Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-19
STORY OF PULLMAN
Inside Facts of the Strike Brought
to Light. $685..
WHY THE MEN DECIDED TO GO OUT
Non-Reduction of Rent the Great
Grievance.
WHAT A MAN CAN EARN

w N "A
The story of Pullman has often been told,
says correspondent of the Boston Tray
eler. The Independent life and character of
the town; the courageous scheme that was
developed in it's building; the beauty of
architecture displayed; the symmetry of
purpose and design evolved in the con-
structicn of its vast shops; the paving and
gardening of its generous acres; the ar
rangement of its many homes for working
men; its stores, libraries, churches and
schools; in fine. the ideality of a self-sup-
porting community. providing every want
of civilization-all this has been described
in numerous articles by the magazine theo-
rists.
But today these happy pictures of an in
dustrial Arcadia seem but grim cartoons.
The real Pullman is the saddest place in
America. The shops are .silent. the stores
are deserted. the population is organized
into mob of indictments and the once
peaceful grounds are invaded by a regiment
of soliiers.
Such dismal ending of great plan
Pullman which have not been told The
present strike is bringing out some start
ling facts, but even these have been so dis
torted and inaccurate that the public mind
has been unable to grasp the real issue in
volved.
The secret cause which led to the Pullman
boycott has never been printed. To be sure,
the grievances were many, and some of
them have been correctly reviewed, but the
chief complaint of the employees has never
been comprehensively presented
The pretended scale of wages" at Pull
m no.
years. 1t has made no difference 10 the
employees what the schedule was The re-
ductions have been accompanied by means
OF cut In the prices paid for piece work.
and the rate of pay per hour has had little
or nothing to do with the matter. This rate
or pay was originally based upon day work,
ana day work was practically abandoned
by the Pullman Company years ago.
Causes of the Strike.
The real cause of the strike may be
clearly stated as follows: In November.
1885, the Pullman Company YVES paying It's
skilled mechanics an average of % cents per
hour for piece work. In other words, It was
so gauging the prices allowed for the differ
ent pieces of work turned over to such en-
pioyes that they were able to make about
IS cents an hour. or $3.50 a day. Some of
them. indeed. could work So rapidly that
they succeeded in earning FROM ~ IL to rs
cents an hour. or from S. - to S. 80 a day.''
For example: When the company had a
piece OF inside finishing on a parlor car to
De DOL ne local marager or one Of the de-
partner, bosses would estimate the time II
would require to complete the work and
allowing % cents an hour for the labor
would let out the contract 70 4 gang of men
who could make more or less than the cal
culated wages. according as they worked
fast or slow. 1t will then be seen that the
scale OF wages might very easily be kept at
- cents per hour and the price offered for
the work itself so reduced that the men
could not possibly earn the preten led pay
1t Is necessary to understand these facts TO
appreciate the real grievance of the Pull
man employees. -
The first cut in wages came In November,
lSS. when the company announced that on
and after that date It would allow no man
In the shops to earn more than .! I-2 cents
per hour.
This meant a much greater reduction than
II seems. 1t meant that the prices allowe1
for doing all classes of piece work by the
expert mechanics would be so fixed that no
matter how hard a man worked he could
not possibly earn more than s.. IS ,er DAY.
II he earned more han thas amount he
could not collect It.
1t must be borne in mind. also, that the
company did not guarantee steady work
even upon these conditions. hut frequently
laid of the men for several days AT a time
with the statement that they were too far
ahead with the particullr class of work In
which the suspended emp:oye was engaged
No Complaint mt First.
No complaint was made against the first
reduction In wages at Pullman The next
ono came in February. 1894 when the
scale OF prices was so adjusted that the
best workman was limited to 20 cents an
hour. or s. day. This, OF course, was the
maximum amount earned after February
The ordinary workman operating under the
new schedule could not make over 81 30 to
SIZE per day, and the inferior mechanics
and common laborers never at any time
drew more than 81 % for ten hours work.
1t was at this time that the men began to
organize. and to discuss a remedy for their
grievances. Until February, 1894. there
had never been any union of the Pullman
employees. Every attempt at organization
had been defeated by the managers. and
those engaged in the effort had been dis
charged.
Even now the leaders discouraged ex-
tremes and counseled patience. Finally.
however. another cut was made reducing
the maximum wages for skilled mechanics
TO 10 and later to IL cents an hour. But
this was not all. Although the pretended
scale OF wages was hxed at IL cents an
hour. the prices allowed for the piece work
were 50 reduced that the actual cut was
really to and 10 cents an hour or in
some cases to as little as 15 cents a day.
This was the point at which forbearance
could no longer prevail. The works became
perfect bedlam of excitement. Scarcely
man in the shops was making enough
money to pay his rent. Nearly all were
greatly indebted to the stores and starva-
ton was staring them out of countenance
In the meantime about one-third had Joined
the American Railway Union. and in April
they began to hold meetings for the dis
cussion of their troubles.
The merchants had just adopted a rule
not TO trust any employe longer than fif-
teen days, and in the awful times Of suf-
ferins this was like a lighted torch in a
powder house. The men determined to act al
once. The result of their conferences with
Managers Brown and Middleton. and the
final ref, sal of George NJ. Pullman and
Vice President Wilkes TO arbitrate the diff
ferences or consider the demands Of the
employees for more pay or less rent are we'll
known.
Notwithstanding a positive promise that
no member of the committee asking for
conferences should lie discharged. 1t is as
serted by the men that several of their
number were denied work in the shops
because they had presumed to seek the
right of arbitration.
On the night OF Nay 10 the strike was
ordered. and the great fight began.
Such is a brief story OF the events which
produced the present widespread conflict