The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-03-22
ECHOES FROM THE STRIKE.

COFreSpOndence Between Gov. LARA
bee and President Perkins.
Dies MONIES. Iowa, March 20.-The
following correspondence between
Governor Larrabee and President Per-
kins of the 60" road was made public
last night. The first letter from the
governor was written ten days ago, and
is as follows:
DIES MONIES, Iowa, March 10, '6S.-
Mr.. G. Z. Perkins, President G. b. &
O.. Chicago-Dear Sir:-Frequent COM
plants have of late been made to me
concerning the interruption TO freight
and passenger transportation caused by
the strike of the engineers and firemen
ON your road as well as the danger aris-
ing from the employment Of incOmpe-
tent substitutes for such employees.
The inconvenience and disappointment
which the present state of affairs causes
to the travelling public, and the loss
which commerce SustainS are such as
that further delay in the adjustment
of the difference existing between The
management of the G. b. & q. road
and its striking employees would be a
manifest injustice to the people of our
state.
In the territory controlled by your
road traffic is deranged and travel in
conVenienced to such an extent as to
demand a speedy solution Of the diff
Guilty. 1, therefore, appeal to you in
behalf the people of Iowa to make
every effort possible to come to an I'M
derstanding with the strikers. 1t ap-
pears to me that even self-interest
should dictate such a course to you, ana
especially as your company can be held
responsible for damage caused by fail
ure to furnish reasonable facilities for
the transaction of business on your
road. Allow me to suggest that unless
you soon succeed in some way to secure
settlement, you submit the case to
arbitration. Very respectfully,
WIN. LARRIBEE.
Mr.. Perkins reply is as follows:
BURLINGTON, Ia. March 14.-Hon.
VIM. Larrabee, Governor of Iowa.-My
Dear Sir:-I have to acknowledge the
receipt of your communication OF
March 10, sent to me at Chicago. l
regret that our course should have
given any cause for complaint, and
beg to assure. you that no amount of
labor or expense has been spared by
us to correct as rapidly as possible, any
short comings due to the sudden
action of our engineers and firemen
two weeks ago. If communities or
individuals have been damaged there
by we stand ready to make payments
in full where we are liable, and /
shall esteem it favor if you will kind
" have transmitte to me statement
Of ali complaints which have been or
may hereafter have been brought
to your attention. In order that we
may endeavor to render satisfaction
in each case. 1t is not necessary for
me to say that when men 80 essential
to the operation Of railroad as loco
motive engineers, all or near
ly all leave the service on less
than twenty-four hours notice their
places cannot be filed at once. We
have succeeded however in so far fill
ing them that we now have in Iowa
about sixty-seven percent of the num-
Der of employees prior to February q to
which we are daily making additions:
men out of employment to the
loyalty, zeal, courage and hard
work of the men who remained
with us in all branches of our
organization, to the positive stand
taken by the newspapers and to the pa
thence and good temper of the public,
from whom we have received many
marks of encouragement, we have re-
covered more rapidly than at the be-
ginning we thought possible. Your
letter suggests the question of our en-
in leaving us causes this Inconvenience.
This was a serious and important mat
ter and one to which we gave the most
careful consideration Much could be
said on both sides, but our conclusion
up to this time has been that we would
not close the door to the return of so
many of them as we may have work
for. Very few, however, have taken
advantage of this opportunity and our
new men whom are competent and of
good character may remain in our ser
vice if they ike to. Very respectfully,
G. z. PERKINS,
Prest. c., b. s. q. Railway.
Gov. Larrabee's answer is as follows:
Executive Mansion, Des Moines,
March &c. E. Perskirs, Burlington,
Iowa-Dear Sir:-I am in receipt of
your letter of the 14th inst, and am
glad to hear that the present situation
affords hope that the regularity in the
operation of your lines will soon be re-
established. In compliance with your
request, l shall take pleasure in for
warding to you any claim for damage
that may in the future be brought to
my attention. While the inconven-
fence caused to the public by the pres
ent strike has been the subject of much
complaint, my intercedence to recover
damages has thus far not been re-
quested. Yours respectfully,
WIN. LARRABEE.