The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1877-08-07
uR. vANDERBsLT EXPLAINS.
Company and sheir Loyalty-Eeo-
nomieal management q Necessity
The origin at the Troubics-An Ex-
cess of Transportation Facilities.



cess of Transportation Facilities.
Prom the New York Times
SARATOGA, N. Y, July 27.-Mr. Van.
derbilt talks with much directness and
frankness. repeating what he has pre-.
viously said about the excellence OF
the relations OF his people toward the
company and reiterating the pride be
feels in the fidelity and Intelligence OF
the servants OF the road.
"How did these troubles originated"
"They came from variety of caus-
es. Many interests are suffering Just
now, and thousands OF workingmen
are out OF employment. Naturally
| they are discontented aud disposed 10
stir up strife. Then the Granger move
ment has done incalculable evil in SOW
ing discord and discontent. The far
mers must learn that When they touch
the railroads they injure themselves as
we'll as the roads. Owing 10 one cause
and another, great jealousy has been
excited among them against the rail-
roads, but where would they be with
ont the ronds. Besides thoy have
nothing 10 fear. Competition among
the great lines will conserve their in
terests IL nothing else will. The Gen.
tral Road could do all the business OF
the five or six lines which carry freight
TO the seaboard, and do il with ease. -
We do fifth of the entire carrying
trade of the entire country now, and
we could do the other iour.ffths. This
excess in carrying facilities, the com
petition. and the rates at which freights
are carried, think, ought TO show the
people that they have nothing to fear
from the roads.
HAS business fallen off to any great
extentY
"Immensely. Where we ran eighty
trains a day year ago We are running
only thirty now. We still employ as
many men as before, and have all the
facilities we ever had. OF course we
were compelled 10 reduce wages, and
time also, or discharge a part of our
force. The latter alternative / was
very 10th to adopt. The crops all over
the country are good, and the prospect
of n great European demand Is excel
lent. III this prospect is realized, bus
mess will revive, aud with better times
Will s9PSeef ftasrp rpTS2GGRissing IN Jnne as
il ia now, il is possible there would
have been no reduction, and, conse-
quently, no strike. As il is, we could
do nothing, and so i said 10 our people
when they sent committees To me,
Have / not always shown every con-
sideration for yon? Have | not always
acted toward yon in n spirit of frank
ness and fairness? Have | not always
made your interests identical with my
own2 Have | ever failed 10 keep a
promise when l gave my word?" They
assented 10 every thing, and then said
to them, "Now, go back 10 work, and
when this thing is over come to me,
and II there are any differences be.
always done. They we're satisfied
with this, and the Central road IS run
ming TO day because the great body OF
its employees will il. A great corpora
tion can only be managed by fair and
just policy, aud all our people know
that IL they have 10 suffer in times of
depression and dullness, they will also
share in renewed prosperity. / would
rather pay man two dollars than one
for labor, but wages regulate them
selves, for, as / said before, il a COM
pany undertakes ~ pay beyond its
earnings it will soon be unable to pay
at all.
In the course OF the conversation
Mr.. Vanderbilt uttered some sentences
that may be accepted as aXioms of bus
mess. at is impossible TO contend
with 1900 workingmen, he said,
'unless you have justice on your side.
It is always we'll for a great corpora
ton to sail close 20 the wind, but IN
times OF prosperity 10 make wages as
high as possible. Our men feel that,
although / may own a majority Of the
stock in the Central, my interests are
as much affected IN degree as theirs,
aud although l may have my millions
and they the rewards Of their days
toll. still we are about equal IN the end.
IL they suffer | suffer, and II ! suffer
they cannot escape.
Something very like enthusiasm has
been excited here by Mr.. Nanderbilt's
Of the strike on the Cen
tral road, and the manliness OF his
course is especially commented on. II
he had no remedy for strikes, he, at
least, knows how TO manage formid-
able emeute when it is threatened. II
have been managing man" he saiG,
lever since i was twenty years Of age,
and never had any serious differences
with the men in my employ. III we
differed we compared our differences,
aud failing TO agree. we separated, but
always as friends. 10 ~ my rule 10
treat nv people as human beings, as
men, for the most unwilling of all SER
wants is the man who feels himself n
slave. All the people on the Central
are fully imbued with the sense OF their
personal independence. and this makes
them the most earnest and careful Of
servants.
The astonishing part Of all this is
the sentiment that underlies Mr.. Van
derbilt's management of his great pro-
perty, aud yet il must be confessed
that il was sentiment which put the
trains in motion on Wednesday night,
and has kept them moving ever since.