River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-08-23
THE INVESTIGATION.
Procee dings Of President Cleve-
lands Labor Commission.
Light IL Sought Upon the Causes Which
4 Resulted in the Late Strike-Debs'
Version Is Given on the
Fifth Day.
MANY UNION MEN TESTIFY.

CHICAGO. Aug. ls,-On Thursday was opened
the second days proceedings OF President
Cleveland's Labor commission.
George w. Lovesoy, former yardmaster at
La Sale, Ill, for the Rock Island, testifie
that lie was discharged June 10 for reasons
unknown 70 him. The employees OF the Roek
Island struck because OF a local grievance and
| OF the Pullman troubles. The Rock Island
people. the witness declared. viii not ,mploy
a member of the American Railway union.
His plan for preventing strikes was govern
ment ownership OF railroads. lie thought som
pulsory arbitration unsatisfactory
Sylvester Kehher. secretary OF the Ameri-
can Railway union was the next witne
He thought that the cause Of the boycott was
the grievance OF the Pullman employees.
The pullman employees were organized
as a lodge of the American Railway
union. To a committee Of the Ameri-
can Railway union which waited on
them Manager Wickes and Mr. Pull
man said the grievances would be investigated.
| and these gentlemen promised that the mem
bers OF the grievance committee of forty-three
| should not be Disseminated against Notwtth-
standing this. the members of the commit
tee we're discharged the next day.
Then the Pullman employees went out
and the convention OF the American Railway
union voted TO sustain them.
Mr. Keliher said he thought the best prevent
| i've OF strikes on railroads would be govern
ment control OF all railroads; the next best
thing compulsory arbitration
| b. II. Ray. who was assistant yardmaster for
the Rock Island road at Rock Island, ILL.,, but
| was discharged previous to he strike be-
cause he joined the American Railway
| union, was the third witness He
gave the usual account of what led
| TO the strike. The remedy for
strikes, he thought, lay in compulsory arbitra-
] tiol-
4 At the afternoon session T. w. Heathcote,
who was chairman OF the Pullman strike
1 10 10 tha A. viii EIa
I seuted to the comm lssion the wage scale
| that obtained at pullman 1898 and
! CON pared it with that In force at the time
/ the strike inaugurated IN June,
/ 1893. ne said he knew first-class mech; mics who
| made between $40 and SIS In two weeks year
/ later ne said IL was necessary for the men to
do four times as much work to get he same
pay, there having been a reduction %
about 60 per cent in the pay OF the
men, While wages reduced 10 this
/ remarkable extent Mr.. Heathcote said
| there not the slightest reduction in
| the rents col ected by the Pullman company
out of the wages of its employees. Mr. Heath
cote also presented an official copy Of the
black list prepared by the Pullman COM
pany and forwarded TO other corporations with
| the request that the men whose names IL con-
/ tained be OF employed
Jennie Jrtis was seamstress for five years
in the repair shops OF the Pullman company,
| president OF the girls local union 26g. Ameri-
7 can halfway union. at Iullfld1s ana also "a
member OF the committees that called on Mr..
i Wickes and Mr. Pullman behalf OF the
! girls employed at the carshops town. In her
department. she said, employees made in
/ June, 1893 a. 25 a day, and at the time OF the
, strike from 40 to 20 cents dav. my father
worked for the compvny for thirteen years"
she said. "and last fall he died. He a ten
ant OF the Pullman company. He owed $50
4 rent, and out of my small wages | had to pay
| that 500 or leave the employ of the company.
X W. Combs has been car carpenter in
the freight department of the Pullman works
| for ten years. He testified: "A year ago
my wages averaged $3.50 day and in
March. 1894 they were 81 cents The cut
commenced In November, 1893
Proceedings of the Third Day.
CHICAGO. Aug. e0.-The first witness before
] the labor commission at the opening OF its
third days session was Ray Goodwin, one Of
the directors of the A. r. u Mr.. Goodwin
J was somewhat inclined TO be uncommunica-
tive, and occupied the stand hut short time.
He thought the way TO prevent strikes was to
have cooperative commonwealth.
