Griggs courier., 1894-08-24

tUntted States. declared that no more Pullman
cars would be handled oy the American Rail-
man company decided to arbitrate The COM
pany refused to arbitrate and the railway men
refused 70 handle the Pullman cars.
Mr.. Howard said that the cause Of the gen.
eral strike was that the General Managers as
sociation made d declaration that they would
back up George M. Pullman.
Mr. Howard testified that he had given in
formation to city detectives that certain per-
sons Ind been paid large sums by General
Manager Egan. Of the Rock Island road, to
burn oars, thereby arousing public sentiment
against the strikers.
In the beginning of his afternoon testimony
Mr.. Howard told about the conference of la
Dor leaders at the Briggs house and said Mr..
Debs did not advise either Mr.. Gompers, Mr..
Sovereign or Mr. Mcbride or any other labor
leaders to counsel men beneath them tostrike.
Mr.. Howard advocated the government
Ownership and operation of railroads to pre-
went such troubles in the future. AS to arbi-
tration the labor leader had little faith in its
enacacy 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 at
Des MOines before the general strike in Chi
cagO.
Concerning the violence and destruction of
property, Mr.. Sovereign said ne 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.
Il 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 q 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
Wicks, General Managers Egan, St.
John and other corporation officials will
be called Whether they will tes-
( tify or not is quite another matter.
y George w. Lovejoy, former yardmaster at
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 q local grievance and
OF the Pullman troubles. The Rock Island
people, the witness declared, will not employ
IS member of the American Railway union.
His plan for preventing strikes was govern
ment ownership of railroads He thought COM
pulsory arbitration unsatisfactory.
y Sylvester Kellher, secretary of the Amerf-
jean Railway union, was the next witness.
He thought that the cause Of the boycott was
the grievance OF the Pullman employees.
The Pullman employees were organized
lodge OF the American Railway
union. 10 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 mem
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 tho Pullman employees went out
and the convention Of the American Railway
union voted to sustain them.
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.
At the afternoon session Z. w. Heathcote,
who was chairman Of the Pullman strike
committee, was the first witness. He pre-
scented 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 hrst-class mechanics who
made between S43 and 345 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 60 per cent. in the pay Of the
mon While wages were reduced to this
remarkable extent Mr.. Heathcote said
there was not the slightest reduction in
the rents col ected by the Pullman company
out, Of the wages Of its employees. Mr.. Heath
cote also presented an official copy Of the
''black li4G prepared by the Pullman COM
pany and 1srxarded to orher corporations with
the requess tnat the men whose names 1t con-
tanned be E0t employed.
Jennie CARTS was a seamstress for five years
( in the repair shops OF the Pullman company,
president a the girls local union 269. Ameri-
can Railway union, ut Pullman, and also a
member Of the committees that called on Mr.
e Wickes and Mr. Pullman on behalf Of the
girls employed at the carshops town In her
department., she said, employees made in
June, 1693 &2.25 day, and at the time of the
strike from 40 to so cents o day. MY father
worked for the company for thirteen years"
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
r. W. Combs has been q car carpenter in
the freight department of the Pullman works
for ten years. He testified: "A year ago
my wages averaged &:.2O q day and in
March, 1894, they were es cents. The cut
commenced In ovember. 1883
Proceedings of the Third Dag.
CHICAGO, Aug. eO-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. q. Mr.. Goodwin
was somewhat inclined to be uncOLnmunica-
} tive. and occupied the stand but q short time.
He thought the way to prevent strikes was to
have q cooperative commonwealth.
Vice President Howard, Of the A. Z. L.. again
became a witness, and created something
OF sensation when he informed the COM
mission that the United States gOvernA
men is boycotting 5000 Of the A. r. Z. men
and the strikers in the courtroom became
interested. The Union Pacific road receivers
ere United States officers, and they have re-
used to reemploy the 5000 men who struck on
that road. This, according to Mr.. Howard, Il
o 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
Aeas & Texas road on account Of a passenger
rate made by the latter road. Yet the gov
ernment had not interfered as it had in the
boycott on Pullman cars. 1t should let the
sailways and their employees fight out theiy