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

NOBLE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR OF
NORTH AMERICA.
PEACE AND PROSPERITY TO THE FAITHFUL
"ST. LOUIS, Mo-, March 8.
HEADQUARTERS LOCAL GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE,
KNIGHTS LABOR L. A. $3.50,
"2927 CHoTEAU AVENUE J
"Tn order to disabuse the mind of the public
| with reference to the letters of H. NJ. Hoxie,
| TEN, about the existing trouble between the COM
| pany and their employees at the present time, we
| desire to make q truthful statement of the
trouble that existed on the Texas & Pacific rail
road and the causes that led to cessation of work
| on the entire system, and so to show that we
were not governed by the actions of
| any one man or set Of men in
this matter. To commence here, some
| short time ago-the exact date we
| are not aware Of at the present time. but which
| employed some seventy men or more to work in
| the Marshall shop for the Texas & Pacific Com
| pany Said men were employed on conditions
| that when the company were through with their
| services, they were to be discharged. which time
was thirty. sixty and ninety days At the
end Of that time, instead Of dispensing
| with those mems services. they commenced
an indiscriminaSe cullingout of The old employees,
and when they asked for any redress they had
mono to give, and in our Judgment those men
| were singled out and discharged because OF their
prominence in the strike Of last March, and also
| of the fact of their taking prominent part in
|
Another grievance which the Texas
& Pacific refused to hear and adjust
| is that Of man named Bissett, a
| conductor on said road, who was dismissed from
the company's service without just and suf1i-
cient cause, the evidence in which case will show
| the truth of our statements. The only reason
| the company had, or can have, in discharglng
this man Bssett is simply because he is or
| ganzer for the Knights of Labor, earnest and
determined worker in filing said position for our
| order.
"The Knights of Labor at Marshall, Tex, sub
| mitted to the above grievance without threat
| or murmur on their part.
| "The next grievance, and right under the
| eyes of the whole order on the system, is that of
| G. A. Hall, of Marshall District Assembly No.
| 101 of the Knights of Labor held special meet
| ing in Marshall Tex, on the 18th Of
February, continuing on the 10th and 17tn:
| or even dreamt of at that meeting. G. A. Hall
was elected delegate by the local assembly Of
| which he is a member, to represent them at said
meeting G. A. Hall, by the kind permission of
| said meeting. Notwithstanding the present de-
nial of Mr.. Crosby that Mr.. Hall did not even
ask permission to be absent from his work, afi-
| davits from Knights who were present when Mr..
by Mr.. Crosby, are in possession of the
executive board of District Assembly 101.
| The probable length of time the
meeting would last was asked by Mr. Crosby of
Mr. Hail. He replied that one. two or three
days, he thought would be the length of the
| time he would be absent He (Hall) also added:
| L will make it my business to be at the shops
| for an hour each morning, to see that my men
are az work, and to arrange other matters, and,
| also, the same time ia the afternoon Mr.. Hall
| did as he promised, and at the end of the dis
| trict assembly meeting MIR. Hall returned to his
| duty at the shop, and permission being OBJ
| tanned from Mr.. Crosby, the delegates to said
meeting were allowed to 60 through the shops of
| the company.
.'After leaving Mr.. Halls department. he had
occasion to go to his desk, whereupon he found a
| letter, the contents of which informed him of
his discharge. He Immediately proceeded to the
| Office of Mr.. Crosby and asked him the cause
that led to his discharge. Mr.. Crosby's reply
was, because he absent from his duties. Mr..
Crosby denied in toto the fact of leave of alb
! sence being granted, and further, asserted that
| he intended to place man in Halls position that
the men would be afraid Of, and furthermore
| that he intended to make general clean out
| MIR. Halls case was placed in the hands of
the local grievance committee. who waited on
| Mr.. Crosby to ascertain why MIR. Hall was dis
charged. Mr., Crosby, in reply, stated that Mr..
Hall was dicharged for being incompetent and
further denied that Mr. Hall had ever asked his
permission to bs absent The question of Mr..
Halls competency, the committee were willing to
refer to the companys books, and
abide by the conclusions reached through
| said channel The committee also added that
| they would produce parties who heard Mr.. Hall
| ask permission from him Mr.. Crosby to be abb
| sent from the shops to attend said meeting Mr..
Crosby emphatcally refused to reinstate Mr..
| Hall, unless by orders from higher authority,
maintaining at the same time that he discharged
| Hall on his own responsibility. The committee
then retired without any satisfaction. and there
| upon referred the matter to the district exec
| utive board for them to try and arbitrate
| the matter After repeated overtureS to
| the receivers of the road for hear.
ing on the matter, which was denied them,
| the executive board took steps to interest the
citizens of Marshall to assist them in arbitrating
| the said difficulty, which can be seen in recent
| issues OF the press, and how the receivers ig-
| nored each request of hearing by the citizens
committee, arbitration being denied by the re-
ceiyers, which, had it been granted, would have
ayerted this trouble. The next step taken by
| the executive board was to submit the full
| matter to the different locals on the sys-
| tenn for their action. which action
was that Mr. Hall should ba reinstated forth
| with, a unanimous vote of each local deciding
the same Therefore it is plain to be seen, the
l action taken in this strike was voluntary, and