Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-02-15
LABOR'S VICTORY.
Judge Caldwell Suslains the Decision
of Judge Hal.ct In the Union
Pacific Case.

st. Louis, Feb. 15.--Attorneys Thurs
ton and Corvin, who came here to en-
deavor to secure an order harmonizing
contradictory opinions Of Judge Dundy
of Omaha, and Judge Hallet of Denver,
have met with surprise at the hands of
Circuit Judge Caldwell. In an informal
talk with Judge Caldwell to secure date
for the hearing, Mr.. Thurston gave re-
sumo OF the existing state OF affairs, re-
citing what the courts, as we'll as the re-
ceivers had done, devoting himself more
especially to the annulling, by the re-
ceiyers, Of the wages schedule and their
order placing new and reduced one in
effect March l, together with the order of
Judge Dundy, recognizing the propriety
of such action and the action by Judge
Hallet in effect contrary to that order.
General Thurston said that the failure
of Judge Hallet to make any order
on the bject was held as a refusal to
endorse the idea, that the receivers have
the power, to adopt a new schedule and
it was this apparent clash of judicial
opinion that was creating discomfort
along the line and making the situation
most threatening. After some desultory
talk Judge Caldwell said to Gen. Thurs
ton that the receivers had taken advant-
age of the men behind their backs. $50
back to Omaha and revoke that order"
the Judge said, "then l will take your
case. Prepare and advertise your sched-
ule and give the men notice, and think
sixty days might not be unreasonable.
I will come to Omaha and hold
a conference with your receivers
and representatives of the labor
society and we will see if we can not agree
upon schedule that will be just to the
employees and such as the receivers can
afford to pay" 1hurston called the atten-
tion of Judge Caldwell to the contradic-
tory orders issued by Judges Dundy and
Hallet as to the traffic contract between
the Union Pacific and Gulf branch of that
system. Judge Dundy had directed re-
ceivers to disregard that contract, and
This contract obligated the Union Pacific
to "put up" for the bonded indebtedness
of the Gulf branch the sum of nearly
million year, and the receivers thought
that prudent business management re-
quired that they be relieved from the
drain, rs matters now stood the receivers
are certain of being in contempt of one
jurisdiction or the other. Judge Cald.
we'll said he would consult with Judge
Sanborn as to whether they had jurisdic-
tion and reply later.
oORBIN TALKS SENSE.
Denver.-J. N. Corbin, secretary of the
Union Pacific Employees association and
editor of the Employees Magazine, says:
"The action of Judge Caldwell is no sur
prise, as the judge has expressed himself
in this line before. The action of the
Union Pacific emp ployes electing to 60 into
court, to protect their rights, is in line
with the demand of public opinion and
right reason and as the proper place for
the settlement of difficulties between cor
porations engaged in Interstate COM
Inerce and their employees. II employees
can be brought into court, AS defendants
and as organized bodies, they can come
as plaintiffs. The corporations in their
efforts to crush organizations Of employees,
have established the precedent and it is
one that works both ways. Working men
engaged IN interstate commerce busi-
ness, who now elect to go on strikes, in
preference to contssting their rights, in
forms established by the people, deserve
to be defeated in any such attempt
employees JUBILANT.
Omaha.--The employees of the Union
Pacific are jubilant over what they term
the victory gained in st. Louis by Judge
Caldwell ordering General Solicitor Thurs
ton to revoke tho new wage schedule
order. The Caldwell order is declared to
be the greatest victory in recent years
for organized labor and has demonstrated
that legal department will be neces-
sary adjunct to all labor organizations
in future,