Vice President Howard, OF the A. r. u, again
became a witness, and created something
of a sensation when he informed the COM
mission that the United States govern
men is boycotting 5000 of the A. r. U. men
/ and the strikers in the courtroom became
interested. The Union Pacific road receivers
are United States officers, and they have
q iuScu 70 TttillplpN the oVuO men WHO STUCK On
that road This according to Mr.. Howard, is
a boycott of the men bv the United States.
The commission did not consider the state
ment of Mr.. Howard relevant. but heard him
on. lie proceeded to say that half dozen roads
; are engaged in a boycott on the Missouri Kan
s. Texas road account of a passenger
rate made by the latter road. Yet the gov
ernment had not interfered as /. had In the
boycott on Pullman cars. IL should let the
railways and their employees fight out their
I Az s..4a lid
| putes between one road and another.
/ There was a volley OF hand clapping as Mr..
Howard finished. The commission decided,
however, that the matters he referred to were
+ not germane to the investigation.
T.. w. Bemis. associate professor If political
economy In the University of Chicago APP
peared as a witness. Arbitration. he said.
! seems TO have worked well in the settlement
4 of disputes In private Industries in Massachn-
setts, where there is state board OF
cancellations and arbitration. In cases
Z where either side refuses these con-
ciliatory measures the board may make an
4 investigation. Where the parties consent TO
= arbtrate the commission has the right to COM
/ pei employers TO show the books as TO wages,
but they cannot be compelled TO testify as TO
profits.
AS to railroads 1t was likely that some time
in the future they would pass into govern
/ ment control and that civil regulations would
| prevail. But that time is remote and as
! present remedy Prof. Bemis suggested
/ the creation of state courts for the settlement
Of disputes between company and employees
| on interstate roads, and of a federal court of
! inquiry, Cancellation, and arbitration for
1 the adjustment OF labor difficulties In
| terstate railways. These courts should
| have power TO make exhaustive inquiry and
compliance with their decisions should be
| obligatory. He thought it would be a good
plan to license all railway employees, just
as lake and river engineers and pilots are
licensed.
H. F. Grswold testified In regard to black
listing. He is switchmRn. % years old,
and had been n railroad man about ten
years. He was one Of the American Railway
/ union organizers for the Northwestern road.
II applied for work less than week ago
at Altoona, o." said he. Il wrote out my
| came and then the tratnmaster turned to a
book, and. finding my name there, said was
blacklisted and could not have work on that
| road. The same experience was met with at
Columbus. o."
A. Is. Connors. the next witness. also had
some experience with the black list. He
| learned of IL for the first time when he applied
| to the Union Stock Yards s. Transit COM
pany for work His name was upon
list, he said, which the company
had in the Office. and he turned
away because OF his participation in
| The strike
! Rev. William II. Carwardine of the Pullman
| Methodist Episcopal church. testified at the
| afternoon session. After stating briefly the
| origin of the strike Mr.. Carwardine said:
| After the strike was declared felt In JUS
| tice must state my views on the question, and
I discussed the matter in the pulpit The
| wages were cut severely and unequslly. There
| was dissatisfaction with the local administra-
| ton and with the abuses of the foreman The
men did not have a reduction of the rent when
The wages were cut, and the men felt that jus
| tice could not be received. Mr.. Pullman and
| Mr.. Wickes are not much to blame for
| the present state OF affairs. The difficulty
| Is with the local administration II Mr.
| Pullman had been In closer relationship
with his men and IL rent had been reduced
| when the wages were the strike would have
| been averted. / don't know how much the
/ rent should have been reduced. The Pullman
| company starts out with the idea of Z system
| Of paternalism and the system was founded
| to Improve the wOrkingmen. 1 contend that
| the COMPANY should not eut the wages OF their
| Did employees, but act from the standpoint of
! q nateruaiistic system"
SIR. Jarwaro inc vent on TO explain how he
had met the comlnittee OF the Pullman strikers
and had interviewed Mr. Debs and endeavored
to have their declare the boycott OF. He was
/ not an advocate OF strikers, was inclined much
la favor OF arbitration and the government
management OF railroads He had been
charged with being an anarchist and
socialist. II was impossible to be both.
/ Anarchy he repudiatei entirely; he
was what might be called Christian social
/ lst Referring TO the strike he said he though t
the conduct Of the strikers had been remark
r