The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-11-13
THEY SCORE PULLMAN
The Strike Commission Make
Their Report. I
THE MANAGERS ASSOCIATION.
They are Characterized by the Com
missiOners as a Body Without
Standing.
THE MANAGERS ASSOCIATION
Associated Press.

Associated Press.
Chicago, Nov. 12.-The United States
government report on the great rail-
way strike in connection with the Pull
man strike, was made public today.
The report, which is signed by the
federal labor commissioner, Carroll d,
Wright and his fellow investigators
John d. Herman, of New York, and
Nicholas b. Worthington, Of Illinois
is addressed to President Cleveland
and abounds in passages which will
attract wide attention, particularly
that portion referring to the now fam
GUS General Managers Association, an
organization of high railway officials
that encompassed the memorable de
feat Of the American Railway Union
The report says the capitalization OF
the twenty-four railroads directly rep
resented in the General Managers AS
sociation, was s2,1OS, S,552,617. The mum.
ber of employees, 221,O97.
The commission continues, after this
voluntarily unincorporated association
was formed in 1886. In its constitution
the object of the association is stated
to be "The consideration of problems
Of management arising from the op-
Grafton of railroads terminating or CEN
terins in Chicago" 1t further provides
that "all funds to that end shall be
raised by assessment divided equally
emong the members."
There are no limitations az TO "oor-
sidering Of problems or funds" exccp,
the VIII Of the managers and the re.
sources OF the railroad corporations.
TIE commission questions whether apg
legal duty, statutory CT otherwise, can
be found to justify some Of the fee-
lures CT the association which haze
ccme to light in this investigation. Ii
we regard It's practical workings rath,
or than its professions, as expressed
in it's constitution, the General Manaf,-
gers Association has no more standihe
in law than any other trunk line
pool. 1t cannot Incorporate because
railroad charters do not authorize tho
roads to form corporations or associa-
tions or to fix the rates for services
and wages, nor to force their accept
ance nor to battle with strikers. It's
usurpation Of power is not granted.
II such association has necessarily
from q business Of economic stand
point, the right to form and maintain
II must come from the state that grant.
ed IFS charter. In theory, corporations
ere limited to powers granted either
directly or by clear inference. We do
not think the power has been granted
in either way in these cases. The asso.
citation is an Illustration Of persist
ent and shrewdly disguised plan of cor
porGtions to overreach their limitations
and to usurp indirectly the powers
and rights not contemplated in then
charters, and not obtainable from the
people or their legislatures. An extern
sion of this association as above sug-
gested, and the proposed legalizatlon OF
pooling" would result in an assump,
tion OF power by capital dangerous to
the people and their liberties, rs we'll
as TO their employ and rights. The
question would then certainly arise 40
TO which shall control. the government
or the railroads, ard tie raj roads would
inevitably he government ownership,
and unless ready for that result ard
all that it emplies. the government
NUT restrain corporations within the
law, and prevent them from forming
unlewful or dangerous combinations
At lesst, SO long as railroads are thus
permitted to combine TO fix wages and
for theIr Joint protection, 1t would be
rank Injustice to deny the right Of all
labor upon railroads 70 unite for sim-
liar purposes.
Taking UP the subject Of the Pullman
Palace Car Co, the report says:
This Is a corporation organized In
1867 with a capital Of sloooooo. It has
grown until itS present paid up cap
ital is S3s,O0O,OOO. It's property has
enabled the company for over twenty
years to pay two per cent quarterly
dividends and in addition to lay UP a
surplus Of nearly s25.OoOOOO OF undlvd-
ed profits"
spsek!pg Of the town Of Pullman, Of
which the report gays the company IS
owner and landlord. the commission
says:
The men at Pullman claim that the
company during 1893 and 1894 set to pay
through experts so that their forced
loss Of time, an average man could
earn little more than the rent Of his
house. owned by the company. The
company alleges that It simply read
justed the prices Of piece work 10
suit the necessities Of the times Dur
ing all Of this reduction and its attend
ant suffering. none Of the salaries Of
the officers. managers. OF superlntend-