River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-08-30

Asked about the rent paid by tenants. Mr..
Pullman said IL was just per cent. on the in
vestment
The capital of the Pullman company. he
stated is s36.0000oo Beirg asked about the
report that the company had a surplus OF sI6.-
oo0.C0J he said that II was more than that
The dividends are based upon the capital of
$40 o00CO1, and are per cent. quarterly He
IVES then asked about the reductions Of en-
ployes wages. lie replied:
Il am not familiar with the daily workings Of
the town Of Pullman. / will have to refer the
commission TO the second vice president for
these details. | viii say. however, that
for entire months we did not have an
order for l realized that unless some
thing was done there would be suffering
at Pullman, and after a consultation
with Vice President Wiekes / determined to
make bids under the actual cost of eonstruc-
tion. We did this and | remember the first
order was for ffty-fiye cars put ia bid for
these cars at from $500 to S4e0 below the cost
car, making up my mind to make this con-
tribution rather than see my men idle / be-
lieve many other car builders in the country
felt the same way. AS evidence OF this
the next lowest bid to mine was only sa4 high
er than mine. On another occasion bid for a
lot of $50 cars at loss of SIS on each car, pre-
ferring to do this rather than see the freight
shops closed. I underbid the next com
petitor only 81 car IL cost US
as long as / did l explained all
this TO Mr.. Heathcote. the leader of the strik-
ers, who said TO me: We want the wages of
90. informed him that was impossible.
told him it would be a most unfortunate thing
II the wages Of 90 were restored; that there
was only six or eight weeks work here as it
was, and there was none in sight at the rate on
which the wages of 90 were based "
He admitted that the company taking the
whole year through had made money, and paid
IA.
about - s0000o In explaining why the COM
pany chose to reduce wages while paying large
dividends Mr. Pullman said:
The manufacturing business is separate
from the business of the sleeping car company.
l see no reason why should take the profits of
the 400 stockholders in the Pullman sleeping
Car company and pay men higher rate OF
wages than was paid in other parts OF the
country for the same work, or than paid by
other companies for the same wort. Because
we have been careful and accumulated sur
plus do not see that it IS reason we should
take the surplus now and pay il out for ex-
ceptionally high wages"
Concerning arbitration he said: There are
some matters that are proper subjects for ar
bitration, such as disputed title. But there
are others that are impossible OF arbitration.
l cannot arbitrate on question where know
the facts TO be thus and 50. The question as
20 whether our shops should continue to run
at a loss is thing that could not be arbi-
trated."
@ Why was it inpossible?" A. Because
it violates the principle that man has a right
to manage his own business
We make it condition OF return to work
that the member of the American Railway
union shall surrender his card That is the
only union we have ever Disseminated against.
although believe our men have belonged to
other organizations. 1t is the fixed policy OF
the Pullman company to retain no one con-
nected in any way with the American Railway
union
Were rents reduced when wages went
| down." asked Judge WOrthington.
They were not. So little income was COM
| ing from rents that we could not afford to re-
duce them further"
Were your wages and those of the other
officers of the company reduced:"
They were not"
why was this not done?'
When Mr.. Pullman fully recovered from the
| effect of the audacity OF the questions he said
| ii not good policy to reduce the salaries of
| high officials because men OF their caliber
/ were not easily replaced and would not stand
| reduction of any considerable amount