The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-11-13

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corporations 10 oysrEsaSh snsr nmrsas.ons
and ID ussEP indirectly powers add rights
pot contsmPla ID tlieir charters and not
pbtainabie from the people or their legis-
tators. An extension Of this association
md the proposed legsiizing Of pooling
would result in an aggregation Of power
and capital dangerous to the people and
their liberties, as we'll as to employees and
their rights. The question would then
certainly arise as to which shall control,
the government or the railroads, and the
end would inevitably be government own
ership. So long as railroads arerthus per
mitted to combine to fix wages 1t would
be rank inju ice to deny the right Of all
labor upon railroads to unite for similar
purposes.
Railroads Set the Example.
II should be noted that until the rail-
roads set the example a general union Of
railroad employees was never attempted.
The unions had not gone beyond enlisting
the men upoi different systems In separ-
ate trade organizations. These neutralize
and check each other to some extent and
have no suoh scope or capacity for good or
evil as Is possible under the universal
combination inaugurated by the railroads
and followed by the American Railway
union. The refusal of the General Man
ayers association to recognize and deal
with such combination OF labor as the
American Railway union seems arrogant
and absurd when It's standing under tho
law, its assumptions, its past and OBJ
vfously contemplated future action are
considered
Taking up the subject Of the Pullman
Palace Car company, the report says:
This is a corporation organized in 1867
with a capital of 81 900, 900. Its prosperity
has enabled the company for over twenty
years to pay 2 per cent quarterly divi-
dends, and in addition to lay up surplus
OF nearly S25, 600 900 OF undivided profits.
Discussing the Pullman. Company.
Speaking of the town Of Pullman, Of
which tho report states the company is
owner and landlord, the commission says:
"The principal church and its parsonage
are very attractive structures, but are not
often occupied because the rental required
Is higher than any church society is will
Ing to pay to obtain the gospel privileges
to be thereby secured In the arcade is q
tasteful library of books, carefully selected
ana cared for by the company. Three dol
lars per year Is charged for its use, and as
many as ESQ persons year, out of from
4,OOo to b, OO0employes and residents, have
at times awaited themselves of its opportu-
mites. 1t is possible that the air of bust
ness strictly maintained there as else
where, and their exclusion from any part
In its management, prevent that universal
and grateful acceptance of its advantages
by employees. Men as q rule, even when
employees, prefer independence to paternal-
ism in such matters.
The company provides and pays a ply
stefan and surgeon by the year to furnish
to injured employees necessary treatment
and drugs, 1t is, however, also part of
his employment to secure from the in
jured party written statement as to the
injury, and 1t is his custom to urge the
acceptance of any offered settlement. If
suit follows the doctor is usually witness
for the company. We have no evidence
that the doctor has ever abused his conf
DENTAL relation toward the injured en-
ployes, but the system is admirably con-
celved from business standpoint to Sc
cure speedy settlement of claims for dam
ages upon terms offered by the company
and to protect the company from litiga-
ton and its results.
Result of the Pullman System.
As the result of the Pullman system
and its growth, when the depression of 1898
came, morally calling for mutual conces-
sions as to wages, rents, ETC., we find on
the one side very wealthy and unyield-
ing corporation, and on the other side n
multitude of employees of comparatively
excellent character, but without local at
tachments or any interested responsibility
In the town, its business, tenements or
surroundings. The conditions created at
Pullman enable the management at all
times to assert with great vigor its as
sumed right to fix it's rents absolutely,
and to repress that sort of independence
which leads to labor organizations and
their attempts at mediation, arbtrations,
strikes, etc.
The men at Pullman claim that the
company during 1s93-94 set the pace
through experts, so that with their forced
loss of time an average man could earn
little more than the rent of his home,
owned by the company. The company al.
leges that it simply adjusted piece work
prices to suit the necessities of the times.
Some witnesses swear that at times for
the work done in two weeks they received
In checks from four cents to 81 over and
above their rent. The company have not
produced its checks in rebuttal.
During all of this reduction and its at
tendant sufferings none of the salaries of
the officers managers or superntendents
were reduced. Reductions in these would
not have been so severely felt, would have
shown good faith, would have relieved the
harshness of the situation, and would
have given evidence of genuine sympathy
with labor in the disasters of the times.
In its statements to the public which
are in evidence, the company represents
that its object in all 1t did was to continue
operations for the benefit of its workmen
and of the trades people In and about Pull /
man, and to save the public from the an
noyanee of interrupted travel. The COM
mission thinks that the evidence shows
that 1t sought to keep running mainly for
Its own benefit as a manufacturer.
Hungry Men Cannot Admire.
II we exclude the aesthetic and sanitary
at Pullman, the rents there are
from 90 to 20 per cent. higher than rents in
Chicago or surrounding towns for similar
accommodations The aesthetic features
are admired by visitors, but have little
money value to employees, and especially
when they lack bread.
The company's claim that the workmen
need not hire its tenants and can live else
where II they choose is not entirely ten
able, The fear of losing work keeps them
In Pullman as long as there are tenements
unoceupied, because the company is sup
posed, us a matter of business, to give
preference to its tenants when work ia
slack.
The company claims that 1t is simply
legitimate business to use its position and
resources to hire in the labor market as
,heaply us possible, and at the same time
10 keep rents up, regardless of what wages
are paid to its tenants, to avail itself to
The full extent of business depression and
in paying wages and to dis
'egard these same conditions as to rents,
No valid reason is assigned for this posi-
Jon except that the company had the
power and legal right to do 1t.
The reductions at Pullman after Sem