The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-08-17
RAILROAD STRIKE REMEDY.
A. n. U. Men Favor Governments Owner
ship of Roads.

ship Of Roads.
CHICAGO, Aug. 16-The first witness
called before the government strike COM
mission today, was w. II. Lovejoy, Rock
Island railroad employee from La Sale,
I'll. Lovejoy declared that the men at La
Sale went out at that point because he
was unjustly discharged.
Secretary Keliher, of the American Rail-
way Union, succeeded Lovejoy on the
stand. He entered into detailed state
ment OF the troubles leading up to the
strike. and was questioned closely regard
ing the convention at which the boycott
was declared. Keliher was asked for his
views as TO the best method of preventing
strikes. He said he believed government
ownership would solve the problem.
Next to that" he continued, az think
compulsory arbitration would answer"
"How would you force the railroads to
abide by the arbitrators' decision 7" asked
Commissioner Wright.
''By law" promptly replied the witness.
let the law be such that in case of
trouble with it's employees the railroad
viii be compelled to submit the matter to
arbitration. Then let Ii be understood
that If the railroad will not accept the
terms upon which the arbitrators decide
the company will be compelled to 60 out
of the business. In other words, the rail-
roads should be compelled to abide by the
decision. and, as to the employees, if they
are not suited by the decision let them
leave the employ of the company"
B. B. Ray, of Rock Island, was next
called. He stated that the strike at Rock
Island was caused partially by the Pull
Il frrk a and noyffafIw hanausa # fha
treatment they had received at the hands
of the Rock Island company. 'r had
gone West TO visit my relatives" he said,
land when / returned i was told by the
Rock Island officials that I had been dis
charged. / asked for reason and was
told that 1t was because I was O member
of the American Railway Union. General
Superintendent Dunlap said / would be
blacklisted and never given work on his
or any other road. / was not a member
OF the American Railway Union at the
time of my discharge. but have since
joined that union" Ray agreed with
Keliber that government ownership of
railroads would prevent strikes. Ray
favored law, he said, compelling rail-
roads to give discharged employees docu-
ment setting forth the reasons for their
discharge.
Chairman Heathcote, Of the Pullman
strike committee, was on the witness
stand during the afternoon session. He
showed table of the Pullman company's
wages. and claimed that wages have been
cut 90 per cent. in the last two years. Mr..
Heathcote also exhibited what he claims
was blacklist issued by the Pullman off,
Gals, requesting other companies TO refuse
to employ the men whose names appeared
thereon.
Miss Jennie Custiss, president of the
gi7ls' union az Pullman, testified in the
afternoon. Her father had been In
the employ OF the Pullman company
for fifteen years until shortly before
bis death last year. lie was delinquent in
his rent 10 she amount of 80. The CON-
pany compelled her TO assume the debt
and sign q contract TO pay IL out OF her
wages at the rate of So n week. Some
weeks she had so little LETT from her
wages that she could not pay her board,
In 1888 the company was paying its girls
"a cents an hour for sewing, and the
poorest seamstress earned $50 a day.
Before tie strike the best OF them had
got down 10 % or 80 cents day, while the
poorer need.ewomen could only make 40
20 50 cents.
Theodore Rhode, representing the
painters department. followed Miss Gus
tiss. lie had worked for the company
twelve years. and hal been gradually
cut down until he could not make
SL25 oay. The foreman abused
the men, aud the management expert
mented with materials until pieceworkers
could make nothing. He had not applied
for work since the strike, because the COM
pany compelled every man 10 surrender
his card OF membership in the railway
union aud ssgn an agreement TO have
nothing 70 do xith any labor organization
Tor ave years
X. W. Coombs, of the freight car shops,
bad been IN the employ OF the company
for ten years. tie made . similar state
ment 10 THAI Of Mr.. Rhode.
There is no doubt that George NJ. Pull
man, Vice Presidents Wlckes. General
Managers Egan and ST. John and other
corporation officials wii! be called.
Whether they viii testify or not il an
other matter.