The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-08-16

Chicago. Aug. 15.-The strike COM
mission appointed by President Cleve-
land to investigate the Pullman and
railroad strikes began work today.
Vice-President Howard, of the A. X.
u, was the first witness.
He expressed the hope that the COM
mission would use every effort to get
to the bottom of the matter under con-
sideration.
Commissioner keenan, assured him
that the investigation would be thor
ough.
us what in your opinion, caused the
railroad strike"
Cause of the Strike.
1.-THE strikes were caused" answered
Howard, :. by the statement of the
general managers that they would back
up Pullman during the strike"
| Howard then entered into an exhaus-
| tive recital of the troubles leading up
/ to the original Pullman strike The
men had announced their intentions to
strike, but on being assured by the
company's officials that the employees
! grievances would be investigated, he
urged the men to go back to work.
This they did on the promise of the
company that the committees who had
handled the trouble would not be dis
charged or otherwise injured, because
of the part they had taken.
And after that promise" continued
witness, three of those committees
were discharged. Then the men struck.
Our union, after having failed to get
any satisfaction from the Pullman
company, endeavored by 5oycotting
the company's cars to bring the matter
to satisfactory termination. We or
dered no strike. We simply desired
that the Pullman cars be left off the
trains. At this point we were met by
the General Managers association.
They refused to haul mail cars until
the Pullmans were attached to the
trains. Such action was entirely I'M
called for. The Pullmans were in no
way necessary for the transmission OF
the United States mails"
Pullman BOycotted Wagner.
Was the action of your union in the
strike" asked Commissioner Wright
merely for the protection of the Pull.
man employees?"
mo, not entirely" said Mr. Howard
The general managers had organized
against us and we had to protect our
selves
You believed that the railroads hat
on their side an organization will
exactly the same purpose in view a:
your union on your side?'
Yes, sir; that is just what they
had
Were you aware" asked Judge
Worthington, that the railroads hac
contracts with the Pullman company
We were. And we were aware thai
these contracts were a violation o.
the interstate law. They allowed the
carrying of none but Pullman sleep
ers and were a direct discrimination
against the Wagner cars. In othel
words, the railroads were enforcingsth,
sort of boycott on the Wagner car.
that our union desired on the Pull
mans"
Mr. Howard was closely examined
as to the rules of the A r. u. anC
promised to give the commissioners
copy OF the constitution and bylaws o
the union.
In the afternoon, Chairman Wright
asked Howard whether the A r. Z
had suggested a strike on all the road
in order to compel Pullman to come t.
terms. Howard answered:
1t was left to the discretion of the
employees on each road belonging t.
the General Managers association. Thu
convention was to cover every roaC
connected with the General Managers
association whether they run Pullman
or not"
Did you ask all labor organization
in Ais country to striker"
No, We asked them to meet us her
: and consider the matter. Mr.. Deb
merely presented the matter, and whel
the delegates asked what they shoult
do, Mr.. Debs replied: 81 am not her
to advise you. 1 leave it to the cor,
science of each man."
General Master Workman Sovereign
ISf
trouble came up here" said he, eth
convention at Des Moines considered
whether any action should be taken. I
was left to vote of the men on eacl
road. The Chicago Great Western
men voted to strike because of loca
grievances, as also did the Rock Islam,
man."
Both witnesses thought the only rem
edy for the trouble with railway EN-
plCEaes is the government ownership
ana operation of railways.