The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1894-08-31
SLIDE OFThE RAILWAY
RnHsnNTnD m THE srRIien IN.
QUERY m CHICAGO.
ne as,.ral Manager Of u. a..n
slslana Admits That Their cs.tr.ct
with the Psll.an Company DID
Net Compel TAen to Ha.l II. Cars.

Chicago, Aug. 24.-General Manager
q. 1T. John, Of the Rock Island r,lil.
road, was called before the strike com.
mission today. Mr.. Ht. John Ind pre-
pared his<ory of the st ike as 1t uf-
fected his road and reud to the com.
miseioners . detailed account Of the
troubles. Wher he had finlshed ne
was asked ff hie company blacklisted
Dlen.
mot in the sense that the word is
generally understood" said the wit
ness. when IL man IL discharged
from one of our divisions we send a
statement to Cur other divisions tllut
he may not be re-employed, but no
such statement IL sent to other roads
unless 1t Is requested"
Can you show us copy of your
contract with the Pullman company ~
asked Commissioner Herman.
Il can show you the contract II you
will regard 1t as q private matter.
do not wish to see 1t published In the
newspapers"
This proposition was refused, and Mr..
st. John was asked II the contract COM
pelled his company to haul Pullmans
on all passenger trains.
NO." was the answer, 1--WE cnn haul
Pullrans on dny train we choose, and
need not haul them unless we wish"
"Then you were not compelled to haul
Pnllmans drriEg the striker
mo we were not"
Mr. st. John was asked as to the
hGtrber of strikers who had been
taken hack by his company.
'Al0zt of our men," he snid, 'quit
work through fear. but of the $50 actu-
al strikers only seventy -four-lMve been
taken back"
The witt ess said that their relations
t" labcl unicns We're regulated by the
number of nieli Oh their lines belonging
10 the unions. when a union has
10 per cent or more Of our men," he
said, 1--WE, az a general thing. treat
with its representatives.. We had no
dealings Will the A. r. u, as 1t had
less than 500 Of our employees"
Did your road cut wages last spring
.,r this summer:" asked Commissioner
W~,ght.
mo, sir. We cut our force, but did
not cut MGges."
Has your road advanced wages With
In the last ter years.
"Yes. We have frequently made In
div'dual ads but no general nd
vance that remember Of"
"How much did the strike cost the
Rock Island rond?' Mr.. Herman asked.
II cannot give exact figures without
reference to debate, but should say
that the strike cost our road between
$500. 900 and $1,OO.OOO"
Mr.. st. John cmphatically denied the
statement that the United States mar
sllals used during the riots were con-
lrOlled by the railroads.
I've asked for protection and fur
nished man, of our employees who were
sworn in as deputy marshnls. But
after being sworn in we had nothing
more to do with them. They were COM
lnarded and controlled. 1 suppose, by
the United States marsllals."
The witness said that many Of the
Voters who overturned and burned
cnrs We're strikers. He knew this to be
q fact, he said. lecause many of them
were recognized by the Rock Island
employees, who witnessed the lawlcss.
less. Tho commissioners questioned the
cortrol of the United States deputy
marshnls, as the statement had been
made by Chief Deputy Donnelly that
the railroad companies took charge Of
she fCrces during the riots.