East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-01-29

The Pacific Coast Construction
company, grading contractors on the
Pilot Rock branch railroad have re-
fused to honor their own time checks
that are now due and as a result suit
is to be brought against the company
by those holding the paper. During
the forenoon today ]. P. Sullivan
wired to people in Portland instruct
ing them to start legal action towards
collecting the amounts due on the
time checks, together with costs. The
first suit brought will be for the coll
lection of s79S.17 worth of the De-
cember checks which Mr.. Sullivan
holds. Aside from those he has about
the same amount of January checks
which will be due February 25 while
the Columbia saloon has s21S4 worth
of the December checks and also
many that will not be due until Feb
ruary 25.
Company Refused Payment.
The checks held by the local peo-
pie were sent to Portland for collec-
ton several days ago. That step was
taken after payment was refused
here. The same fate was met at the
head office of the company in Port
land. The checks held by the Colum-
bia, amounting to s21s4, were sent in
from this city by the Savings bank.
That banks Portland correspondent
presented the checks at the construc-
ton company's office ana payment
was refused. The only excuse offered
by the company was that they did not
know the endorsers. However, as the
last two endorsers were the banks
through which the checks were pre-
sented to them that reply is regarded
as absurd. @
Little Satisfaction Given.
The checks held by Mr.. Sullivan
were sent by him to Rothschild Bros.
for collection. The following extract
from letter. received by Mr.. Sullivan
shows the treatment accorded the par
ty presenting the checks:
THE writer personally called on the
construction company with these
checks and they refused to pay the
money. The writer then called their
attention to the fact that the bank at
Pendleton had refused to pay them
and asked for what reason they re-
fused to pay and also whether they
had instructed the bank at Pendleton
to refuse to pay them, but they re-
fused to answer any questions at all.
They simply said they would not pay
them and that was all the satisfaction
that could be gotten out or them. We
are not returning the checks antici-
pating that IL you conclude to place |
them In an attorneys hands for coll |
lection they will have to be placed |
with some attorney in Portland, but
will, of course, send them back |
If you instruct us to do so."
Immediately after receiving his let |
ter Mr.. Sullivan consulted with his at
torney, Judge Fee, and upon being
advised that suit would have to be
brought in Portland, wired to Roths-
child Bros. instructing them to have
iuit commenced,
Holders Allege Graft.
By those holding the time checks It
Is declared that the action of the COM
pany in refusing to pay the checks
when due is simply in line with their
previous actions. They say It is all
play" through which they hope to |,
SO discredit their own paper that their |
will be willing to take the |
10 per cent discount offered them. |
They declare that the company simply |
wishes to graft their workmen out of |
one-tenth of their wages and being |
angry because Pendleton people have
cashed the checks without discount, |
are now seeking to cause them a fl
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