Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1894-08-23

DeDS QlQ not ADVISE elmer Mr. GOnpofS, MT
Sovereign or Mr.. Mcbride or any other labor
leaders to counsel men beneath them to strike
Mr.. Howard advocated the government
ownership and operation of railroads to pre-
vent such troubles In the future. AS to arbi-
tration, the labor leader had little faith in Its
efficacy unless it was voluntary.
General Master Workman Sovereign, of the
knights of Labor, followed He said he knew
little OF the grievances Of the Illinois Central
employees and comparatively little about the
Rock Island, except that the latter road was
the subject Of q discussion in convention al
Des Moines before the general strike in Chi
cago.
Concerning the violence and destruction Of
property, Mr.. Sovereign said he believed the
burning Of cars was the work OF United States
deputy marshals He had read information
filed with the mayor OF Chicago by the police
department which justified that belief.
II do not believe arbitration will avoid such
strikes" he said in conclusion. voluntary
arbitration Is too slow and compulsory arbi.
tration is not remedy.
Second Days Test mony.
CHICAGO, Aug. 1s.-It is a question whether
the commission Will be able to get much in
formation from the railway managers. The
commission has the power to summon wit.
nesses, but cannot compel them to answer
questions. There is no doubt that
George NJ. Pullman, Vice President
Wicks, General Managers Egan, St
be called. Whether they will ties.
tify or not is quite another matter,
George w. LOvejoy, former yardmaster al
La Sale, ILL.,, for the Rock Island, testified
that he was discharged June 10 for reasons
unknown to him. The employees Of the Rock
Island struck because of a local grievance and
of the Pullman troubles. The Rock Island
49, $685. v,1ox
a member of the American Railway union
His plan for preventing strikes was govern
ment ownership of railroads He thought COM
pulsory arbitration unsatisfactory.
Sylvester Kellher, secretary OF the Ameri-
can Railway union. was the next witness
He thought that the cause Of the boycott was
the grievance Of the Pullman employees
The Pullman employees We're organized
as lodge Of the American Railway
union. TO 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 men,
bers Of the grievance committee Of forty-three
should not be Disseminated against Notwith-
standing this, the members of the commit
tee were discharged the next day.
Then the Pullman employees went out
and the convention Of the American Railway
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. b. Ray. who was assistant yardmaSter for
the Rock Island road at Rock Island, ILL.,, but
was discharged previous to the strike be-
cause he joined the American Railway
union, was the third witness He
gave the usual account OF what led
rfly yoo1r 70,
strikes, he thought, lay in compulsory arbitra-
ton.
At the afternoon session T. w. Heathcote,
who was chairman Of the Pullman strike
committee, was the first witness. He pre-
sented to the commission the wage scale
that obtained at Pullman in 1893 and
compared it with that In force at the time
the strike was inaugurated, In June,
1893, he said he knew f1rst-class mechanics who
made between $43 and $45 in two weeks. A year
later he said it was necessary for the men to
do four times as much work to get the same
pay, there having been reduction OF
about go per cent in the pay OF the
men. While wages were reduced to this
remarkable extent Mr. Heathcote said
the rents collected 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 oJher corporations with
the request that the men whose names it con-
tanned be Lot employed.
Jennie Curtis was seamstress for five years
in the repair shops Of the Pullman company,
president Of the girls local union 269, Ameri-
can Railway union, at Pullman, and also a
member Of the committees that called on Mr..
Wickes and Mr.. Pullman on behalf OF the
girls employed at the carShopS town. In her
department. she said, employees made In
June, 1898, 81. % day, and at the time of the
strike from 40 to 80 cents day. my father
worked for the company for thirteen years, y
she said, land last fall he died. He was ten
ant OF the Pullman company. He owed $50
rent, and out of my small wages had to pay
that $50 or leave the employ OF the company. y
r. 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 a day and in
March, 1894, they were 68 cents. The cut
commenced in N ovemEer. 1893.
Proceedings of the Third Day.
CHICAGO, Aug. 20.-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. o. Mr.. Goodwin
was somewhat inclined to be uncommuntca-
tive and occupied the stand but short time.
He thought the way to prevent strikes was to
have cooperative commonwealth.
Vice President Howard, OF the A. r. o., again
became witness, and created something
of sensation when he informed the COM
mission that the United States govern
men is boycotting 5000 Of the A. r. q. men
and the strikers in the courtroom became
Interested. The Union Pacific road receivers
are United States officers, and they have re-
fused to reemploy the 5000 men who struck on
that road. This, according to Mr.. Howard, Is
q boycott of the men by the United States.
The commission did not consider the state
ment of Mr.. Howard relevant, but heard him
on. He proceeded to say that half dozen roads
are engaged in boycott on the Missouri, Kan
sas s. Texas road on account OF q passenger
rate made by the latter road. Yet the gov
eminent had not tnterfered as 1t had in the
boycott on Pullman cars. It should let the
railways and their employees fight out their
differences just as 1t does not interfere in dis
putes between one road and another.
There was volley Of hand clapping as Mr..
Howard finished. The commission decided.
however, that the matters he referred to were
not germane to the investigation.
E. w. Bemis, associate professor Of political
economy in the University of Chicago, ap-
peared as witness. Arbitration. he said,
seems to have worked we'll In the settlement
OF disputes in private industries In Massachu-
setts, where there is a state board OF
Cancellation and arbitration. In cases
where either side refuses these con-
ctliatory measures the board may make ar
investigation. Where the parties consent to
arbitrate 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. sS
AS to railroads, It 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 8
present remedy Prof Bemis suggested
the creation Of state courts for the settlement
Of disputes between company and employees
on interstate roads, and Of federal court Of
inquiry, Cancellation, and arbitration fol
the adjustment Of labor difficulties on In
terstate railways. These courts should
have power to make exhaustive inquiry and