Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1894-11-23
REDRESS FOR LABOR
Araignment of Railroads and
Pullman Car Company.
THEY USED HARSH METHODS
The United states strike mmiss Ion
Says the Corporations Formed
Illegal Combines.

government report on the great railway
strike In connection with the Pullman
trouble was made public today. The
report. which is signed by Federal La
Dor Commissioner Carroll d. Wright
and his fellow Investigators, John d.
Herman of New York and N. b. Worth
ington of illinois, Is addressed to Pres
ident Cleveland and abounds in pas
sages which will attract wide atten-
ton, particularly the portion referring
to the now famous General Managers
Association. the organization of high
railway officials that encompassed the
memorable defeat of the American Rail-
| way Union.
The report says the capitalization
Of the "a railroads directly represented
In the General Managers Association
was 2,10S ,552,617. The number of en-
ployes was 221,097. The commission
continues: This voluntarily unincor-
porated association was formed in 1886.
In it's constitution the object of the
association is stated to be 'considera-
ton of problems Of management, aris-
ing from the operation of railroads ter
minating or entering at Chicago 1t
further provides that all funds needed
| outi VIC hohoSu w ohs oHoSooAifNhS NAiNAN
ed equally among the members There
are no limitations as to the consider
ing of problems of funds except the
will of the management and the re-
sources of the railroad corporations.
Until June 1894. the associations
possibilities as Strike fighter and wage
arbitrator lay dormant. Its roads fixed
the Chicago scale for switchmen, COW
| OF Tn Mar 70
1898. the switchmen demanded more
pay from each road. The association
concluded that they were paid enough
If anything, too much. The roads sc
informed the men. The Switchmens
Mutual Aid Association of North Amer
ica wrote to Mr.. st. John, as chairman
acquiescing. He, as chairman of tn,
General Managers Association con
. cluded his reply as follows: "Th'
association approves of the cours'
taken by your body and de
sires to deal fairl with all EN-
ployes and believes that on
switchmen are receiving due considera
Is tion'" "This seems to show" the We
; port says: the employees upon tn
" association roads are treated as unde
- subsection to the General Managers
= Association" and the report, after dc
failing the action of the association i
establishing agencies and employin
men adds:
e THE FIRST AWAKENING.
This was the first time when the me
Is upon each side were brought sharpl
face to face with the fact that in que'
tons as to wages, rules, ETC., each lir
was supported by % combined raj
o roads. This association, likewise, pr
pared for its use elaborate schedules
the wages paid upon the entire lines
the "a members. The proposed obje
of these schedules was to let each roa
n know what the other roads paid. Fin
ing that the men upon some lines urge
increases to correspond with the wag
paid elsewhere, the committee of II
association prepared and presented
o uniform schedule for all membersh
roads. 1t was deemed wise not to a
upon the report. 1t was distributed
the members in November, 1898. TIL
distribution alone enabled the repo
to be used with efficiency as an 'equt
izer' AS q result, during 1S93-it bell
ire then well understood as to wages, ct
that II was the intent of the Genel
Managers Association to assist ca
road in case of trouble over such ma
ters, one form of assistance being for
10 association to secure men enoue
. through it's agencies, to take the plat
Id. of all NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. were he
and there made on different roa'
the tendency and effort, apparently,
ing to equalize the pay on all lines,
r at is admitted that the action OF
T. association has great weight with o
side lines, and thus tends to establ
one uniform scale throughout the col
try. A further single step OF adm
400 ting lines not running into Chicago
goo membership would certainly have
effect of combining all the railroi
and in wage contentious against all
ployes thereon"