The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-04-13
EMPLOYEES WIN.
Decision of Judge Caldwell In the Union
Pacific Conference.-The Lowering Of
Wages without Proper Notice.


Circuit Judge Caldwells decision in the
Union Pacific wage schedule case was
rendered yesterday morning and was a
complete victory for the employees
After stating the facts about the re-
ownership, Judge Caldwell said:
The relation OF these men to the companv and
their rate Of wages we're determined in the
main by certain written rules. regulations and
schedules, some of which had been in force for
more than a quarter OF century and all OF
which had been in force substantially as they
stand to- day for a period of eight years and
more These rules, regulations and schedules
were the result OF free and voluntary
conferences, held from time TO time be-
tween the managers OF the railroad
and the officers and representatives of
the several labor organizations representing
the men in the different subdivisions or
branches Of the service, viz: The Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers, the Broth
erhood of Locomotive Firemen. the Order
of Railway Conductors, tn Order Of
Railway Telegraphers, the Union Pacific
Employees association and the Brotherhood
of Railway Trainmen. These labor organiza-
tions, like the rules regulations and SEIZED.
ules had become established institutions
on the system many years before the appoint
ment 4 the receivers Two OF the ablest rail-
roa1 managers ever in the service OF this sys-
TEN, and probably as able as anv this country
has ever produced-Mr s. H II. Clark and Mr.
Edward Dickinson now general manager OF the
road, testify that these labor organic itions on
this system had improved the morals and ef
ficiency Of the men and had rendered valuable
aid to the company in perfectng and putting
into force the rules and regulations governing
the operation of the Union Pacific railway,
which, confessedly, have made il one of the
best managed and conducted roads in the
country
Among the rules and regulations in
operaticn when the receivers were ap-
pointed was one that no change should
be made in the rules and regulations
and the rate of wages without giving
to the labor organizations, whose mem.
bers would be affected by such change,
thirty days notice. or other reasonable
notice. This the judge declared just
and fair.
Judge Caldwell then recited how the
receivers went into court last January
to force a reduction on the schedule of
down to and including the hearing just
ended and continued:
At this conference an agreement was reached
as 10 the rules, regula tons and schedules re-
lating to the train dispatchers and operators,
which have been reported to the court and con-
firmed This was one of the most difficult
schedules in the whole list to adjust ana the
satisfactory agreement reached by the confer
ence shows the great value Of good tempered.
calm and intelligent inquiry in which both
sides learned, perhaps for the first time,
the ground on which the demand IL
made bY the one and resisted
Al, l,l H.
the court that after careful consideration of the
matter and consultation with the managing Of
ficials of the Union Pacific system they were
of the opinion that the so-caled rules. regula.
tions and schedules of pay for train dispatch.
ers and operators were entirely unnecessary.
And yet at the conference held under the or
der of the circuit judges the position assumed
by the receivers in their petition to the court
was found to be untenab,e and was abandoned
and rules and regulations governing tele.
graphers' wages adopted
Judge Caldwell then said that when
a court of equity took upon itself the
conduct and operation of a great line
of railroad, the men engaged in con.
Quoting the business and operating the
road became the employees of the court,
and were subject to it's orders in all
matters relating to the discharge OF
their duties, and entitled to it's protec-
ton. An essential and indispensable
requisite to the safe and successful
operation of the road is the employ
ment of sober, intelligent, expert
enced and capable men for that
purpose. When a road comes under
the management of court in
which the employees are conceded to
possess all these qualifications-and
that concession is made in the fullest
manner here-the court will not upon
light or trivial grounds. dispense with
their services or reduce their wages
And when the schedule or wages in
force at the time the court assumes
the management of the road is the re-
suit of a mutual agreement between
the company and the employees which
has been in force for years, the court
will presume the schedule is reason
able and any one disputing that pre-
sumption will be required to overthrow
it by satisfactory proofs This the
court contends has not been done by
the receivers, although they all recon.
mended that the cut be made.
The recommendations of the receiv-
ers to adopt their schedule cannot be
accepted by the court for another rea-
son. That schedule was adopted with
out affording to the men or their rep
resentatives any opportunity to be
heard. This was in violation of the
agreement existing between the COM
pany and the men.
The system of rules and regulations
by which the company has been able
to bring into service and retain for
twenty-five years, in some instances,
the class of men who have appeared
before the court at this hearing is GER
tainly commendable. and meets the en-
tire approval of this court. In the
opinion of the court the allowance
made by the schedules now in force are
just and equitable. The employees, I'M
der the present system, share the bur-
dens of diminished business.
In conclusion Judge Caldwell said:
We may be INDUCED in giving expression to
the hope that in future differences about wages
between courts and their employees at least,
and we would fain hope that between all en-
poyers and employees, resort may be had to
reason and not TO passion, to the law and not
to violence, to the courts and not to a strike.
1t is q reproach to our civilization that such
differences should result as theT often have, in
personal violence, loss Of life, destruction of
property, loss of wages to the men and loss Of
earnings to the employer and, when they oc-
cur on great lines of railroad, great damage
and inconvenience to the public.
Cut the Officers Salaries
CHICAGO, April CAS- a measure of
retrenchment in expenses the directors