The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1894-09-01
TO EARN DIVIDENDS
Wicks of the Pullman Company
Before the Commission.
HAVE BEEN NO EMOTIONS YET
A Denial That the Pullman Company EN-
pioyes Were Compelled to Rent
the Company's Dwellings.

CHICAGO, Aug. 28.-At the investi-
CATION of The Pullman strike by the ma
tional commission to-day Chauncey
Kelsey of the Chicago & Alton road
testified that the loss sustained by that
road during the strike was $3.50, $50.
The Chicago & Eastern Illinois report
ed $2l0. 800 loss; the Chicago, Burliug.
ton & Quincy Sl5O.0OO in. the destruc-
ton of its property. with other losses
not tabulated.
Charles E. Webb, chief clerk of the
bank at Pullman, testified that Jenn
Curtis, who claimed that she was COM
PEELED to pay back rent, had paid VOL
UNFAIRLY.
Wickes on the Stand.
Then Vice President Wickes took
the stand. He said the cost 10 the
company by the burning of cars under
contract at the time of the strike was
about 81, 400, 600. The labor would cost
about $24O, 1000.
Contracts were taken on basis Of q
reduction of 20 per cent. Thus under
the old prices the labor would cost
about $340, OO0. Wickes admitted that
on this basis the company had reduced
receipts $4,000 and the employee
wages $4,000. Thi'. Vice President
Wickes said, looked hardly fair. but he
thought it much better than TO throw
the men entirely out of employment.
In answer to the chairman. Wickes
said the cut In pay had heen made to
fit the depression in business and the
low selling price of cars. and not to
stop any entertainments on the profits
paid stockholders.
The surplus of $25. 900. 900 undivided
Profits consisted partly of idle cars,
hose value was constantly deteriorat.
ing. The cost of the cars was counted
In the surplus. so there was to some ex-
tent a fictitious surplus.
Worlds Fair Did Not Help.
Wickes eatd that the worlds fair, In
his opinion, did not do his company
any particular good. The company
spent $4,000. 600 in building new cars
for the fair traffic. and the traff1, was
not nearly so large as was expected.
He thought that the fair work had
something 10 DO with the cause of the
strike. When the rush was over,
prices went down 10 bed rock aud the
men. were dissatisfied. He did not
think h voluntary division Of the profits
in prosperous times would he better
than the present system. It would not
be fair to the stock holders to so divide
the profits.
MI. Wickes said the amount of lack
rent due the company from the strikers
was 500, 600. No evictions had been
made and there had been no orders
tor eviction. Very little effort bad
been made te collect the rent. He said
the company had contracts with
the roads that lis cars ran over. about
three-fourths of all the mileage in the
country. In the territory covered by
contracts the Pullman company had a
monopoly.
Not Compelled to Rent.
Wickes denied that Pullman EN-.
ployes were compelled TO rent the com.
pany's dwellings. He said that lie
did not believe that the principle Of ar
bitration could be applied to man in
| the operation Of his business. A mat
ter Of opinion was open to arbitration,
but not the matter Of man running
his own business. The witness was
questioned as to salaries paid to officers
Tut declined to answer.
General Miles Testifies.
General Nelson A. Miles took the
stand after lunch. He denied fatty
the story that on his arrival here from
Washington he had consulted with thu
general managers. On July 2, wher
the conference was said to have beer
held, he was in Washington, and hi
arrived here on July 4. When asked
If it was true that he had declared tina
he had broken the backbone of th'
strike, the general said that was no
quite exact. What he said was:tbat h
mad broken the backbone Of the oppo-
sition to the federal troops. The com
missioners wanted to know If tn
troops forced railroad men to work q
the point of bayonets. General Mile
said that while this might have hap
pened in some instances. he had no
been aware of 1t and had not 'ssue'
orders to that effect. He said he knew
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