The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-08-17
ARBITRATION WOULD DO TT.
How Strikes May he Avoided and
Everyone Satisfied.

Everyone Satisfied.
Chicago. Aug 16.-The first witness
called before the government strike
commission today was w. H. Lovejoy,
Rock Islald railroad employee from
La Sale, Ill Lovejoy declared that the
men at La Sale went out at that point
because he was unjustly discharged.
Secretary Keliher of the A. r. u,
succeeded LovejOy on the stand. He
entered into q detailed statement of the
troubles leading to the strike and was
questioned closely regarding the con-
vention at which the boycott was de-
clared.
Secretary Keliher was asked for his
views as to the best method of prevent
ing strikes He said he believed gov
eminent ownership would solve the
problem
think compulsory arbitration would an
swer."
How would you force the railroads
to abide by the arbitrators' decision ?"
asked Commissioner Wright.
BY law" promptly responded the
witness. Let the law be such that in
case Of trouble with its en-
ployees the railroad will be COM
PEELED to submit the matter to arbi-
tration Then let it be under
stood that if the railroad Will not ac-
cept the terms upon which the arbitra-
tors decide, the company be compelled
to 20 out of business. In other words
the railroads should he compelled to
abide by the decision and as to the en-
ployees, If they are not suited by the
decision, let them leave the employ of
the company"
r. B. Ray, of Rock Island, was next
called He stated that the strike at
Rock Island was caused partially by
the Pullman strike and partially be-
cause of the treatment they had re-
ceived at the hands Of the Rock Is
land company.
Il had gone west to visit my rela-
tives," he said. and when L returned
II was told by The Rock Island officials
4 that | had been discharged. | asked
for a reason and was told that it was
because | was member of the A. r.
L. General Superintendent Dunlap
said / would be blacklisted and never
given work on his or any other road.
] was not a member Of the A. r. L. at
the time Of my discharge, but [ have
since joined the union
Ray agreed with Keliher that gov
eminent ownership Of the railroads
would prevent strikes.
Ray favored a law, he said, comDell-
ing railroads TO give discharged en-
ployees a document setting forth the
reasons for their discharge. At the
conclusion of his examination recess
was taken.
Chairman Heathcote, of the Pull
man strike committee, was on the wit
Dess stand during the afternoon ses-
sion. He showed q table of the
Pullman cOmpany's wages, and claim
ed that wages have been cut 60 per
cent in the last two years. Mr.. Heath
cote also exhibited what he claims was
~ = No Dill .
Z ficials, requesting other companies TO
refuse 10 employ the men whose names
! appeared thereon.
l. There is no doubt that George NJ
Pullman. Vice-President Wickes. Cen
eral Managers Egan, st. John and 9TH
ier corporation officials will be called
Whether they viii testify or not is
quite another matter.
Miss Jennie CurtiSS. president of the
girls union at Pullman, testified in the
afternoon. Her father had been in the
employ Of the Pullman company for
fifteen years until shortly before his
death. last year. He was delinquent in
his rent in the amount of SEQ. The COM
pany compelled her to assume the debt,
and sign a contract to pay it out of her
wages at the rate of SO a week Some
weeks she had so little left from her
4 wages that she could not pay board.
: In 1898. the company was paying its
girls 2212 cents an hour for sewing, and
the poorest seamstress earned $3.50 a
day Before the strike, the best of them
had got down to 20 or so cents q day,
while the poorer needle women could
make only 40 to so cents.
Theodore Rhode, representing the
painters department, followed Miss
Curtiss. He had worked for the COM
pany twelve years and had been grad
ually cut down until he could not
make S1.25 a day. The foreman abused
the men. and the mana cement expert
mented with the materials until piece
workers could make nothing He had
not applied for work since the strike
because the company compelled every
man to surrender his card of member
ship In the railway union and sign an
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