The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-21
MAY CAUSE A STRIKE.
Reduction on Northern Pacific
Is Announced.
TRAInmen THREATEN a FIGHT.
New sehea aies for Operatives Empieyss,
asd Red sesions for otsers-stsam-
boat War Begins

circular has been received from Ger
eral Manager ]. w. HENDRIX, issued ey
order of the receivers Of the Northern Pa
eifc railroad. dated 0ctohsr -. Informing
the employees Of the road in this city Of
the reduction Of wages TO taxa effect o.
January ]. which has eaused great
danger Of q strike on the whole
sv~t@rn. This reduction affects only
employees receiving less than 500 month
and those working under scbsduies, as the
other ern ployes bad already suffered re-
Guetion on August Is 81 the following
rates: All receiving $1,000 and more
year. % per cent; ali from 5000 10 sio.po,
Il per cent; all from $3.50 TO $3.50. 10
yer cent
The reductions now ordered are ss iol-
lows: On ali salaries and wages aggre-
eating so and less than SIS q month,
per cent; On all aggregatInz 10
and less than 500 month, 10
per cent. The schedules under which
trsinmen, enginerDen. sSitehmen ana
telegraph operators have been work
ing are abrogated and new ones are pus IN
effect. which make the following reduction
in wages: Passenger conductors. 10 Per
cent: freight conductors and brakemeG,
PER cent: enginenaen. per cent;
switchmen. 10 per cent; telegraph oper-
asors. about 5 per cent These percentages
include the reductions which will be made
In the overtime rules.
The circular states as the reason for this
reduction that the great decrease in bust
ness. coupled with low rates. has tended
20 reduce the compsny's revenue, and says
that the receivers ordered the reductions
"A 4t&n x4exf
August Is Ii then continues:
After consideration IL seemed advisable
to defer action upon the order OF August
~ until such time rs the matter could he
more fully considered. especially with
reference 20 certain schedules governing
the pay and employment OF certain classes
Of employees. Some OF these schedules
have been in existence for many years,
and were made under conditions which no
longer exist. moreover they have from
time TO time been amended and extended
90 that they are unnecessarily long and
their meaning in many Instances Is Tar
from clear Besides in case of the train
meas schedule there Is variation in the
rates Of pay and the conditions governing. ]
the same, which IL undesirable ana nh-
necessary. IL was deemed best to revise
and rearrange the schedule instead of
making q horizontal reduction. because
the revision is desirable for the reasons
above stated, and further IL makes possi-
BILE q more equitable division OF the reduc-
ton than would be effected By the appli-
cation OF the percentage plan according To
the original order of the receivers. The
schedules have therefore been revised and
the several reductions and compensations
made
The reduction has aroused vigorous pro-
tests from the trainmcn and the following
special from Tacoma shows that strike Is
quite likely to result:
"TacoxA, Dec. CO., special. 1.-The Broth
erhoud OF Railway Trainmen is In COM
munication through cipher dispatches
with the delegates OF the order now con-
ferrlng with tho receivers OF the Northern
Pacific at 81. Paul. Today's dispatches
state tina. the officers Of the road insist
upon the reduction going into effect. and
that the brotherhood will insist upon q
ie-up. General Assistant Superintendent
q. W. Dickinson Is credited with the
statement that there are 1--WE men TO take
the place of any man who may wish to
quit. and that he does not oppose the
prospect Of q strike IL one were 10 follow
the enforcement OF the new schedules.
I'm the meantime tho men announce
that President Brayton Ives has tele-
eraphed the brotherhood, through one of
its members At st. Paul. not TO take any
action whatever in the matter until he ar
rived from New oFk. or Wherever no W as
~ the time. Officials of the Northern Pa
cifc now in the city state that Mr. Ives
has no saw in the matter, inasmuch as the
road is in the hands of receivers appointed
by the United States court
This alleged action OF President Ives
corroboraies statements heretofore made
in effect that the officials of the road now
in charge actually courted a strike, in or
der that the present condition OF affairs
might continue the understanding being
that when the road was returned into the
hands OF the stock holders the men now
In charge would he dismissed. In ad-
dition Go this the brotherhood claims 10
have IN its possession. in black and white.
facts and figures showing that the mana
gers Of the Northern Pacific have been di-
verilng freight ia order TO decrease BUSH
ness aud promote conditions favorable to
the demand for reduction. These al
legged facts snd figures will not be erhib-
tied at present. bat they are promised for
publication later.
Tacoma railroad men say no freight ha.
been diverted and any employa caught III
vsrting pound OF freight would he m
stsntiy discharged.
NEW SrEAMRoAT nEaI