Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-07-24

ASy efS 49, esAkurs etkc18s FDy o8o
clean. and are always well dressed
The advantages Of the school and the
library are very marked There u no
part Of the country where children Of
working people have better chance
than here. IL Is from the ranks Of these
children that the company hopes 70 re-
cruit it, best workmen in the future.
Very few corporations could afford 70
set aside such great sum as was re-
But the principles Of the system IL
seems might serve with many smaller
corporations With the Pullman COM
pAny IL has proved . good investment.
1t has been the policy Of this company
to always carry . large reserve This
reserve enabled the company frst TO
construct the town in such way - 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
tionA The care required To keep all this
vast business going is shown by the fact
that the wages paid out viii average
some $500. 600 q 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 tho
value of the real estate has been
more than enough TO give great divi-
dend upon the investment Adjoining
the town and between ii and the neigh
boring ones is a broad strip of land con-
tanning some thirty-five hundred acres.
This land, bought originally at . vslua-
ton in the neighborhood of $500 On
acre. is now worth $4,000 TO 5000 an
acre. The town itself is incorporated
within the city of Chicago. It has .
representative in the municipal council.
Its school is a part of the public school
system. The workmen 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 q very great one
Early in the history Of the town, which
was established in 1880, there was .
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 worxmen. 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 limo of his duty, by doing in
the best possible way what he had in
hand. 1t was q 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 q man have rushed to the pro-
lection of the property Of the company
II anyone had sought TO injure it
There IL to-day q good business feel
ing between the employees of this COM
pany and its managers. There II mo-
where any semblance of sentiment Mr..
Pullman is q frequent visitor at the
works and il constantly going through
the shops, where the worlkmen address
him at any time II they want anything
as they would friend There is moth
ing like subservicncy or cringing. All
classes and nstionalitics 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
1T 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 poesi-
bility Of ever having any such conflict
of authority as has occurred ct Home
stead There is nothing in the system
itself which would prevent its being
applied Tn the MANAGEMENT s,f anv corl