Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 April 1886 — WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON.

The special-committee appointed by the House of Bcpresentatives to investigate the labor difficulties in the Southwest commenced operations at Washington with the testimony of T. V. Powderly. He stated certain abuses along the Missouri Pacific Road in the way of exactions for a hospital fund; declared that nothing of a violent natnre was ever counseled by the Knights of Labor, and thought he should soon be able to suggest legislative remedies for existing evils. Mr. Powderly said that the dis-

..charge of Hall was not the sole cause of the strike under investigation, and in proof of his statement he read the declaration of grievance* published by the St, Louis Knights. Continuing, Mr. Ppwderly said: While I <u in the Weet I heard from the men of little abuses which Ido not think the mtn*-' ter of the Missouri Pacific Railroad knows anything about Along the Iron Mountain Railroad they hate a system of taking 25 cents a month from the wages of a man who receives $1 a day, and 40- cent* from the wages of a man who 'receives 92 * day, and so on In jaxTortimi. far what they call a hospital fund. Then the men claim that as soon as they are takon sick they are discharged, and are denied the rigid of entering the hoepita!. Then there are instAnces, which can lie proved, where mon have made contracts to buy land from thp company on regular monthly installments; and where, having paid nil hut the last Installments, they were discharged from ..the employment of, the cpiupapy. In that, section of the country it is different from the Hast. Witness said that the men had asked in • vain for redress, the General Superintend- | ent of the Missouri Pacific Bailway refusi ing to agree to a conference. Continuing, he said; I am told, also, that along the Iron Mountain Railway, and along the other roads In parts of - Texas, the superintendents and foremen aro interested in company stores, and teat the men ore compelled to deal in these stores. The employes are not told, in so many words, that they must ileal there, hut they are reminded that it is 1 1 their interest tolldso. U a murmur of complaint is to reach the ear of the President of the (Jonipanv it must go through the Hujierintendrnt, und a man will be discharged as soon us he utters a word of complaint. The men whose money is invested in the railroad know nothing about this. In many places double prices are oharged in these stores. Mr. Powderly. said that the committee would find proofs of all these thing's. The men complain, also, he said, that convicts are brought from the penitentiaries in Texas to work .on the railroads, ainl that striped suits may be seen side by side with honest men engaged in track repairing. ~

Jay Gouliv in his testimony4>efore the Congressional labor inqifJry, at Washington, slated that the Missouri Pacific Road has at this time no differences with its men. He said that after the strike last March the Knights of Labor took forcible possession of the railway, and of eight cities on the line. He declared that he had always been in favor of arbitration, and had given no secret instructions to Vice President Hoxie. Gould recited his interviewwith Mr. Powderly and the committee pnor,to his West Indian cruise, during which, he said, the Knights declared that the Missouri Pacific had lived up to its agreement, and that they agreed not to strike again, but to eoineto him. “man-fashion,” and settle any future grievances they might have. Then the strike came, after his departure; “yet,” said Mr. Gould, “our men told Mr. Hoxie they had no grievances, and were told to strike.” “What followed the strike?” asked Air. Gould, showing signs of deep feeling. “They seized St Louis, Kansas City, Sedaiia, Taxarkana, and our terminal facilities; they took possession and said: ‘No man shall run a train over that road.’ That is what they said,” exclaimed Mr. Gould in a voice exhibiting traces of Rtrong agitation. “Our loyal employes could not run a train and were deprived of the power to earn their wngejj. Thnt was what followed the strike—forcible possession; I can't call it anything else—-something the Czar of Bnssia would hesitate to do with his millions of soldiers behind him.” The chairman inquired why Hall had been discharged. He would like “to know what the man had done. , In reply Air. Gould requested Gen. Swayne to read Receiver Brown’s statement, to. the effect that Hall had been guilty of absenting himself from duty without leave. Could expressed himself in love with arbitration, but said he would not arbitrate with the Knights of Labor. Air. Hopkins, Vice President of -the Missouri Pacific, then took the stand. He favored compulsory arbitration,and said that lie thought that a strike on a railroad should be made a criminal offense.

Secretary Lamar has returned from his Southern trip improved in health.... The Secretary of the Treasury has issued a call for $10,1H10,000 iu 3 per cent, bonds. The Secretary of the Knights of Labor, Frederick S. Turner, appeared as a witness before the House Select committee at Washington, and testified that there were twentyone District Assemblies of the Knights of Labor in the United States, with about 0,000 local assemblies. In these local assemblies there were from 10 to-3,000 members. The Knights of Labor bad no political object, and did not seek to influence legislation. He had known of no such movement ou their port. He knew nothing of the petitions to Congress for unlimited coinage purporting to come from Knights ~of~~T,nbor ~ TI e"’t bought ’They could be traced to societies outside of and unconnected/with the Knights of Labor. Mr. Turner described the interview which he and his colleague, Mr. Bailey, had had with Mr. Ho\ie in St. Louir. He slid that Hoxio's tieatnient of Them was very disown teons that lie stated he would have -no ‘Conversation—with. them as officers of the Knights of Labor, but that he " would "receive them .as American citizens. They informed Kim that they did not desire to stand ou their dignity, and were willing to talk with him as private citizens; that all they wanted was to have the trouble settled, peace restored; and the men set back to work. Mr; Turner said that the general organization -badehe right disapprove or-disapprove ofstrikes. The present strike had not been approved. Witness indorsed the arbitration plan suggested by the President in his message to Congress.. Commissioner Sparks has made a formal demand upon the St. Joseph and Denver City Railroad Company for reconveyance to the United States or some 2,000 acres of land alleged to have been wrongfully patented to said company in 1874, the - tracts in question lying beyond the terminus of the constructed road between Hastings and Kearney, in Nebraska. The Senate ’Committee on Public Lands agreed to report favorably on the House bill to forfeit the land grant of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company.