Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-08-28
PULLMAN TESTIFIES.
He Appears as a Witness Be
 fore the Labor Commission.
EXPLAINS WHY WAGES WERE OUT

nhI ILh1No VIII WhU6o Whhb OUT He Admits That the Pullman Company,s Profits Last Year Were s2, SOC. .ooo, and That Dividends Were Paid Regularly Every ouarter-wIc<es Also n Witness. CHICAGO, Aug. 2S.-George NJ. Pull man was before the labor commission for nearly three hours Vicc President Wickes, who followed his superior, occu- pied two hours and will appear again. At the outset of his testimony Mir. Pull man made n careful preliminary state ment of his position toward the commis- sion and defined the motives which had moved the company to establish Its plant and homes for workingmen as 1t had. In answer to queries by Chairman Wright, Mir. Pullman told of the con- tracts for work undertaken by the compa- ny at a loss in order that the men might be kept at work. He said: II found we were being underbid by other companies even where we had figured the work down to cost. finally put in bids below cost rather than to have the men idle. Up to the time of the strike we had lost more than $50, 900 in pursuit of Dhis policy. explained this personally 10 tho men when l they were holding their conferences with Mir. wickes."
 NIT. wickes Would Tell. Bere Mir. Herman interrupted to ask if the company had not promised to dis charge none of the committee that waited on Wickes and whether tho promise had been kept MT. Pullman said he did not know, but MT. wickes would tell. Mir. Herman then asked, Were the books shown to the mem"
 ''No, they were not because the men did not apply to sec them, and the strike oame Friday"
 "There were old grievances, wore there noti''
 "There were, but Mir. wickes and Mir Brown had promised tho men to tako them | up and remedy them wherever thero was just cause for complaint Judge worthinRton asked, As to this reported declaration of yours that you had nothing to arbitrate, wcro you cor rectly reported9"
 II have already explained my views on that subject
 Now, Mir Pullman" said Commission CT worthington, taking tho whole year l through, has the Pullman company made or lost money:' Ut has made money" was the answer You have paid your regular divi- dendss''
 "Yos, sir-s per cent.'' That is something like g. 500, 900 you have paid out in dividends for the year."
 Yes, but that includes tho latter part of the Worlds fair season which was ex- oeptional"
 Lot me ask you, Mir. Pullman whether you do not think a company that pays div idends of S2, 500, 900 could not afford to share tho losses of Its employees who have worked for it so loDg:' l Tho manufacturing business Is sepa- | ratc from the sleeping car business l see no reason why I should take tho profits of 1 the 4,2o0 stockholders in tho Pullman Sleeping Car company and pay men a higher rate of wages than was paid in other parts of the country for the same work or than was paid by other companies | for the same work. Because wo have been careful and accumulated a surplus I do not sec that it is a reason we should take the surplus now and pay 1t out for excep- | tionally high wages.'' Has the Pullman company during the years of it's prosperity ever advanced tho wages of its employees voluntarily" Never Advanced Wages. | II do not know as to that. It has al ways sought to pay fair wages, and the fact that we have never had but one strike Is pretty good evidence that the men have beon satisfied | What do you see that is objectionable in submitting difference like this to ar 1 bitrations''
 "There are some matters that are prop CT subjects for arbitration, but I cannot | arbitrate on a question where I know the | facts to be thus and so. Tho question as to whether our shops should continue to run Tt a loss Is thing that could not be l arbitrated."
 Why was 1t impossible:''
 Because 1t violates the principle that | man has a right to manage his own busi- ness"
 Suppose that arbitrators were to say to you: 'We see you are losing money, but these men have been with you a long | while You can afford to share their losses. We think that you should at least pay them living wage What would you say to thnt:'
 My point at the time was to work l with the men and secure the disbursement of the large sums involved in the contracts and lose money for the company If tho mon would agree to bear their share in q reduction of 20 to 25 per cent in their wages"
 | onncIals' Salaries Not Reduced.
 Judge worthington wanted to know wherein 1t was wrong to take money of the stockholders and pay higher wages | when the management was ready to take contracts at loss or to take the stock holders money to keep the plant going. Mir Pullman said the execution of con tracts at Q luss was better for tho plant than to let iu lie idle.
 So" interrupted MT. Herman, you had that in view as well as the employ ment of tho men: You did not want to stop the plant because you knew that would be loss to stockholders, and you did not want to scatter your men because you knew 1t would be difficult to get e force together again like themi''
 "Yes"
 "was your salary reducedi"
 The witness replied that 1t was not.
 "Nor the salaries of superintendents or foremsn,"
 sNo."
 "whyi'
 Mir. Pullman-It was not good policy to reduce tho salaries of high officials be- cause men of their caliber were not easily replaced
 MT. Pullman was then excused and Vice President wickes called. He rehears- sd the story of the strike and the part he played in 1t.
 Big Iosiery Firm Resumes.
 HoLLIDAYsBuRG, Pa, Aug. 2s.-The Enterprise Hosiery company of this city, the most extensive stocking manufactur-