Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-08-17
The Investigation Into the Recent
Strikes Begun by the Presi-
dents Commission
HOWARD THE FIRST WITNESS
He Is Questioned Closely by Mr..
Kernan---Some Queries I'm
answered.

land to investigate the Pullman and
railroad strike, has begun it's work.
The sessions were held in the govern
ment building, in a court room, and at
tracted many spectators. After pre-
iminary work Vice President s. W.
Howard Of the American Railway
union was called as the first witness.
Mr.. Howard began his statement by
expressing the hope that the commission
would use every effort to get at the bot
tom Of the matter. Commissioner Ker-
nan assured him that the investigation
would be thorough, and asked the wit
numerous questions as to his part and
present occupation, and the nature Of
his official position in the A. R. U.
Howard's Opinion of Strikes.
'''NoW,'' said the commissioner, "tell
us what, in your opinion, caused the
railroad strikes. z
Tho strikes were caused,'' answered
Mr.. Howard, Shy the statement Of the
general managers that they would back
up Mr.. Pullman during the strike"
"Wl.o told you that?''
The newspapers printed the state
ment, crediting it to General Managers
Egan and ST. john
Mr.. Howard then entered into an ex-
haustive recital Of the troubles leading
up to the original Pullman strike. The
men had announced their intention to
strike, he said, but on being assured by
the company's officials that the en-
ployes grievances would be investigated
he had urged the men to return to work.
This they did on the promise of the
company that the committees who han
died the trouble would not be discharged
or otherwise injured because of the part
they had taken in the matter
The Committeeman Were Discharged.
l.s''And after that promise, y continued
the witness, ''three Of those committee
men were discharged. Then the men
struck. Our union, after having failed
to get any satisfaction from the Pull
man company, then endeavored by boy
cotting the company's cars, to bring the
matter to a satisfactory termination
We ordered no strike. We simply de-
sired that the Pullman cars be left off
~ oAAO " o4AAS.s <AU Ul11S pO1ut We were
again met by the General Managers
association. They refused to haul mail
cars unless the Pullmans were attached
to the trains. Such action was entirely
uncalled for. The Pullmans were in no
wise necessary for the transmission Of
the United States mails. I can cite va
rious cases when mail trains are run
without Pullman coaches or other pal
ace car equipment.
Howard told the commissioners that
he had received a communication from
the state committee of safety telling Of
q conversation between two rioters
which had been overheard. The conver-
sation. he said, was a dispute over
money which, the men claim, was re-
ceiyed from General Manager Egan for
overturning and burning railroad cars
during the strike. 53S
Some Questions Not Answered.
" Commissioner Herman questioned the
witness closely on the powers Of the
American Railway Union, and Mr..
Howard at last stated he would not an
swer expic icitly until the United States
court cases pending against him were
decided. He reluctantly admitted that
the fact that lawless men frequently
seize the opportunity to riot during
labor troubles, is an argument against
strikes. Mr.. Howard 8 examination
continued during the afternoon,