The Washington critic., 1886-03-12
THE WESTERN STRIKE.
Demands of the knights OF Labor
Formulated and Presented,

tive Board of District Assembly No.
1O1, Knights of Labor of ST. Louis, has
prepared statement of grievances and
demands of the striking employees of
the Gould Southwest system, and has
sent it to Colonel IIoxic, first vice.
president and general manager of the
Missouri Pacific Railroad. These de-
mands are:
First-That all unskilled labor, including
section laborers, truckmen and crossing
watchmen, be paid Sl.50 per day.
Second-The abolishment Of convict
labor.
Third-'That all bridgemen be paid at the
rate of So, $2.25, $3.50 aud $2. as, according
to the nature OF the work performed by
them.
Fourth-All house.rcpair gangs be rated
as bridgemen.
Fifth-That all boarding bosses for bridge
gangs shall be entitled to halfrates of
freight on all supplies for use OF bridgemen
'outllts.
Sixth-That when outfit cars are moved at
night or on Sunday, bridgemen shall be al
lowed one-and-a-half time while being so
moved.
Seventh-Tbat while bridgemen are com
PEELED to work In water at washouts, etc,
they shall be allowed double time while so
engaged.
Eighth-Bridgcmen .bc allowed one. and
one-half time for extra service.
Ninth-Bridgeme be allowed passes to
their homes from place OF employment
twice q month.
Tenth-A better regulation of the appren-
tice system.
Eleventh-ln view of the fact that con-
siderable dissatisfaction and. trouble have
arisen on account OF the discharge OF en-
ployes without cause being first made
known therefor, we demand that when any
employees who are Knights of Labor do not
give satisfaction IN the capacity in which
they are engaged, IL shall be made known to
them In writing that they may defend them
selves in the following manner; The ac-
crised party TO select two persons
| to assist in conducting the defense,
and the officer of the company in
immediate charge Of the department in
which the accused is employed be al
| lowed to select two persons in conducting
the prosecution and the accused be tried
| before three disinterested parties, to be So
lected In the following manner: The par
ties assisting in the defense to select one,
| and the parties assisting in the prosecution
one and the two thus selected choose the
third. The accused must be allowed to re-
main at work until the charges are either
| disproved or substantiated
| Twelfth.-That all men be paid same
wages far same work.
Thirteenth. That all men uniustly dis
charged be reinstated at the conclusion OF
'he strike'
The Trades Assembly of St. Louis
have held a meeting and adopted reso-
lutions recognizing the railroad strike
as struggle for the rights of working
men to organize, declaring. that the
position taken by the railroad managers
is inimical TO the rights of workingmen
and the public good, and should be de-
nounced, and expressing hearty sympa-
thy with the strikers Preliminary
steps have been taken by the various
business men with a view to holding
public meetings of Merchants and Me
chanics' Exchange and other organiza
tions to devise some means to bring
about settlement OF the strike and re
store business to its normal condition
Considerable comment has been eX.
cited by an editorial in the GLoDe
Democrat hostile to the strikers. The
editorial says: "The authorities of the
Missouri Pacific Road intend today to
take possession and control of thei'
property, to resume the public bust
ness, and TO comply with their charter
requirements as public carriers. i
law Is supreme In this country and II
this city there Will be no obstruction IL
their way. III, however, the dictum o
q committee of four men sitting il
Marshall, Tex, is to supplant the law
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