Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-09-16

I now need replenishing. II was being
done as fast as the cars could be
brought In, when the men struck. BY
the several cuts In wages which the
/ company made IL was able, at the time
I Of the lockout, and is doing the same
! today to get work done for from 81. 20
| to y2.G5, which, in ordinary times, woul
/ cost 81 or more. This represents the
absolute profit OF the company by the
cuts in piece and hourly rate OF wages.
but the loss to the men Is actually
| about 80 per cent more than this by the
reduction OF the hours OF work from
ten to seven.
BY cutting wages The company
saves from 40 TO so per cent in the cost
OF work, much of which 1t would have
to do anyway. By the cut In hours
1t is able to spread Its work among
enough people to keep its houses all
| fairly well rented, and the rent col
lected. In spite of hard times It man
ages to shift all the loss upon the
operators. It's own profits are not
affected. 1t Is because of the feeling
OF Injustice naturally arising from
this method OF operation that great
discomfort prevails in Pullman--a dis
content which 1t Is a wonder has not
been manifested in some violent way
long before this.
Every building in Pullman IL
source OF revenue to the company.
This Is as true of churches as Of
schOolhouses and storerooms. Where
ever one brick is put upon another.
somebody pays for 1t, and pays hand
somely, and the paymaster is not the
Pullman company. How much rent is
collected from the churches can not
be definitely learned, because officials
are ashamed to tell and church mem
bers are afraid to do so. II is a fact
however, that every church society in
town Is compelled to pay rent to the
Pullman company, and a big rent,
too, for the simple reason that the
company owns the land and viii nos
sell foot of It for any purpose or for
any money. IL holds fast to every
thing, what II uses and what 1t can
not use, and compels the town peo-
pie TO accept what II offers, at the
terms dictated
When the church societies can't pay
rent, they get out, and that's all there
is to II. They can not use the build
ings free. 1t is related that the most
pretentious church In town. now oc-
cupied by the Presbyterian society,
stood empty nearly two years be-
cause there was not congregation
IN town strong enough 10 pay the rent.
During this time the edfice remained
CLOSED, and II was not opened again
until new congregation got together
made the necessary assessments, and
had paid over the rent for long
period. The thought might have sug-
gested Itself to Mr.. Pullman,s. agent
during this time that the church was
there anyway; why not let somebody
use II? But IL that thought ever
creeped Into his head It was quickly
crowded out by the robust doctrine
mat all things in Pullman must he
self-supporting. In other words, ev-
cry wheel that turns must grind a
Pullman aN.
Education also pays Its tribute TO
greed In the town Of Pullman. The
second buildings are company prop
erty, rented from the company by the
city OF Chicago at u rental which
officials Will not talk about, and filed
with teachers paid from CHICAGO
board of education funds. Mr. phi.
man does not furnish dollar TO pay
the expenses Of schooling his EN-
ployes' children; not penny except
what he Is compelled to pay I'm the
shape OF general taxes. As to the rent
or these school buildings nobody who
Knows Will tell; but 1t Is safe wager
mat the Pullman company loses no
money on its invested capital
Mr.. Pullman seldom visits his town
Although most Of his days are passed
IN Chicago, and 1t Is but a step from
ms Office to the railroad train, the
great car magnate is seldom seen
about the streets OF Pullman. Once
very Two monihsi or, at most, eight
times year he goes out to see the
superlntendents and In general way
overlook the field Of action. IL has fire. |
quently been observed that he keepg !
away from the worlSmen, who might !
annoy him with stories OF their |
wrongs.
The visit, generally brief is confined |
to the offices under the clock tower. 10 |
the Hotel Florence, near at hand. and |
TO the bank where workmen Law IN !
their savings, If they are able to save |
anything. Last summer was an eNcap- |
uoh. tiis visits We're much more fire. |
quent than they ever were before or
have been since. MIR. Pullman made |
frequent pllsrimages to the place, and |
he was always accompanied by stran |
gers OF more or less distinction. most |
OF them Europeans, He has a marked .
weakness for Titled foreigners. Few
pauper princes or titled barons who
came to Chicago last year escuped his
hospitality, which Invariably Included
trip to the town of Pullman.
"A canvass OF some OF the streets of |
Pullman gives the startling revelation .
Of the biting poverty which exists in
that famous industrial center. The
condition was deplorable before the
strike, and It Is worse, If anything.
now. The majority OF the employees al
the present are not receiving much
money as wages frcm the Pullman
company and viii not be paid sums
amounting to anything until the enor-
nous back rent has been paid.
People last winter We're afraid to let
their sulterings be known because the
company insisted chat there was no
destitution or suffering In the place.
There can he none. because Il Il not
contemplated in the theory on which
the town of Pullman was founded and
y controlled. Even the charitable la
dies who organized the Woman's union
Tor the very purpose OF relieving desti-
tuition and suffering dared not call their
organization the Woman's Relief un
Ion, or their work relief work, because
Mr.. Pullman didn't like It. To call It
such would be to acknowledge .hlt
there was need Of relief II may seem
incomprehensible that an entire COM
munity Of 10000 eeuls could be 80 over
awed by one man or one influence that
no one dared TO speak his mind freely
and openly. But that such is the case
II does not require much investigation
or long association with the people to
find out. As one man exp essed 1t:
THE company owns our bodies. and
We are -fraid it has a mortgage on our
fTba ra,n1n