The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-07-30
THE PULLMAN WORKS.
Model Homes Which Please the
Workingmen.
A Library Provided Where the Workmen
Are Afforded Every Opportunity to In
crease Their knowledge of In
dustriaI Art.
COPYRIGHT, 1927

! ganizations throughout the country are
becoming more and more antagonistic
to their employers It has also been
observed that these strikes seem to run
in periods. One great strike is general
ly followed by another, and SO close is
the union now between all classes of
workmen that strike in any one
state is eagerly watched and support
| ed by the labor leaders throughout the
country.
These conflicts cost great sums of
money and often result, as in Home
stead, in serious loss of life. Many So
/ lutions have been offered for the settle
ment of such disputes. Arbitration has
! been often suggested. But up to the
present time there is no authority high
! enough to create boards of arbitration
which would be recognized. 1t is pos
sible that the matter will be taken up
! at Washington with the view of estab-
! fishing government commission for
the settlement of labor disputes. 1t
would be an experiment worth trying.
Would it not be better if such disputes
could be avoided altogether?
There is a most valuable lesson to be
learned in the study of the affairs of
the Pullman palace car corporation. It's
management never has any serious
trouble with its employees. There are
few corporations in the world which
employ so many men. There is no cor
poration in the world which has had
less trouble than has this company with
the people employed by it. This is not
the result of mere chance, but the out
come of a system. 1t is, therefore,
system worth studying, in view of the
many possible disputes between labor
and capital which may follow the con-
test at Homestead The Pullman COM
pany employs in its works at Pullman,
Ill, on an average during the whole
year over 5000 men. In addition to this
brigade of workmen the Pullman COM
pany employs with its cars upon the
various railroads throughout the coun-
try and in its administration offices
5000 more people. 1t has in all $4,000
employees. Taking the average of the
families of these people to be three,
this would make some 5000 people who
are dependent upon the Pullman system
for subsistence.
1t is with the 5000 workmen of Pull
man that the most satisfactory results
in the way of regulating labor have
been attained, In the other branches
of the service there is not the same pos
sibility for strikes and for labor dis
putes. In the shops at Pullman there
is employed a great variety of work
men. Besides making its own palace
cars, the company manufactures all
kinds of railroad cars, and has one of
the largest shops for manufacturing
street cars in the country. Something
of the magnitude of the work is shown,
! first, in the number of men employed,
and second, in the enormous output of
the shops. In the freigh car department
one entire train of cars, forty in num-
Der, is manufactured every day. Two
palace cars a week, which involve the
most skilled forms of woodwork, carv-
ing. painting and decoration, are made,
while the vast iron works are constant
ly going to fill the orders of all the
great railroad corporations of the
country which patronize this company.
1t is important to show the extent,
character and the variety of the work
of this company, for the reason that it
has no disputes with its employees of
serious character and has had no strike
of any Importance since the great gen.
eral strike in Chicago following the es-
Enlistment of the works at Pullman in
1880.
In the town OF Pullman and in the
works there are between 81 200, 900 and
sS,000,0 900 invested. The capital of the
Pullman company is now $50, 900, 900. 1t
has a reserve of twenty odd millions.
It is one of the few corporations of the
country that has no great bonded in
debtedness. Its stock is quoted above
100, and is chiefly held by investors and
is not considered a speculative stock.
Neither is this stock the property of
few rich people. 1t is held by many
small holders whose principal income is
dependent upon the dividends of this
stock. The stock pays u per cent.
upon its par value. 1t has been pur-
chased by trustees of estates, 50 that
very large holdings of the stock repre-
sent ownerShips of widows and or
phans. The stock is never unduly wa
tered and has always represented good
investment to it's holders. This from
the standpoint of capitalist. The
laborers at Pullman are paid the best
current wages. The average pay of the
workmen in the works is 5000 a year.
The pay ranges from SLIP day for I'M
skilled laborers to 81 and IS day for
the work of specialists, such as decor
ators, carvers and the like. The pros
perity of the workmen is also shown in
the fact that in the local savings bank
there are deposits now reaching nearly
81, 600, 900.
| wish also to call attention TO the
fact that there is no assumption any
where in the management of this COM
pany that it is playing the role of
philanthropist toward its employees.
The whole system is a business one 1t
was established by George NJ Pullman,
the president of the company. Mr..
Pullman has proceeded upon the theory
that contented, well cared for workmen
will do better work than disconnected.
uncared for men. Everything that he
has done for his men has been projected
upon a basis of sound commercial prin-
ciples- When he planned the town of
Pullman he had it laid out in accord
ance with scientific and sanitary princi-
pies In the first place, he began with
bit of virgin prairie and established
before putting up a single building
magnificent and uniform system of
sewerage Then followed the roads