The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-11-13

CHECAso, Nov. i2-The United States
government report on the great railway
strike. IN connection with the Pullman
trouble. WAS made public today. Tho
report, which is signed by the Federal
labor commissioner, Carroll ID Wright.
and has ie!low-tnvestigators. john II. ker-
nan. of New York. and Nicholas h.
WorthingEon. OF Illinois, is addressed TO
President Cleveland. aud abounds in pass
ages which will attract wide attention.
particularly the portion referring to tho
now famous General Managers Associa-
tion, the organization Of high railway
| officials that compaSsed the memorable
defeat OF the American Railway Union.
The report says the capitalization of tho
twenty four railroads directly represented
IN the General Managers Association was
s.. lus. so. .6iT The commission continues:
THE GENERAL NANAaERs' ASSOCIATION.
This voluntary. unincorporsted asseci-
alton was formed an lsSo. Ia ITS constttu-
tion the object of the ASSOCIATION Is stated
To he the consideration uf problems of
management arising from the operation OF
the railroads terminating or cenGertng in
Caieagu II further provides that 'all
funds needed shall be raised by assessment
divided equally among the members
There are no limitations as 10 considering
of problems or funds except the will OF
the managers and the resources oi the rail-
road corporations. Until June, 1894. tho
assocsatsoa's possibilities as a strike tighter
IN y age arbitrator lay dormant its
roads hAs4 Chicago scase' for switch
men, covering all lines at Chicago. In
March. lsSS, the saitchmtn demanded
pay from each road. The association
concluded that the roads we're paying
enougn~-lf anything, too much. rha
roads ~ informed th@ th@ &xt
mems Mutual Aid Association of North
America wrote 10 Mr.. st. John. as char
man, acuuiesclng. lie, as chairman OF tho
General Managers Association, concluded
his reply as follows The association ap-
proves the course taken by your body, and
desires To deal fairly with all employees,
and believes thar our swItchmcn are re-
cejving due consideration.
This seems to show" the report SAYS.
"thai employees upon association roads are
treated under subsection TO the General
Managers Association. The report, after
detailing the action of the association in
establishing agencies and employing men.
adds:
THE EQuALIzISa or WAGES.
This was the first time when the men
upon each side were brought sharply face
to face with the fact that, in questions as
to wages. rules, etc. each line was sup
ported by twenty-four combined railroads.
This association likewise prepared for It's
use elaborate schedules of the wages paid
upon the entire lines of the twenty-four
members. The proposed object of these
schedules was to let each road know what
the other roads paid. Finding that the
men upon some lines urged increases to
correspond with wages paid elsewhere a
committee of the association prepared and
presented a uniform schedule for all meni-
bership roads. Ii was deemed wise not to
fk . "A.
the members IN November, Isa3 This
distribution alone enabled the report
TO be used with efficiency an equal
izer.' As the result. during ie93-it being
then we'll understood that as TO wages
etc, IL was an incident Of the General
Managers Association TO assist each
road in case OF trouble over such matters,
one form of assistance being for the assoc
ciation TO secure men enough through its
agencies 10 take the places Of all strikers
reductions were made here and there ON
the different roads, the tendency and
effort apparently being TO equalize the pay
on all lines IL is admitted that the action
OF the association has great weight with
outside lines. and thus tends TO establish
one uniform scale throughout the country.
The further single step OF admitting lines
not running into Chicago 10 membership
would certainly have the effect of combn-
ing all the railroads In wage contentious
against all employees thereon"
THE MASAGEns' ASSOCIATIONS ILLEGAL.
The commission questions whether any
legal right statutory or otherwise. can bs
found 10 Justify some OF the features OF
the association which came 10 light in this
investigation, saying:
"If we regard its practical workings
rather than It's professions. as expressed
ira its constitution, the Generni Managers
Association has no more standing ia law
than the old trunk line pool. In cannot
incorporate, because railroad charters do
not authoFizs roads 10 form corporations
or associations TO iix rates 70. services aud
wages nor 10 force their acceptance, nor 10
battle with strikers. IL is usurp patton
OF power not granted. IL such an
association has necessarily from
business or economic standpoint, the right
10 form and maintain. IL must come from.
the state that granted its charter. la
theory, the corporations are limited 10 tho
powers granted either directly or by clear
inferences. We do not think the power
has been granted in either way in this
case. The association is an illustration of
the persistent aud shrewdIy disguised plan
OF corporations 10 oysrreacb their liulta-
Glons and TO usnrp indirectly powers and
rights rot c0ntem plated in their charters
and not obtalnabis from the people or their
legislatures. An extension Of this asso-
ciatson. as above suggested. and the pro-
posed iegalizatIon OF pooling. would re-
suit Ia an aggregation Of power and capital
dangerous TO the people and their liberties
as well as 20 their employees and rights.
1HK END WOULD sE e0gERsaESr owA AggsHIp.
The question would then certainly
arise as 10 which sh ali control. tie govern
meat or the railroads, and the end would
inevitably be government ownership, and,
unless ready for that result and ali that
lt implies. the government must restrain
corporations within the laS and prevent
them from forming unla.fal and danger
Gus combinations. ~ least. 80 long a.
railroad. are thus permitted to combins TO
al wages ard for their o~n protection, 10
would te rank injustice 20 deny the right
of All labor upon railroads 10 unite tor
similar parpos~s-
Tpx nAfI KoAps sEf THE ExAaPfK 70 IsBoa
IA should be noted that until the rail.
roads set the exampls the great union og
railroad employees was not attempted
The unions Lad not g0ns beyond enlisting
rhe men upon different systems in sspa-
rate tfads organizations. These nsufrsl-
sze aud check each other % soGns extent.
agd have no such scope or capacity for
good or esA as IA possible under ths uni-
ssrsAl combustion IDEA IunuguFated By
The railroads and folloNe1 by the amer
sean KaiIsay Union. TIE refusal Of the
General Managers Association 10 recog-
"A a - a.