The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-07-14

to an amount equal to about one e-fourth of
the wages of the employees.
st must be clear to every business man
and to every thinking workman that no
prudent employer could submit TO aroitra-
ton the question whether he should COM
NIT such piece Of business folly. Arbi-
traton always implies acQuiescence in the
decision of the arbitrator, whether favor
able or adverse. How could i. as president
of the Pullman Company. consent 10
agree that il any body Of men not con-
cerned With the interests of the ompany' s
shareholders should. as arbitrators. for any
reasons seeming good to them so decree, |
would open the shops, employ workmen at
wages greater than their work could be
sold for and continue this ruinous policy
indefinitely or be accused of a breach of
faith ? Who will deny that such ques-
tion is plainly not subject of arbitra-
tion ?
"The public should not permit the real
question which has been before 1t to
be obscured. That question was as to
the possibility of the creation and
duration of die atorship which
could make all the industries OF the
United States and the daily comfort of
millions dependent upon them hostages
for the granting of any fanatic whim Of
such fanatic dictator. Any subm ission
to him would have been long step in that
direction. and in the interest of every law
abiding citizen of the United States, was
not to be considered for moment.
"a few words are pertinent as 30 some
charges against the company. One of
these charges is that rents are exorbitant,
poyes have no choice but to submit. The
answer is simple. The average rental of
tenements at Pullman is at the rate of S3 a
room per month, and the renting of houses
at Pullman has no relation to work in the
shops. Employees may, and very many do.
own or rent their houses outside of the
town, and the buildings and business
places in the town are rented TO employees
or others in competition with neighboring
properties. In short, the renting business
of the Pullman Company is governed by
the same conditions which govern any
other large owner of real estate, except
that the company itself does directly some
things which in Chicago are assumed by
the city. If, therefore, it is not admitted
that the rents Of any landlord are TO be
| fixed by arbitration, and that those Of the
adjoining towns of Kenslngton and Rose
land should also be so fixed, it can hardly
be asked that the Pullman Company alone
| should abandon the ordinary rules which
govern persons in that relation.
Strenuous efforts have also been made
to create prejudice against the Pullman
Company by charges that its stock is
heavily watered. The Pullman Company
was organized twenty-seven years ago
with capital of 81, 100000, of which two
thirds represented the appraised value ol
it's cars then held by the three owners and
one-third represented the appraised value
of its franchises and existing contracts.
The company has grown until its sleep
ing-car service covers 125, 900 miles of rail.
way, or about three-fourths of the railway
systems in the country. and that increase
of service has necessitated an increase OF
its capital from time to time until it is
now $50, 100000. Every share of this in
crease has been offered to stockholders
and sold to them or to others in the ordi-
nary course of business at not less than
par, so that for every share of increase
outstanding the company has received
500 in cash. There are over 100000
stockholders of the company, of which
more than one-half are women and trus-
tees of estates. and the average holding OF
each stockholder is now eighty-six shares,
one-fiIth of them holding less than six
shares each"