Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-07-14

Charges-Says They Are Not
Exorbitant-The Pullman Stock
is Not Watered.
NEW YORK, July 13.-"Thers is hard
" anything new TO be said as to the posi-
tion Of the Pullman Company" said
George NJ. Pullman this evening, "out
l have so many indications OF the facil'
ity with which my expressions and
those authorized by me have become
distorted, and thus misleading TO the
public, and OF an entire forgetting of
my earnest efforts TO prevent the
strike that perhaps IL is as we'll that
should again make q public assurance
that the deplorable events OF th e last
few weeks have not been caused by the
Pullman Company taking an obstinate
stand ia = debatsble matter, and refus-
ing 10 listen TO reason. The leaders OF
disorder have not hesitated 80 harass
the public BY all meApS in their power.
because, as they say, the Pullman Com
pany would not submit TO arbitration,
and now that disorder seems 10 be
Quelled, they are reinforced in their
clamor for arbitration by some prOmi-
nent newspapers, but so far as know,
by very few, II any,
BUSINESS MEN IN THE COUNTRY.
What Is the demand concealed under
the innocently-souRding word arbitra-
tion? A little more than a year ago the
shops az Pullman were In prosperous
condition; work was plenty, wages were
high, and the condition OF the em ployeS
was indicated by the fact that the local
savingsAank had OF savings deposits
nearly 30O, 900. Of which nearly all was
the property OF the employees. Our
pay rolls for that year show al average
earning OF over S6O0 per aRnum for
e{ss- e{ss---..,1i SsQp -map. wonan or youth. en
.<.e 49, Ihsl cane the groas p&aic
and depression OF last summer. Many
customers stopped negotiations and
cancelled orders, and our worktng force
had - be diminished from nearly
5000 to 2,000 In November,
1898. The great 2 busi eSs de-
preston existing throughout the
country had naturally resulted in a
wage depression, and the only hope OF
getting orders was by bidding for work
al prices as low or lower than could be
made by other shops, and this of course
Lecessitated a reduction in the wages OF
the employees az Pullman. This was
arranged satisfactorily as supposed,
and in close comFstil.oDs, dIsregarOing 2
all
ACCOUNT OF CAPITAL AND MACHINERY,
I secured enough Of work 10 gradually
Increase our force 20 1900, the mum Der
on the roll last April. Nine weeks ago
the car shops at Pullman we're working
with car building contracts on hand
enough 20 keep them going for about
sixty days, and with all business fore
casts leading 20 the belief that no con-
siderable new orders could soon DO had.
The most important work 10 hand had
been taken by me 10 competitions at
prices which were less than the actual
cost to the company OF delivering, with
out any reckoning for the use OF capital
aud plant This work was taken 20 keep
the large force OF men employed and TO
postpone, and with the hope of avoid
Ing, the numberleSs embarraSsmentS 10
all classes of people at Pullman aud
It's vicinity Of a closing down OF
tue works, TO prevent which the
company considered IL wise
policy 20 operate the shops ten mporarily
Rtan actual loss. With this condition
OF things came the agitation seeking 10
create labor organization embracing
al railway employees anu apparently
other industries. It is my belief that
the controversy excited al Pullman was
merely a move ia the greater scheme,
these shops being selected not on ac
count Of discomfort In them,
BUT BECAUSE OF THEIR PBOSuyENCE
IN various ways, and because Of the
chance OF a show Of Justification for q
Simultaneous aud cauSeless attack upon
the railways OF the country for the use
under long time contracts, by three
fourths of them, of the Pullman sleep
ing car system. a branch Of ;he compa
py's business totally distinct FROM II;
manufacturing Of cars for sale.
lw-Fn the early part OF May committed
~ the employees demanded restoration
OF the wages of year agO. l explained
10 this committee fully and labOriOuslJ
the facts, showing that the company wa:
already paying them more thAn It wa:
receiving for their contract work
and I offered them, fOI
., complete assurance, and 20 END
i ali question. an inspection OF our books
pnd contracts in hand. This. and tbs
bezinning at once az Pullman OF a
nromised careful investigation Of a
number Of shop complaints, seemed "a
end all trouble, but a day later, under
the excitement Of their recruiting into
the new organization, the wOrkmea
closed the shops by abandoning
tbeir work, thus themselves doing what
was strenuously trying 10 prevent be-
inc done by the depression of the car
b,Slding business, aud the employees
v,bo auit their work have deprived
themselves and their comrades of earn
togs of more than $500, 600 up 20 this
ttme. The demand made before quit
Eng work was that the wages should
DO restored 70 the scale OF last year. or
g. effect that that the actual outgoing
money losses then being daily incurred
nv the company in car building should
ho deliberately Increased 20 an amount
sonal 10 about one-fourth Of the wages