Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-03-30
MR. GOULD AND THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR

Mr.. Powderly's action in ordering the
cessation Of the strike on the Missouri Pa
cific proves to have been premature. MIR.
Gould did not propose to appoint arbitra.
tors to act with others appointed by the
'sKniehts of Labor" but simply TO authorize
the superirtcndent of the Missouri Pacific
to arbitrate if he saw fit, with respect 10
certain classes of differences. Mr.. Powder
" misunderstood Mr.. Gould. The following
is Mr.. Goulds note to Powderly:
MISSOURI PACIFIC RAILWAY Co.,
NEW YORK. March %.
T. ]. PoUderly esq, Neto York City:
Dear Sir-The papers this morning pub.
ished the following:
"Jay Gould has consented TO our PROPOSE
ton for arbitration, and so telegraphed
Vice President Hoxe. Order the men to
resume work at once.
"T. Y. PoT'DERLY, G. NJ. W."
They published an interview with you
which leads one to think that the officers of
YOUR order in St. Louis may miscoEstrue
YOUR message into a consent on the part Of
this company to conform to the require
ments contained in the letter from the sec
rotary OF your order dated Philadelphia,
March 81, 1856, which in my letter to you
of the same date declined to consider. You
will remember that at our conference OF
Sunday l said to you that the position OF
| this company was unchanged in this respect
and that the whole matter was left in the
hands OF the first vice president and general
manager, with the instructions contained IN
my telegram to him, which was written he
| fore my interview with you and read to you
at the time. This telegram stated, 1--WE see
no objection to arbitrate any differences be-
tween the employees and the company, past
or future"
While feel confident that your under
standing Of thi. matter is the same as my
own, write you this in order that there
may he no grounds for misunderstanding
hereafter Very respectfully yours,
| JAY GOULD,
Prcs't Missouri Pacific II. II. Go.
Mr.. Gould, in an interview last night,
said he and Mr.. Powderly met merely as
private citizens and informally on Sunday
night. Mr.. Powderly, he said, was not just
flied in making the statement that he had
assented TO the plan Of arbitration proposed
by the executive committee.
| st has been made an important point"
the reporter suggested, 'that you addressed
Mr.. Powderly by his official title, and thus
recognized the organization"
81 am sorry that any such inference
should be drawn from snch q simple act Of
courtesy" Mr. Gould replied, "for suppose
l must have done it as l would address an
other man who had no tito as Esquire"
Mr.. Gould said to reporter: "Tho plan
of arbitration proposed by Mr.. Powderl "
cannot be entertained by the officers hero in
New York. All the details of the settle
ment of the strike must be initiated and ar
ranged in St. Louis. The whole thing is in
the hands of General Manager Hoxie, and
there is no disposition on tho part of the
/ board Of directors to interfere with any plan
which no may decide upon. There is not
the slightest intention on my part to reccdc
from the position have so far maintained
that is to gay, l shall not accept the plan
proposed by Mr.. Powdery; shall appoint
no arbtrators. II there is TO bc arbitration,
to which, as l telegraphed Mr.. Hoxie, |
have not the slightest objection, such arbi-
tration must be arranged for at st. Louis,
and with the general manager. Mr.. Hoxie
is in control, and knows the situation per-
fectly. Any settlement that lie may make
will meet with the approval OF tho directors
of the company"