The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-07-19
A STATEMENT

a STATEMENT
gssueei by Pullman. the Sleeping Car Mag
nate, ns to the Trouble wits, His Work.
men.
NEW York. July 14-George II. Pulk
man arrived in the city Friday morn
ing and Friday evening gave. out
statement to the public. Mr.. Pullman
says:
1.-THE leaders OF the disorder have
not hesitated to harrass the public by
all means in their power, because, as
they say, the Pullman Co. would not
submit to arbitration. and now that dis
order seems to be quelled they are rein
forced in their c]amor for arbitration
by some prominent newspapers, but,
as far as know, but very few If any
business men in the country.
"What is the demand concealed UNI
der the innocently sounding word arbi-
tration?"
"a little more than year ago the
car shops at Pullman were in most
prosperous conditions: work was plenty.
wages were hi:.h and the condition of
the employees was indicated by she fact
that the local savings lank-had IN saw
ings deposits nearly ;>S7O0,oUO. nearly all
of which was the property of the cin-
ployes.
.'Our pay rolls show an average
caring of over S70opcr annum for every
man. woman or youth on the roll.
Then came the great panic and derres-
sion of last summer. Many customer,
stopped negotiations and cancelled or
dcrs, and our working force had to be
diminished from nearly six thousand
to about two thousand in November.
1893
1.-The great business depression exist
ing throughout the country had nat
urally resulted In wage depression.
and the only hope of getting ortlero
was by bidding for work as low or
lower than could I've ma.le By other
shops and this, of course. niece ,>itated
q reduction in the wages of the en-
ployes at Pullman. This was arranged
satisfactorily. as supposed. and in
close competitions. disrcgariing all ac-
count of capital and machinery, | Sc
cured enough work to gradually in
crease our force to 1900. the number
on the rolls last April.
Mine weeks ago the carshOps ut
Pullman were working with car-build-
ing contracts on hand to keep them
going for about sixty days. and with
all business forecasts leading to the
belief that no considerable new orders
could soon be had. The most import
ant of the work in hand had been taken
by me in competition at prices which
were less than the actual cost to the
company of delivering cars, without
reckoning for the use of capital and
plant.
"This work was taken to keep the
large force of men employed. and to
postpone, with the hope OF avoiding
the numbcrless embarrassments to all
classes of people at Pullman and vicin-
ity, of closing down of the works. to
prevent which the company considered
it wise policy to operate the shops at
an actual loss"
sin the early part of May" continues
the statement, "a committee OF the
employees met and demanded restora-
tion of the wages of year ago. ex-
planned to this committee, infinitely
and laboriously, the facts, showing
that the company was already paying
them more than it was receiving for
their contract work, and offered them,
for complete assurance and to end all
questions, inspection of our books and
contracts in hand.
"This, and the beginning at once at
Pullman of promised careful invcsti-
CATION of number of shop complaints,
seemed to end all trouble: but day
later, under the excitement Of their re-
cruiting into the new organization, the
workmen closed the shops by abandon
ing their work, thus themselves doing
what was strepuously trying to pre-
vent being done by the depression of
the car-building business, and the en-
ployes who quit their work have de-
prived themselves and their comrades
of earnings of more than $500, 900 up to
this time"
Mr.. Pullman claims that arbitration
Is impossible, as the men are not now
In the employ of his company and the
shops are closed. The statement goes
on to show that rents in Pullman were
not exorbitant, it averaging only about
$500 per room. Employees may and
very many do rent their houses outside
of the town.
"As to the charges for water, the
company lately had a contract with
the village of Hyde Park, under which
it paid four cents per thousand gallons,
and pumped the water itself. The
gross amount paid the village per
month for the water consumed by the
tenants was almost exactly the gross
S: m paid by the tenants therefor.
Since the inclusion of Hyde Park
and Pullman within the city of Chi
cago the company pays the city about
seven cents per thousand gallons. and
not having increased the charge to the
tenants is paying for the water con-
sumed by them about $500 more per
month more than is charged to them"
Prendergast strangIcd.
CHICAGO, July l4.-Patrick Eugene
Prendergast, the slayer of Mayor Car
ter Harrison, was hanged in the jail
yard at HAS Friday morning.
Late Thursday afternoon Judge
Grosscup decided not to interfere. Gov.
Altgeld refused to stay the hanging.
Prendergast rested well Thursday
night and seemed calm and collected