The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-07-27

CURED for the foundation OF this village.
But the principles of the system it
seems might serve with many smaller
,cornorations. With the Pullman COM
pany it has proved good investment.
It has been the policy of this company
to ALWAYS carry a large reserve. This
reserve enabled the company first to
construct the town in such way as to
make its foundations solid and its fu-
ture prosperity certain. This same re-
serve enabled the corporation to keep
its workmen busy even during periods
of stringency. Railroad corporations,
like individuals, are often short OF
money and would have to cut down
their orders if the Pullman company did
not stand ready with this reserve capt.
tai to extend credit to solvent corpora
tons The care required to keep all this
vast business going is shown by the fact
that the wages paid out will average
some 100000 a month.
1t is pleasing to know that this ex-
pertinent has proven financial success
in many ways. In the first place the
model town has paid good return
upon the investment in the way OF
rents. Second, the increase of the
value of the real estate has been
more than enough to give great divi-
,dend upon the investment. Adjoining
the town and between it and the neigh
boring ones is broad strip of land con-
tanning some thirty.Sve hundred acres.
This land, bought originally at valua-
ton in the neighborhood of $500 an
acre, is now worth 5000 to $1,000 an
acre. The town itself is incorporated
within the city of Chicago. It has
representative in the municipal council.
It's school is part of the public, school
system. The worlsmen are not inter.
fered with politically. Although Mr..
Pullman is an ardent republican the
town often goes democratic.
The most interesting feature, how
ever, is the fact that the prosperity OF
the place. has rarely been shattered by
strikes. And even then they have been
so mild in comparison with outside
strikes as to justify the assumption that
the cause was not very great one.
Early in the history Of theDtown, which
| was established in 1880, there was a
general system of strikes in Chicago.
The workmen in many of the mills and
shops were as savage and determined
as were the strikers at Homestead. In
some of the mills in South Chicago their
owners did not dare to venture among
| their workmen for fear Of being
lynched. A general strike was ordered
all round, and this included the Pull
man works. Mr.. Pullman was then
! somewhat discouraged. He had Ia
bored honestly for the interests Of his
company and his workmen. He went
himself among the strikers and received
| the delegation. He talked to them for
upward of an hour as one friend would
talk to another. He made no senti
mental appeals to them. He simply
discussed the business principles of the
| situation. He asked them to show
him just what they hoped to gain by
such course. They were employed by
corporation which sought to deal hon
estly and fairly with its employees. He
called their attention to the fact that
he was originally poor man with his
own way to make, and that he had risen
to his present position simply by fol-
lowing the line of his duty, by doing in
the best possible way what he had in
hand. It was a plain business talk.
After that there was no further confer.
ence. The works were shut down for
the first and last time in their history.
They were closed for nearly week.
During that time there were some dis
cussions and some meetings of the
workingmen, but there were at no time
any threats and no demonstrations
were made against the manager OF the
company. Even during that whole pc
Rod the striking workmen, who had
gone out not because of grievances OF
their own but in accordance with the
wishes of the labor leaders in Chicago,
would to a man have rushed to the pro-
lection of the property of the company
# anyone had sought to injure it:
There is to-day good business feel
ing between the employees of this com
pany and it's managers. There is no
where any semblance of sentiment. Mr..
Pullman is frequent visitor at the
works and is constantly going through
the shops, where the workmen address
him at any time if they want anything
as they would friend. There is moth
ing like subserviency or cringing. All
classes and nationalities are employed
here. The American born workmen
are the most skillful and ingenious. The
Swedes are considered perhaps the
steadiest.
There has never been any attempt
upon the part of the company to con-
troll the private actions Of their work
ingmen. Nearly all of them belonged
to unions when the works were first
established. Some of them do yet. But
in the main the workmen there are not
members Of any union. They have
found that there is no necessity for any
combination to protect their interests
at the hands of the Pullman company.
The result is that the vast affairs of this
gigantic corporation move on simply
and easily, without the remotest posi-.
bility of ever having any such conflict
of authority as has occurred at Home
stead. There is nothing in the system
itself which would prevent it's being
annJ;ad IN the management of anv cor