The herald., 1893-12-27
PREPARED FOR THE STRUGGLE,
A Big Strike on the Northern
Pacific Inevitable.
negotiations for Settlement of the
Wage Scale Ended.
The Receivers Take Time by the Fore.
lock and Serve IDjunctions on the
Labor Leaders-An Inter-
esting Contest.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
MILWAUKEE, Wis, Dec. 26.-The re-
ceivers of the Northern Pacific are pre-
parlng for a strike Of all the employees.
They applied some time ago to Judge
Jenkins OF the United States court for
an order restraining the employees from
declaring an instantaneous strike and
doing any damage to the property or
interfering in any way with the
operation OF the road. The receivers
had ordered general reduction OF wages
OF from to 8 per cent. The employees
objected. Negotiations between the
representatives of the employees and
the receivers were in progress for three
weeks. Today they were broken
off and strike being imminent. the
recsivsrs have decided to make use OF
the injunction issued by Judge jenkins,
which they hope will enable them to
operate the road Immediately with new
men. The legal document now in the
hands of the receivers comprises nearly
10000 words. Injunctionai orders will
be served tonight and tomorrow on all
leaders of Northern Pacific railroad en-
ployees by the United States marshsls
of the districts through which the
Northern Pacific passes.
The prospect is that $500 men in the
employ of the Northern Pacific will
quit work January let when the reduced
schedule OF wages goes into effect. When
the receivers found it impossible to ar
rive at an agreement with the employees,
they telegraphed to all agents and attor-
neys along the line of the road to have
an injunction served. The injunc.
tion is said to be the first
order OF the kind ever issued in
the United States. A somewhat similar
injunction was issued during the Ann
Arbor troubles, but not until the strike
was in progress. 1t appears from the
Northern Pacific injunction, that the re-
ceivers ordered a reduction of all sala-
ries exceeding $1,000. This was cheer
fully accepted. A week later, the re-
ceivers ordered q further reduction OF |
8 per cent. on all wages of $50 to $50, |
and 10 per cent. on $75 to 500 per
month. 1t is this reduction which the
employees refuse to accept.
In enumerating those who are en-
joined from striking or ordering strikes,
the petition OF the receivers mentions |
the names of 32 men who have been the |
conference committee with the receiv-
ere, and asks that they be enjoined from
ordering q strike, which the court |
grants. The petitioners say the en-
ployees cannot carry on the strike
without the pecuniary assistance of
the different national organizations to |
which they belong. They therefore
prayed that these organizations, through |
their chief officers, such as p. M. Ar
thur, E. @. Clark, f. p. Sargent, d. G.. |
Ramsay, s. E. wilkinson and others
be enjoined from ordering and sanction
ing the strike. The court grants this
and those men are included in the in
ST. PAUL, D1c. nrs---rnornIng, I
when it was expected the Northern Pa
cific officials would give an answer to
it's employees' protest against the pro-
posed reduction in wages to take place
January lat, they invited the employ
ees to a further conference, which at
once went into session.
General Manager Kendrick explained
to the men that the new schedule be-
came necessary because of the condition
of the road, and had been issued only
after thorough consideration. 1t could
not, therefore, be altered in sny
manner.
The representatives of the different
organizations Of the employees of the
Northern Pacific road are in session to-
night. 1t is believed they are discussing
the question whether to strike. They
received the company's answer to the
protest today, and Immediately went
into executive session to consider it.
They refuse now, as they have all along,
to make any statement OF their griev-
ances or plans, 80 that the general pub
lie is considerably at sea about the mat
ter. The injunctions against an instan-
taneous strike, Issued at Milwaukee to-
day, were served on the leaders tonight.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind, Dec. 26.-This
evening Grand Master Sargent of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen,
received articles of federation signed by
the employees committee of the North,
ern Pacific, preparatory to settle the cut
in wages on that system.