The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-27
EMPLOYEES ENJOINED
Unusual Step by Receivers of the
Northern Pacific Road.
An Extraordinary Order Obtained from
Judge Jenkins, of the United
States Court.
NO STRIKE TO BE PERMITTED
Employees Can't Combine or Con.
spire to Quit the Company.
Neither Can the Labor Organizations
Assist the Men-Initial Move To-
wards Reducing Wages.

MILWAUKEE,, Wis, Dec pa conflict
is on between the receivers of the Northern
Pacific railroad and it's employees includ-
ing all the engineers, conductors, firemen,
trainmen, switchmen, and so on. The new
schedule of wages, adopted by the receiv-
ers, which implies a cut of to 10 per cent
in the employees pay. was rejected by the
employees representatives. A conference
was held in St. Paul with General Man
ager Kendrick yesterday, and the prospects
are that on JAM /, when the new schedule
is to go into effect, $500 men employed all
along the road will quit work. This out
come of the controversy was foreseen by
the receivers, for as early Dec. 19 they
applied for and obtained from Judge Jenk-
ins, OF the United States Court, of this city,
an order authorizing and directing them to
put into operation the new schedule of
wages, and restraining the employees and
their unions from combining and conspir-
ing to quit, with or without notice, the
service OF the road with the object of Grip
pling or embarrassing it's operation, and
generally from interfering with the officers
and agents of the receivers or their en-
ployes in any manner by actual violence,
intimidation, threats or otherwise" This
Injunction was held back until to-day the
amicable agreement When they found
such an agreement impossible, they tele-
graphed to their agents, attorneys all along
the line to have the injunction served by
the United States marshals on the proper
men, and to make the Injunction generally
known.
The order OF the court restraining the
Northern Pacific employees from "combin-
Inc nd tn ha r~xc ~
the road is an extraordinary document.
1t is the first order of it's kind, it is said.
ever issued in the United States. y some
what similar injunction was issued by a
United States court in Michigan during the
strike OF the Toledo e. Ann Arbor en-
ployes, but that injunction was issued after
the strike was in progress. The grounds
for the issuance OF the present injunction
are set forth to a long petition OF the
ceiverS which was fled Dec. Is. 1t
appears from the petition that two days
after their appointment (Aug. I'D the re-
ceivers, finding the affairs OF the road In
q deplorable condition, ordered reduc-
ton Of salaries varying from 10 to 20 per
cent of all officials and employees whose
pay per annum exceeded $1,000. That
ductiOn went into effect at once and was
cheerfully accepted. About a week after
wards (Aug. 25) the receivers ordered
reduction of per cent. on all wages run
ming from $50 to SIS and of 10 per cent. on
wages averaging from $50 to 500 per
month. This order of the receivers did not
go into effect at once. They concluded to
investigate and revise the entire system of
wages and the different schedules OF pay,
the task being imposed on the general man.
ager At meeting OF the receivers on
Oct. 2S resolutions were adopted also
abrogating the old schedules Of pay, di-
recting the general manager to prepare a
new schedule for the engineers, trainmen
and telegraphers and ordering reduction
of the wages of the other men provided
for Aug. %. The petition says that In
the old schedules the employees paid
for services not performed.
In enumeratine those who are enjoined
from striking or ordering strikes, the petit
ton of the receivers mentions the names of
thirty-two men who have been in confer
ence with the receivers, and asks that they
be enjoined from ordering a strike, which
the court @ s. The petitioners say that
the employees cannot carry on strike with
out the pecuniary assistance OF the different
national organizations TO which they be-
long They therefore. pray that these or
ganizations, through their chief officers
such as p. NJ. Arthur, e. c. Clark, Z. 2.
Sargent, ID. G. Ramsey, S. Z. Wilkinson
and others be enjoined from ordering and
sanctioning the strike. The court grants
this, and these men are included in the in
junction.
A dispatch from ST Paul says: The rep
resentatives of the different Organizations
of employees of trainmen on the Northern
Pacific road are in session tonight, 1t is
believed. discussing the question whether to
strike. They received the company's an
swer to their protest to-day and imme-
diately went into executive session to con-
slider it. They refuse now, they have all
along, to make any statement of their
grievances or their plans, that the gen.
eral public is considerably at sea about the
matter. The injunctions against an instan-
taneous strike. issued at Milwaukee to-day
were served on three leaders tonight.