mr.. Field was called away to Bos-
ton ard had TO leave after telling me
what be did. | have not seen him since.
Mr.. Crain-Was the strike ended in
fact?
The Witness-I have felt that the most
complete victory that MIR. Gould could
have over The men would be the most com
Dlete failure to him, that the true outcome
of this thing which would have been the
result otarbitratiOn would have insured
good will on both sides, and any settle
ment winch did not bring that with it was
complete failure.
WOULD HAVE OBEYED.
Mr.. Burns-Have you sufficient evil
dence to enable you to state that the men
on strike at st. Louis would have prompt
ly obeyed the order to resume work il Mr..
Hoxie had complied with the order .sent
to him by Mr.. Gould?
The Witness-I have not the slightest
doubt of it.
Mr.. Burns-Have you any evidence
tending TO show any secret Instructions
from Mr.. Gould to Mr. Hoxie inconsistent
with his telegraph dispatch embodied in
his letter to Mr.. POwderlY?
The Witness-Notning except the allu-
sion in Mr.. P0Wderly's dispatch to 1.-The
letter of instructions"-that and the or
ders issued ON the line.
The witness here read circular No. 1876,
signed by Mr.. Rockwell, directing that no
foreman should be employed who was a
Knight of Labor.
CAUSE OF THE STRIKE.
Mr.. Crain-What was the original cause
of this striker
The witness in reply to this question
made long statement involving the diff
ference between the principle of payment
by day work ana by piece work, and
quoted Mr.. Gould as saying that by max
ing change OF that sort i'll the Western
Union Telegraph Company he had effect
ed a saving of 50 per cent. He added that
the general cause of this strike and of
the recent strikes all over the country
had been the successful strike on the
horse car lines in New York last Febru-
ary that had commanded such universal
public sympathy, that wOrkmen whenever
they had grievance or wrong joined to-
gether and made applications 10 form as
semblies Of knights Of Labor.
EFFECTS OF WATERING STOCK.
This was so general that the order had
increased more in the month of February
last than it had in the prior eight years.
A. an additional reason he alleged the
universal system of watering railroad
stock, which made it necessary for the
managers TO scre W down the rates of labor
as much as possible.
Mr.. Grain asked what remedy he could
suggest for that.
The witness replied that the remedy
was TO enforce the law. The law of every
State required that dollar for dollar should
he paid Tor railroad stock, but that pro-
vision Of the law was evaded by railroad
managers forming themselves into a credit
mObilier or construction company aud
issuing to themselves 500 OF stock for
every s or $40 of work. He gave as an
instance OF that the recent construction OF
the West Shore railroad OF New York.
OVER CAPITALIzATION.
Mr.. BUCHANAN asked WneLueF LUe VIII
ness had ever considered the question OF
Yer-capitalizajion, and the consequent
necessity or desire Of earning dividend
on such over capitalization, and whether
that led to the cutting down Of wages of
labor aud an increased In the rates OF trans
porlatlOn.
The witness replied that he had, and
that that WIS a natural evil which re-
suited from over capitalization which was
particularly advantageous 10 the specu-
lator.
The Chairman-Your theory is that the
eXactions made upon men employed on
the road are caused by attempts to enable
railroad companies TO pay dividends on
watered stocks?
The Wituess-That Is the theory, and
there is great irritation about 1t all over
the country.
GOVERNING STRIKES.
Mir. Crain--ls there no way IN your or
eauization by which the acJion Of Dis
trict Assembly ordering strike can be
passed upon by the Executive Committee
before the strike ~ permittedy
The Witness-There is no lawOf the Or
gauization ON tue subject. This whole
thing was unexpected aud unprepared
for. The whole spirit OF the organization
is contrary to strikes. 10 is an educa-
tional organization.
Mr.. Crain-DO YOU not think-it has so
struck me--that Mr.. Gould himself was
very fairly disposed towards your organ
izati0ng
~, XVitness-That haa baep NV fuIl i'm.