The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-03-29

ASHLEY TALKS NOW.
He Answers Arthur. But Develop. N

New Facts in Case Under Discussion.
General Manager II. W. Ashley of the
Toledo, Ann Arbor & North Michigan rail
road makes the following reply TO Chief
Arthurs statement:
Since Mr.. Arthur has made the merits
of the Ill fferenccs between the Brotherhood
of lu omotivc Engineers and this company
of public interest, ii seems my duty to state
the facts from the other point Ot view. This
company pays all its freight enyincmens3 40
per 100 miles, and overtime after II hours
At 30 cents per hour The men are not
classified This is n higher rate Than is
paid by any road in Michigan, except the
> ichigan Central. Ninety per cent OF the
enginemen run freight trains. There are
ONLY seven men engaged in paisen GER SER
vice; OF these two remained with the com
pany and are still at work. They express
themselves as satisfied The men on these
runs earn from 81 200 to 81 400 pr year.
for service of eight hours or less per dav on
trains of two or three cars. scheduled n -
miles per hour. This work is considered
the most desirable on the road.
THE freight enginemen all earn het ween
500 and 81 10 per month. This is what Mr.
Arthur calls the grinding process We
have between 100 and l,20) app icatio
for tho privilege OF being ground at these
prices, but the members OF this order who
do not want to work Tor these wages have
sought, by purchase, intimidation and hoy
Yet he advertises that the brotherhood is a
law abiding society, organized for the moral
and social advantages Of It's members.
'On Sunday, February 26 less than 20 out
OF q total of 40 members OF the brotherhood
met in secret session in OsweSo, and small
majority of those present determined To
make demands for more pay and new rules.
They claim. and members of the brother
hood have testified in court, that neither u
strike nor boycott can be effective without
Mr.. Arlhurs order or consent. II seems inn
material by what name he exercises his au-
thority; it is not denied that such conspir.
acy cannot be made effective except with
his approval. The men themselves speak
of it as 'Althurs order In this instance
Mr.. Arthur ordered or approved both The
strike and boycott, not only with knOwl-
edge that both were illegal, but with the
knowledge that the United States court had
issued mandatory injunction to his men
ou connecting lines not to refuse to handle
Ann Arbor cars. Yet Mr.Arthur adyertlscs
himself as a law abiding citizen.
by his own confession TO the court, IL
appears that he was the chief party 10 the
conspiracy either TO force the Ann Arbor
Company TO pay the wages and submit 10
the rules he thought reasonable, or TO ruin
the industry of every corporation or private
person who was dependent upon its railroad
Tor the transportation OF his goods. | d. not
understand that the desirability or legality
of organized labor is IN question. The DIS
cussion raises the question only OF the right
of men to labor or not as they may elect;
and of the right of other men who do not
belong TO an organi zation TO engage in their
places
''Ihe rights of men to quit the service Of
the company IN any manner and at any
time which does not endanger lives or prop.
erty have always been conceded, but they
denied the right of Others to perform the
same service at the rates Of pay refused by
them, and have individually and collective
ly destroyed property, placed the business
OF outside persons in jeopardy and made
themselves felons in the eyes of the law in
order to accomplish their purpose. Yet Mr..
Arthur continues TO advertise himself as a
awabiding citizen"
This afternoon Manager Ashley offered
81, 900 reward for the apprehension or con.
viction Of the person or persons who caused
the derailment Of q passenger train near
Owosso, Mich. on Wednesday night. A
switch lock was broken, the switch thrown
and the danger signal broken of the top Of
the switch.
The strikers have sent notice to the rail-
road com missioner of Michigan informing
him that the Ann Arbor is daily breaking
the law which compels all trains to come to
dead stop before crossing at functions.