St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-04-10

which congressman Mccain and the
several orders Of railway employees rep
resented on the Northern Pacific road
succeeded in inducing congress to make.
The session lasted three hours and
half. Dunn & tine afternoon, E.
f. Clark. representing the Or
der Of Railway Conductors, and
L. p. Sargent, representing the
Order of Railway Firemen. were
sworn: A ttorney Harper, representing
the railway employees; Attorney Curtis
of New York. representing the receiv.
efs, and Attorney Miller, of this city,
who assists him, were present. Re-
celvers Paine and Cakes and ex-senator
John c. Spooner were also interested
spectators. as were MeSSrs. Arthur,
Sargent. Wilkinson, Ramsey and Clark.
cniefS OF the various brOtherhOods of
railway employees. Chairman Boatner
opened the session by giving a simple
outline of what the committee had been
Instructed to do, its authority, etc. He
said the committee would ask the wit
nesses whatever questions it thought
necessary, bearing on the granting of
the injunction, and that the attorneys
would be allowed to ask what
ever questions they may choose to assist
in a fair investigation. Copies of the
petition on which the first injunction
was granted, a copy of the evidence and
arguments and copy of the last de-
cision by Judge Jenkins, IN which he
defends his first position and stands by
1t. were submitted by Attorney Harper.
MIR. Boatner then SAID the committee
wished to especially ascertain how far
and i'll what respects the order had OPP
pressed the employees, and just how the
men construed the order. Grand Chief
E. E. Clark. of the Order of Conductors,
was then sworn. He said that his Or
ganlzatlon provides that a committee
representative of all the conductors on
particular line shall look into grieV-
ance and report to him. He continued:
IL also look into the matter, and if [
think the facts warrant, whatever action
the committee may decide to take l
give my Sanction. If the committee
has ascertalned that there is sufficient
cause, and twothirds of the employees
on the road affected want a strike. they
so report to me. | can then investigate,
and, if L see that there is no chance for
arbitration, L ca n sanction the commit
tees report. and legal strike is on"
Without ibis sanction, he said, the strike
would be illegal. He said that in the
case of the Northern Pacific road:
"Our committee went to st. Paul Dec.
16 to see what could be done to avoid a
reduction of wages and change in the
schedule. The officials of the road ana
| the committee arranged for meeting
Dec. 10. On that date the committee
called and was informed by General
Manager Kendrick that things were not
| then in shape for conference, but that
they would be Dec. 21.'
dee. 10 is the date upon which the
| injunction was granted, is it not?" asked
Mr.. Boatner.
Yes, the first Injunction. Dec. 81
the committee called at the Office of Mr.
| Kendrick, and conference was held"
And is it not fact" putin Attorney
| Harper, "that secret injunction was
issued the day before?'
| mo; supplemental injunction was
| granted Dec. %. At the conference
held Dec. q, however, the representa-
| tives of the road withheld their answer
until Dec. &C."
''Then, before the answer was given"
| asked Mr.. Boatner, 'this supplemental
injunction was isSued?"
Eyes. SIR"
Mr.. Clark said the road had given the
employees notice some time before it was
proposed to reduce wages that such &C.
ton had beeu taken. He had not been
served with the Injunction, although
United States marshal mad hunted for
him. Mr.. Clark felt bound by the Or
der, however, and would not have sane
toned strike under the circumstances.
He said also that the men felt bound by
the order not to quit the employ of the
road, and could not strike. He did not
think the injunction had done any harm
so far as the Northern Pacific employees
were concerned, but it had been harm
full in general way to workingmen.
Mr.. Sargent's testimony was prac-
tIcally to the same effect.