The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-05-28
the country. Does this not prove the
necessity for arbitration?
rME COsr OF Two MEMS rOLLY.

TORS aud the expenditure Of millions
Of dollars. Mrs. O'Lesry's COW, by
kicking over a lamp, destroyed the
city Of Chicago, and it is impossible to
estimate the cost which Hal and Iror s.
leading Knights OF Labor, have cost the
country. Capt. @. f Henry of Cleve-
land, who was ordered by the United
Court, under whose order the Texas
and Paciiicroad was being operated by
receiver, to make a thorough iuves-
tigation Of the causes which led TO
the strike, in making his report says:
THAT he commenced taking tssli-
mony at Marshall on April oh, and
the evidence generally obtsined was
that most of the men engaged in the
strike did not know what it was for.
lie inquired specially into Halls case. and
he testimony JiO,Ued that he lCds a north
less workman by reason Of his indi6e ence
10 his duties, his attention being absorbed
in studying The rules Of the Knights Of La
Dor, and deuoting time 10 committee Uork
for his order that should hare been giuen
10 uie railroad company. Everything IN
his dalPs) tstimat' on spp cared to be
secondary TO the Knights OF Labor,
and he assumed in his i'm gination
the responsibilities OF the general
Manager, legal adviser and general
executive officer of the road, and
wanted everything subordinsted to
the organization tn which he be 'onge d.
Capt. Henry said he bad examined
the complny's b, oks, which showed
that under Halls flrCm IDship the
work in the shoes had cost the COM
paoy 30 per cent more than 1t did un-
der mis- pIedt csssor."
Martin Irons, the man who ordered
the famous strike, prepared a written
statement for the Curtin Congressional
Committee in which be said
"At the time Of Halls discharge,
delegates OF the Knights of Labor were
at Msrsh !, Tex, and had just finished
a 81 ssion and the discharge WIS re-.
gaTded as distinct attack on the or
der. Witnets personally made efforts
10 get Hell reinstated, but without
success. Pafsss for thIes were given
to Hall, in witness prest ncs, TO take
them TO Dallas, whore grievances an d
Halls discharge we're TO be discu s ,ed.
But as the board numbered five, and
only three passes wee given, aud as
they we're handed 10 Hail and not TO
bin, he regarded the act 81 another
slight on the order, and declined to
ute them 10 20 TO DAllss. He tale
grApbed TO that effect, and received no
reply. The next day he teleeraphed
aRaio, and received q message pur-
pordrg to come from the operator to
the effect that Col. Noble was from
home. Witness wired back unless he
had reply by 2 o'clock the next day
he should call out the meu. He re
ceived no reply and did call the men
out. Seeing that II was usslets 10 hop ,
for an ad juttment OF the grevsnc, 8,
he atterwaid called out the Missouri
Pacific men,"
II will be seen from these extracts
that the greatest strike ever I'm wa in
the United States wus BROUGHT about
by Hall aud Irons, for no o.her cause
than q purely personal grudge toward
the Texas Pacific raibo I'd because its
officials refused ions pas. Such a
monstrous crime against the grea'
business interests Of the country aud
the workingmen who are members OF
the Knights Of Labor, was inspired by
Hall, discharged because OF his incom-
psteacy, and Irons, because he failed to
get frse PISS. The loss to the coun-
try by the f)lly OF these two men can
not be estimated. The Chicago Times
has been trying 10 figure up what ths
strikes in that city have cost, but it
has so Ter no. got beyond the building
department. All the architects in
the city were interviewed, and
there was uuanimity OF opin-
ion that the aggr}gae value
OF work in hand before the
strikes was $4,000 900, and that &c.
100000 worth Of this work was stopped
for this year at east. Forty per cent.
of money expended for buildings goes
for labor, amounting in the Chicago
case to 100000 los. to labor in this
one department, TIE figures Just pub
l'shed by Brddstree's give the total
loss in wages at $2,sO2, 900; in current
business, 81, 105,OC0i and in new bust.
ness, consisting OF contrrc,s cancelled
or postponed at $2i,SO0,0OO; at til Of
$29, 100000. These figures arc based
upon definite information and may be
be regarded as a very moderae state
msnt OF the grand total Of Losses in
CURED, for necessarily many of the
minor cases have been overlooked,
though In each OF thoss caseI more or
less embarrassment, loss AMI suffering
resulted ON the shutting down OF
business aud the stoppags Of wages.
Tbs cost Of the recent strikes inaugu-
by Hall aud Irons after all
may be blessing In Disguise.
II will induce the Cleveland couveu-
ton, now in session, to devise meth
DDS that will prevent such men as
Hall and Irons from forcing a srike
without suflic eut cause. TIE conven-
tim will doubtless bring orde-
out of tha's. Owing to the rap'd and
Ell rmous growth OF the Knights OF
Labor, II has bscoms uumanageable,
aud is threatened with disintegr ton
through it' own weight, the iucon.
gruity aud contumacy Of its elements.
The Cleveland convention will no
doubt reorginizs and make the organ
izatiou so compact aud disciplined that
capitalists, knowing its power, will re-
spsCt its demands and thus prevent
any further detriment to the great
huei N aaa intaraots ~ ,l,a on,nt..