The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-11-15
THE GREAT STRIKE
ITS CAUSE ASCERTAINED AND A
REMEDY PROPOSED.

The Strike Commission Recommends
the appointment Of Permanent
Labor Commission iInilar to the
Interstate Commerce Commission.
Chicago, Nov. lathe report of the
strike commission to investigate the
causes leading up to the recent great
railroad strike was made public to-
day. The report IS addressed to Pres
ident Cleveland. who appointed the
commission, and It is an exhaustive
document containing about 5000
words.
The report first takes up the general
managers association, shows that
twenty-four roads centering in Chicago
combined to 'equalize' wages, which
meant in many cases a reduction.
The report declares that the associa-
ton has no legal existence, and says
that the employees did not combine,
and no such order as the A. r. y. was
thought of until the railroads COM
bined. IF the railroads are to be per-
mitted to combine, then they should
not attempt to prevent the employees
doing the same thing. ... E..
AS regards the Pullman company the
report shows what enormous profits
were made and how wages were re-
duced but rents were not The meth
cd Of operating the town Of Pullman
is explained, showing that the en-
plOyes are not, as a rule, well treated
The report says that while the Pull
man company claimed that it kept it's
works running at a loss merely to
furnish work for it's employees, the
facts are that it sought to keep run
ming mainly for it's own benefit that
its plant might not rust that it's COM
petitors might not invade it's territory,
that it might keep it's cars in repair,
that it might be ready for resumption
when business revived with live
plant and competent help, and that it's
revenue from it's tenements might con-
tinue.
Some slight concession in regard to
rents might have prevented the great
strike. The Pullman strikers are COM
plimented for their dignified, manly
and conservative conduct during the
strike, there having been no property
destroyed at Pullman.
The report favors arbitration, and
says that if the Pullman company and
the railroads had shown the slightest
disposition to conciliate no lives would
have been lost and millions of dollars
worth of property would not have been
destroyed. The commission says that
there was no evidence that the officers
Of the A. R. U. participated in or adj
vised intimidation, violence or destruc-
ton of property.
The calling of troops to Chicago was
opportune. 1t was shown that the
militia in many cases sympathized
with the strikers, and the commission
thinks that the time will come when
the militia must be recruited from
other than labor classes.
The real responsibility for the dis
orders rests with the people and will
the government for not adequately
controlling monopolies and corpora
tons, and for failing reasonably tc
protect the rights of labor and redress
to stay, and sis it not wise to fully
recognize them by law, to admit OF
their necessity as labor guides anc
protectors, to conceive their usefulness
increase their responsibility and tt
prevent their fOllieS and aggreSSfOnS by
comforting upon them the privilege en-
joyed by corporations with like proper
restrictions?'
The recommendation.
The commission therefore recon
mends:
That there be a permanent United
States strike commission Of three mem
bers with duties and powers of investi
cation and recommendation as to dis
putes between railways and their EN-
ployes similar to those vested in thu
interstate commerce commission as tt
rates, etc.
That, as an interstate commerce &C
power be given to the United States
court to compel railways to obey TIT
decisions of the commission after sum
mary hearing until attended by tech
nicalities, and that no delays in obey
ing the decisions of the commission b.
allowed pending appeals.
That whenever the parties to con
troversy in a matter within the juriS
diction of the commission are one o.
more railroads on side, and one o.
more national trade unions incorpor
ated under charter SGT of the United
States statutes Of 1856, or unde
state statutes, upon the other, eacl
side shall have the right to select
representative who shall be appointe.
by the president to serve as a tenn
porary member of the commission il
hearing, adjusting and determinin;
that particular controversy.
CIhis provision would make it for til,
interest of labor organizations to incor
porate under the law and to make til,
commission a practical board Of con
Citation. It would also tend to creat
confidence in the commission and t,
give to that body in every hear1n,
the benefit of practical knowledge o
the situation on both sides.)
That during the tendency Of pro
ceeding before the commission inau
gurated by national trades unions O
by an incorporation of employees
shall not be lawful for the railroads t
discharge employees belonging theret
except for inetficiency, violation Of lay
or neglect of duty; nor for such union
during such tendency to order, unit
In a, or aid or abet strikes or boy
colts against the railways compliance
of; nor for a period of six mouths afte
a decision, for such railroads to dis
charge any such employees in who's
LoN =