Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-08-02
PuILMAN's CAR CONTRACTS.
How and Why He Secured Them--A
Talk with Mr.. Fisk.

1 'N'N anu w ny re Htturtu IQem-A
Talk with Mr.. Fisk.
Local interest In the now celebrated
ear contract which was one of the
causes leading UP to the great Pull
man strike Is heightened by the fact
that The WATSON car company was ono
OF the bidders for the work, says the
Springiield, Mass, Republican George
y, task, president OF the Brightwood
| company, III conversation yesterday.
made some interesting statements
about the matter. He said that the
contract IN question, for building Is
ears Tor the Long Island railroad.
came on the market at time when
there was absolutely no other biz lob
In sight and of course there was the
most active competition among the
car builders OF the country to secure
IT, The WATSON company made bid
TOR the construction of 40 cars al thu
lowest possible rate, the office work
ana the use OF the shops being wholly
discounted In the bid, and cut OF 10
per cent. this with the knowledge and
consent Of the employees bel,lg made
III the price of the labor This cut
OF 10 per cent. was afterward made
~ the employees knowing the fact
ana eonscnting to the further reduc.
tion or course, he said, this was sim
ply done to keep the shops running
and the men employed. But the com.
panys agent In New York was told
that no matter what price was made
me work would so to Pullman ana
SO II did eventually. Mr.. FISK said
that Pultman's bid was In REALITY. con-
sldering the cost Of moving the cars
east, about $I00 less than the Wason
eompany's bid, and so Ii Is evident at
what loss the manufacture of the
ears has been conducted Mr.. Fisk did
not wish to express an opinion about
Mr.. Pullmans action in the whole
matter, but contented himself by saw
ing that employees should always be
consulted about any reduction of
wages, and that arbitration was the
best method of settling labor Difficult.
! ties.
Now we viii quote from an Inter-
| view with Mr.. Pullman in which no
goes over the ground covered by Mr..
| Fisk. He said At the commence.
ment OF the serious depression last
year we were employing at pullman
o,S16 men aud paying out In wages
there 100000 month. Negotiations
with intending purchasers OF railway
equipment that We're then pending for
new work were stopped by them, Or
ders already given by others were
Cancelled, and we were obliged to lay
Off large number OF men IA every
department, SO that by November 1,
1923, there were only about 1000 men
In all departments, or about one third
OF the normal number. / realized the
necessity for the most strenuous exer-
tons to procure work Immediately,
without which there would be great
embarrassment, not only to the ecl-
ployes and their families at Pullman,
but also TO those living In the imme-
dlate vicinity, including between 700
and 500 employees, who had purchased
homes and TO whom employment was
actually necessary to enable them 70
complete their payments. ] canyassed
the matter thoroughly with the man
ager of the works, and the result Of
this discussion was revision In
plece-work prices, which, In the alb
sence of any information 70 the con-
trary, | supposed to be acceptable to
the men under the circumstances.
Under these conditions, and with
lower prices upon all materials, l per.
sonally undertook the work OF the let
ting Of cars, and by making lower
| bids than other manufacturers, | Sc
cured workc nough tL gradually In
crease our force from 900 up TO
about 1900, the number employed.
according to the April pay-rols, In all
capacities at Pullman. The result has
not been accomplished merely by re-
ductlon III wages, but the company
has borne its full share by eliminating
from Its estimates the use Of capital
and machinery, and, In many cases,
even going below that and taking
work ut considerable loss