The Indianapolis journal., 1903-03-07
President Ramsey Admits His Em-
ployes VIII obey the Orders of
Their Brotherhood Leaders.
DEVELOPMENTS ON FRIDAY
STATEMENT ISSUED BY MEssRS.
HANNAHAN AND MORRISSEY.
Members Of the BrOtherhoOds Urged
to Remain at Their Posts of
Duty for the Present.

ST. LOUIS, March 6-The general officers
of the Brotherhood of Firemen and Train
men, and committees here in relation to the
impending strike situation on the Wabash.
tonight issued a statement addressed to
their members the Wabash Railroad
giving a resume of the situation and ad-
vising them to continue loyal to the rail-
road company and to their respective
organizations. and to pay no attention to
the statements threats of any person.
nor to any rumors which may be put In
circulation.
This was the only development of the
day in the situation An all-day conference
was held in the Southern Hotel by Grand
Masters Hannahan and Morrissey, of the
Brotherhoods of Firemen and Trainmen,
with their attorneys, Messrs. Irwin and
Kinney and +. N. Judson, the latter of
st. Louis, who has been engaged as asso-
ciate counsel to help in the preparation
of the answer to the Wabash injunction.
This answer, with affidavts. may be filed in
court tomorrow. If not then. it will be filed
| on Monday. John H. Murphy, chief coun-
sci of the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Il
Denver, joined in the conference.
There was no development at Wabash
headquarters, President Ramsey reporting
that the service throughout the system
was proceeding without anything unusual
to mark it. He reviewed his action Of last
Monday afternoon, when the injunction
was served to prevent a strike, going into
the details which have not before been
made public.
THE STATEMENTS.
The statement issued tonight by the
officers Of the unions is as follows: 1.-The
general committees of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Firemen and Brotherhood of
Railroad Trainmen for the above named
system of railway reconvened at st. Louis
on March 2 1903. The vote on the PROPOSE
| ton as to whether not the members
would sustain strike unless a settlement
| of the pending grievances satisfactory to
| the committee and officers of the organi-
| cations could be effected, was canvassed
and it was found the required majority of
| each of the organizations had voted in
| favor of sustaining a strike under such
circumstances.
"A letter was sent to President Ramsey
| conveying to him the fact that unless he
| receded from his former position on the
| grievances within a certain time the men,
| bers of the organizations would quit the
| service of the company. This letter was
| answered by-Mr. Ramsey, and he requested
| a statement from the committees of the
exact points of difference between himself
and the men, so that If a strike occurred
| he might know the reason on which the
| action was based. About the time this
statement was being delivered at his office
| the officers of the organizations and the
| members of the committee were served
| with writ of injunction issued by the
| Hon. Judge f. G. Adams of the United
States Court for the Eastern district of
| Missouri. which has been published in full.
| 1T will be seen by this that to have sane
| toned strike under the circumstances
might have been construed a violation of
/ the order of the court. The order of the
| court, had a strike been declared, might
also have been construed prohibiting the
| prosecution of the same on the part of the
| organizations or any of its representatives.
| The writ of Injunction was granted upon a
| bill of complaint filed by the Wabash Rail-
| road Company, alleging an unlawful and
malicious conspiracy on the part of the or
| ganizations and other allegations equally
1--WE are taking the necessary legal steps
| to protect our rights. and we believe we
| can furnish the court ample facts and suffi-
| Client reasons for vacating the order. Until
| this has been done these organizations will
| respect the order of the court We advise
| our officers and members not only on the
Wabash sytem, but elsewhere, to do like
| wise
President Ramsey and Col. w. H. Blod-
gett. counsel for the Wabash. said that this
| notice to the Wabash employees that a
| strike was not to be called at once would be
pleasant news to most of the employees.
MR. RAMSEY'S SIDE OF THE CASE
President Ramsey said tonight: I'm case
the injunction is dissolved 1 think strike
is likely. In case of the dissolution it will
probably be ordered at once by the leaders.
The Wabash employees will not go out until
ordered to do so. A strike may inconven-
ience the Wabash for some time, but 1t will
not tie up the system to any serious extent
unless boycott is ordered at the different
terminal and junction points,
Mr.. Ramsey then discussed the action of
served on the employees officiaIs. He said:
Ion Monday afternoon last / received a
formal notice from the committee of the
brotherhood officials that the vote of the
Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen and of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen
had been in favor of declaring strike in
the event that their demands were not
Tuesday to answer 1t. at which hour. fail
ing to answer, strike would be declared.
1 replied to this communication. and my
reply was delivered at the Laclede Hotel
to the committee at p. m Monday
LAS this reply requested the committee to
furnish me their ultimatum, covering the
| prevent a strike, 1 waited for reply until
l2:15 p. m on Tuesday. or fifteen minutes
after the hour fixed by the committee it
| junction served. At 12:3S D. IN. received a
letter from the committee in answer to
mine mine of Monday; Mon a giving living the information
1918 D. m. the injunction would not have
| been served at that time. but would have
been held back in the hope that further con-
ferences would have prevented the neces-
sity of it's service. Even after the injunc-
| ter received from the committee, being OF
the opinion that the service of the injunc-
| ten did not relieve either me or the com
mittee from doing all I'm our power to ar
rive at an amicable settlement and prevent
the necessity OF any strike, and 1 am OF
| this opinion still.
MY reply was delivered to the commit
tee at 4:45 p. m. on Tuesday, or fifteen min
reply. To this letter l have had no reply
whatever. The policy of the Wabash is un-
changed. Ii maintains that ii is paying as
any OF its competitors. II IL is not doing
| junction. to carry out its pledge given 10
its employees to advance its wages or change
| it's rules when IL is shown to be out of line
with its competitors"
At the headquarters of the Gould system
II was said tonight that George j. Gould
has indefinitely postponed his inspection
trip over the Southwestern and Western
Gould lines. 1t Is expected he will make
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