The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-03-16

The Missouri Pacific Officials
Issues q Long Plea to the
EMPLOYEES.

4
following statement regarding the strike
now existing on that company's road:
To the employees of the Missouri Pacific
railway company, leased and operated
lines: That all m y understand the pres
ent condition of affairs whereby 10000 men
have BEEN thrown out OF employment, the
operation Of about 5000 miles of railway
stopped and the traffic of four states, affect
ing over 100000 people partially paraI-
yzed, desire you to read and carefully
consider the following facts, for which
abundant evidence can be produced, and
which cannot be controverted: On March
%, 1885, the strike pending over this entire.
system was settled by the voluntary medi-
alton OF the executives of Kansas and
Missouri, and a circular issued which was
sufficiently satisfactory to cause an entire
resumption of work. During the sixty
days subsequent To the above date, commit
tees representing the employees at different
points and also the labor organizations to
which they belonged, were met and all
grievances cand.dly discussed. Satisfac-
tory agreements were then entered into,
so that on My 10, 1885, il seemed that
perfect harmony existed between them.
Any infrar tlOns of the spirit or letter of
the understandings between the company
and Its employees were speedily ratified as
soon "a brought To- the attention of the
proper authorities.
This apparent harmony and good under
standing continued until september fol-
lowing, when this company was notified
by the Knights OF Labor that it must not
! perform any work or interchange any bus
= mess with the Wabash railway, with which
! that organization had difficulties pending.
| The executive committee OF the knights
OF Labor stated at that time that no cause
OF grievance of any nature existed against
the Missouri Pacific railway and Its aSsO-
| ciated companies, but that, to force the
| Wabash, which was in the haLds of the
/ United States court, IL became ne, esssry to
involve the Missouri Pacific rail
way on account of the sup
posed identity OF the stockholders of both.
In order that there might be no possible
cause for disturbing the good feeling then
existing between this company and its EN-
ployes, the order above referred to was ac-
! quiesced IN until the Wabash difficulties
were adjusted.
On December 10, 1885, the United States
court took possession of the Texas and Pa
cihc railway in Louisiana and Texas for
the benent of It's creditors, and from that
date the severance OF that railway from
this system has been a. complete as If no
auicdole relations had ever existed between
it and these companies. The employees
working upon the Texas and Pacific rail-
way became the employees of the agents of
the United States court, and the Missouri
| Pacific management ceased to have any
control over them. Messrs. Brown and
Sheldon, the receivers, took possession of
the L xas and Pacific raj way, appointed
their own agents and made such arrange
nncnss with sh.ir empioyes they deemed
proper and ut. as to which the management
OF the Missouri Pacific railway exercised
voice or control whatever.
IL is learned that on March ., the en-
ployes OF t.e Texas and Pacific railroad
inaugurated strike, giving as a reason
that one &. A. Hall, of the car department
OF that road in Marshall, Texas, was dis
charged without due cause. On Thursday,
the ith inst, the Knights of LabO ordered
the boycott of the Texas and Pacific cars
and traffic over these roads and such ar
r,ngemeuts were thereupon made as not to
permit that order to disturb the apparently
pleasant relations with our employees.
At 10 a. IN. on saturday the 9th inst,
without previous notice, all of the shop
men, most OF the yardmen and many of
the trackmen stopped their work and vol
unfairly refused to continue as employees
of the company, merely stating to their
several fOremen that they had received Or
ders requiring this from the executive off,
cers of the Knights of Labor, and alleging
their only reason the schaIge of an
empl we by the receivers of the Texas 4
Pacific railway, an alien road in the hands
of the United States cours.
Since the commencement of this strike at
many points the local committee OF the |
Knights. OF Labor have notified our fore !
men and supeIintendvnrs that they would |
app,int and place their own Waterman |
oy,r our properly 10 protect ii from loss |
and damage, aud to take care of the same,
but, as these self appointed watchmen as
sumo The authority as To who shall or shall |
not enter upon tie grounds aud property |
OF the company except through their own /
order, it is virtually dispOssessing the COM
pany OF Its property ami assuming control |
and possession a the same, in vioI alton of |
al, rights OF property and contrary to the
very basis of all governments,
This company has for years had salts
factory understandings and agreements
with certain labor organizations which /
have in every instance complied with their
promises, aud it has always been the OBJ
jest OF the management to comply fully
with both spirit and letter of all such un-
de, standings and agreements.
would call your attention to the follow
ing conclusions from the above history of
this past year: This company has made
no objections to the existence OF Organiza-
tons and combinations Of employees which
the latter consider for their mutual bene-
fit. 1t has recog lied and met the COM
mittees OF such organizations snd made
agreements with the same without any
distinction and carried them out as exactly
as possible, promptly adjusting all COM
plants and differences viii, h have from
time TO time arisen. When loyal en-
ploy.s permit the mselves to be governed
and controlled by disconnected co-laborers