The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-08-17
Ex-Employes of the Car Company Claim
to Have Been Able to Earn Barely
Enough for Support.
STORY OF A LAUNDRY GIRL
Arbitration Favored by Secretary
Keliher, of the A. r. U.
Evidence Given by Rock Island Railway
Employes-Many Men Dismissed by
the Union Pacific.


lands strike commission had larger audi
ence to-day than that which met il yester-
day. The court room was filled with men
who listened attentively to the testimony.
Among those present were G. W. Moon.
who desires TO present to the commission
plan for preventing labor troubles, and a
number of a. r. L. people. The commis-
sion has the power 10 summon witnesses,
but cannot compel them TO answer ques-
tions. There is no doubt that George NJ.
Pullman. Vice President Wickes, General
Manager st. John and other corporation
officials will be called. Whether they viii
testify or not is quite another matter. The
condition of life of the employees at Pull
man will be gone into at length by the
commission. The statements by all the
witnesses heard thus far. that the wages
paid by Pullman were not sufficient 10 keep
the employees from starvation and that this
the prime cause Of the boycott. makes
ii necessary for the commission to investi-
gate this phase of the case.
The first witness called to-day was W. II.
Lovejoy a Rock Island railroad employe.
from La Sale, ILL., Lovejoy was ques-
toned as to the cause OF the strike at La
Sale, and declared the men went out at
that point because he was unjustly dis
charged.
Secretary Keliher, of the A. r. L., sue
ceeded Lovejoy on the stand. He entered
into a detailed statement of the troubles
leading up to the strike. and was ques-
toned closely regarding the proceedings of
the convention at which the boycott was
declared. Secretary Keliher when asked
for his views to the best method for pre-
venting strikes, said that he firmly believed
government ownership OF the railroads
would solve the problem. Next 10 that
he continued. II think compulsory arbitra-
ton would answer.
How would you force the railroads to
abide by the arbitrators decision?' asked
Mr.. Wright.
by law" responded the witness. LET
the law be such that in case of trouble
with it's employees the railroad be compelled
TO submit the matter to arbitration. Then
let 1T be understood that If the railroad will
not accept the terms upon which the arbi-
traitors decide, the company be compelled
to go out of business. In other words, the
the decision; and to the employees, IL
they are not suited by the decision, let
them leave the employ of the company"
B. B. Ray, of Rock Island, III, was next
called. He stated that the strike at Rock
Island was caused partially by the Pullman
strike and partially because OF the treat
ment he had received at the hands of the
Rock Island companys II had gone West
to visit my relatives" he said, "and when
/ returned | was told by the Rock Island
officials that / was discharged | asked for
a reason, and was told that il was because
1 was a member of the A. r. l.. General
superintendent Dunlap. of the road said
again get work on his or any other rail-
road. not member of the A r. u.
at the time of my discharge, but since then
l have Joined that union" Ray agreed
with Kelher that government ownership or
railroads would prevent strikes. Ray IA
vored a law, he said compelling railroads
to erix- a cnnr god m a
setting forth the reasons for their dis
charge At the conclusion Of his examina-
ton recess taken.
Chairman Heathcote, of the Pullman
strike committee, was on the stand during
the afternoon session. He showed table
of the Pullman companys wages. and
claimed that wages had been cut 60 per
cent. in the last two years. Mr. Heath
cote also exhibited what he claimed was a
blacklist issued by the Pullman officials re-
questing the institutions TO refuse TO en-
ploy the men whose names appeared there
on.
Miss Jennie Curtis, president of the Girls
Union at Pullman, next testified. Her
father had been i'm the employ OF the Pull
man company for fifteen years, until short
ly before his death last year He was de-
linquent in his rent TO the amount OF $50.
The company compelled her to assume the
debt and sign a contract TO pay IL out OF
her wages at the rate of s. week Some
weeks she had so little left from her wages
that she could not pay board. In 1893 the
company was paying its girls 22i2 cents an
DOuT LOT StNlnS, anu the poOItht StdUiSlIthS
earned Sl50 day. Before the strike the
best of them had got down TO 40 or 80 cents
a day, while the poorer needlewomen could
make only 40 TO 30 cents.
Theodore Rhode, representing the paint
ers' department followed Miss Curtis. He
had worked for the company twelve years.
and had been gradually cut down until he
could not make 81 . a day The foremen
abused the men and the management
permented with the materials until piece
workers could make nothing. He had not
applied for work since the strike because
the company compelled every man TO sur
render his card of membership in the rail-
way union and sign an agreement TO have
nothing to do with any labor organization
for five years.
r. w. Combes, OF the freight car shops,
had been in the employ of the company for
ten years. Where men in that department.
were able 10 earn s225 a day, piece work,
they were not able TO make more than 6s
cents a day in Mach of this year. Be-
tween 1888 and 1891 there he'd been no re-
ductions, but in November of 1893 a
cut that made a difference of IS in a freight
car 10 the men who built ii. and Sc OF this
fell on the carpenters. The witness
said he had $3.50 left from his February
wages after he had paid his rent and with
the $3.50 he expected TO support wife
and two children. After hearing the evil
nf he al adf