The Bessemer indicator., 1894-11-17
THE RAILWAY STRIKE
AN EXHAUSTIVE REVIEW.
The Government Commission Reports to
Congress Its Conclusions Upon the
Causes and the Responsibility for
Them.

Pullman trouble was made public yes
tcrdny. The report. which is signed 10y
the federal labor commissioner. Car
roll d, Wright, and his fellow investi-
gators, John u. Keruan of New York
and Nicholas Il. Worthington of I'LL
nois, is addressed 10 Prcst Cleveland
and abounds in passages which will at
tract wide attention, particularly the
portion referring TO the now famous
General Managers association. the or
c;lnization Of high railway officials that
encumpaSsed the memorable defeat of
the American Railway union.
The commission questions whether
any legal authority. statutory or other
wise, can be found to justify some of
the features of the association which
have come to light in this investigation
IF we regard its practical workings.
rarhcr than its professions. AS express
ed in its constitution. the General Man
ayers association has no more standing
in law than the old trunk line pool II
cannot Incorporate. because railroad
charters do not authorize roads TO
form corporations or associations TO iiN
rates for services and wages. nor to
force their acceptance. nor to battle
with strikers. II is usurpaiion of pow
pr not granted If such an association
is necessary from business or econ
omic standpoint. the right 10 form
and maintain 1t must come from the
state that granted its charter. In the
Dry, corporations are limited to the
powers granted either directly or by
clear Inference. We do not think the
power has been granted in either way
in this case. The association is an IL
lustration of the persistent and shrewd-
ly disguised plan Of corporations to
Dyer-relch their limitations and 10
usurp Indirectly powers and rights not
contemplated in their charters and not
obtainable from the people or their leg
iSlatures."
The report discusses at length the
conditions prevailing at Pullman. 1t
says:
I'm its statements TO the public which
are in evidence. the company repre-
sents that its object in all 1t dld was
10 continue operations for the benefit
OF its workmcu and Of trades people i'll
and about Pullman. and 10 save the
public from annoyance of interrupted
travel The commission thinks the owl
dence shows that it sought To keep run
ming mainly for its own benefit as
manufacturer: that lis plant mi.Gt
not rust, that its competitors might
not invade its territory. thar 1t might
be ready for resumption when business
revived with a live plant and compel
eut help, and that its revenue from its
tcupmcutS might continue. II we eN-
cluae aesthetic and sanitary features
at Pullman, the rents there are frOrl
% to - per cent higher than rents III
Chicago or surrounding towns for sim
liar accommodations. The aesthetic
features are admired by visitors but
have little money value to employees,
when they lack bread. The
company makes all repairs and here
toforc has not compelled tenants to pay
for them. Under the printed leases
however. which tenants must sign. they
agree to pay for all repairs which are
either necessary Ordinary wear and
damages by the elements not exceptcd.l
or which the company chooses TO make.
THE company's claim that the work
men need not hire its tcncmcnts and
can live elsewhere If they choose is not
entirely tcnable The fear of losing
work keeps them in Pullman as long
as there are tcnemcnts unoccupicd, be
ucase the company is supposed rs 4
matter Of business to give preference to
its tenants when work Is slack. While
reducing wages the company made no
reduction in rents. Its position is that
the two matters are distinct and that
none Of the reasons urged as justifyng
wage reduction by it as an employer
can be considered by the company as Il
landlord.
As 10 the great railway strike proper
the report says:
1T is apparent that the readiness to
strike Sympathetically was promoted
by the disturbed and apprrhcnslye con
ditiou of railroad employees, resulting
from wage reductions on different lines
etc, and from the recent
growth of the General Managers As
sociatiUn. which seemed to them
menace
Further on the report says:
.'It is seriously questioned. and with
much force, whether courts have juriS-
dictfon 10 enioin citizens from .persuad-
ing each other in industrial or other
matters of common interest However.
it is generally recognized among good
that mandate of court is To
be Obcyed until It is modified and cor
rectcd by the court that issued It,"
The policy, the report says, Of both
the Pullman company and the railway
association In reference to
applications to arbitrate closed the door
to all attempts Mt Cancellation and set-
tlcmrnt of differences. The commission
is impressed with the belief, by the evil
lencn and by the attendant circumstan-
COS as disclosed, that n different policy
would have prevented the loss of lir"
and great loss of property and wages
occasioued by the strike. The report
declares the arrival of the troops ut
Chicago was opportnue and says that
policemen sympathized with strikers
rather than with the corporations can
not be doubted, nor would it be sur
prising 10 find the same sentiment rife
the military. These forces are
largely recruited from the laboring
classes. Indeed the danger is growing
that in strike wars between CORPORA.
tions and employees, military duty will
have to be done by others
than volunteers from labor ranks
United States deputy mnrshals to tile
number of 5000 Were selected by and
appointed at the request Of the Gener-
al Managers association and Of It's rail
roads. They were armed and paid by
the railroads. and acted in the double
capacity of railroad employees and Unit
ed States officers. While operating tha
railroads they assumed and exercised
United States authority
when 50 ordered by their employers,
or whenever they regarded it as nee.
cssary. They were not under the direct
control of any government official while
exercising authority. This is placing
officers of the government under cor
troll of a combination of railroads 1t is
a bad precedent that might well lead
to serious consequences.
In conclusion. the commission says:
"rhc commission contends that law
should make it obligatory upon some
public tribunal to intervene by means
of investigation and conciliation and
to report whenever difficulty of the