The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-07-06
THE PULLMAN STATEMENT.
A Plain History Q, tho sr,ko and the

"A Plain History OF the S.rikc and the
Conditions Leading to It.
CHICAGO, June 3o.-The Pullman
company has issued a statement to the
public. 1t gives, among other facts, a
history Of the trouble at Pullman
which has led up to the trouble all
over the West Inasmuch as it is not
so stated in the Pullman statement,
be it known that the immediate cause
of the strike was a reduction of 33X
per cent in wages at Pullman for ce r
tain piece" work. In part the Pull
man statement follows:
.In the first week of May last. there
were employed in the car manufacture
ing department at Pullman, ILL.,,
about 3 100 persons. On May Ia COM
mittee of the workmen had an inter
view by arrangement with Mr.. Wicks,
vice president, at which the principal
subject of discussion related to
wages, but minor grievances as to
shop administration were also pre-
sented, and it was agreed that anoth-
err meeting should be held on the 9th
Of May, at which all the grievances
should be presented in writing. The
second meeting was held. As to the
complaints on all matters except
wages it was arranged that a formal
and thorough investigation should be
made by Mr.. Wickes, to be begun the
next day, and full redress was assured
to the committee as to all complaints
proved to be well founded.
1.-THE absolute necessity of the last
reduction in wages, under the exist
ing condition of the business of car
manufacturing, had been explained to
the committee and they were insist
ing upon a restoration Of. the wage
scale of the first half Of 1891"
During this second meeting George
M. Pullman made an address to his
men in which in substance he said at
the beginning of the business de-
preston last year the company en-
ployed 5,S16 men at Pullman who
were paid S305, 900 a month. Urflled
orders for cars from various railway
companies were Cancelled. Work de-
creased, men were laid off and Novem-
Der 1, 1898, only about 1000 men were
employed at Pullman. Mr.. Pullman
said he realized that work must be
provided, not only to provide the
means of living to his men but
to permit the 700 or 500 en-
ployes who had purchased homes
to complete their payments. He then
canvassed the situation, he said, and
found that competition for what work
there was would be ~sharpened by the
hard times, but that he had deter
mined to keep all of his men at work
if possible, though he must do the
work for less money. Therefore he
was compelled to ask the men to do
their work for less money, and the re-
suit was the reduction of piece
work prices. He said there was no
objection from the men and he sup
posed they would accept the reduc-
ton sensibly and as one means of
self-preservation.
While those conditions existed he
personally took up the work of bid
ding for car building contracts, and
BY low bids was able to get work SO
as to increase the number of his men
from 1000 to 1900, the number en-
ployed in April, 1894. in all depart
ments at Pullman. This increase in
work, Mr.. Pullman said, was not &C
complished by reducing pay, and
therefore reducing prices, but by q
reduction Of the c5np2nyfs profits as
we'll. The interest on the use Of cap
1UdI dUO mqCllllST.y WIS e|llIllulttu
from the estimate of investment.
The company even took work at a
loss, and here are Mr.. Pullman's own
words on that point:
The order for fifty five Long 1saind cars.
which was the first large order of PASSENGER
cars let since the great depression, was SOUGHT
for by practically all the leading car builders
IN the country. My anxiety to secure that Or
der. SO as to put as many men to work as pos
slble, was such that I put in q bid for more
than $500 less than the actual cost to the COM
pany. The 100 stock cars built for the North
western road and the 250 refrigerator cars now
under construction for the same com
pany will result in q loss of at least
Si2 per car, and the twenty-five just
built for the Lake Street Elevated road
show a loss Of S9 per car. I msution
these particulars so that you NAV understand
what the mpan has done for the mutual in
terest and to secure for the people at Pullman
and vicinity the benefit of the dis Of
the large sums of mo5ey involved in these and
similar contracts, which can be kept only by
the procurement of new orders for cars. for.
as you know, about three four tbs Of the men
must depend upon contract work for employ
ment I can only assure you that if this
company now restores the WAGES of
the first half of 1s9&. as you have
asked, it would be a most unfortunate
thing for the men, because there is less
than sixty days OF contract work in sight in
the shops under all orders, and thera is abso-
lute1y no possibility. in the present condition
OF affairs throughout the country, Of getting
any more orders for work at prices measured
by the wages of May, 1894 Under such a scale
she works would necessarily close down ana
the great majority Of the employees be put in
fdleness. Il contingency I am using my best