Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-13
THE STRIKE REPORT
Continued from Eighth Page)

Continued from Eighth Page)
other roads paid 1t is admitted that the
action of the association has great weight
with outside lines, and thus tends to es-
tablish one uniform scale throughout the
country.
THE commission questions whether any
legal authority, statutory or otherwise 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 rather than its profess
sions as expressed in its constitution, the
General Managers Association has no more
standing in law than the old Trunk Line
Pool. 1t cannot incorporate, because rail-
road charters do not authorize roads to
form corporations or associations TO NIX
rates for services and wages, nor to force
their acceptance, nor to battle with strik-
ers. 1t is a usurpation of power not grant
ed. The association Is an illustration OF
the persistent and shrewdly devised plans
of corporations to overreach their limita-
tons and TO usurp indirectly powers ana
rights not contemplated in their charters
and not obtainabie from the people or
their legislators"
Greater Loss on Labor.
Under the caption THE Pullman Strike.
It's Causes and Effects" the report says:
''Pullmans Palace Car Company is in the
market at all times to obtain all possible
| contracts to build cars. Its relations with
railroads. its large capital and surplus, it's
| complete and well-located plant and eff
cient management enable II at all times to
meet all competitors on at least equal
terms. Prior TO the business depression of
| 1898 the company was unusually active In
| building new cars for itself and for rail-
roads to meet the expanded demands of
| general business, and for the expected re-
quirements of the Columbian exposition
| traffic. Its repair department was also full
| of work. An average number of 4,497
\
! 1893. earned 81, $50, 54S99. or an average of
| $6l3.S6 each. The wages paid were about
| the same as paid elsewhere in the business
Mr.. Wickes thinks possibly a little higher
The depression of 1893 naturally affected
the business at once, ana to a greater ex-
| tent In some departments than in others.
Matters grew worse until, in the fall of
1893, the company closed its Detroit shops,
and concentrated it's repair and contract
| business at Pullman. ..-.t
| 'Frcm September Is, 1893, until May /,
1884. the company did contract work at the
price Of 81, 42l ,2U5.75, which was So O69. 03,
or 1868 per cent below shop cost for Labor
| srd materials. Against this the less to labor
by the reduction OF wages paid on this work
\ was over 100000. making the wages of June,
| 1873, the basis OF comparison. 1t also had
| S1,3o4 ,2t6.Of Of UnacC epted bids. Upon which
| Its similar loss would have been SIS, 33. So,
or 1.o5 per cent. Assuming th2t the analy-
sis submitted as to .he cost of several lots
| of cars affords a fair basis for av eraging
| the whole of the contracts, Ii appears that
the average Percentage of cost of material
| in this contract work was about - per
cent. Hence, while the amount of loss-was
| nearly equally divided, 1T seems that the
| percentage of loss borne by labor in the
duction of wages was much greater than
| that sustained by the company upon ma
| terfal. Three-quarters of the loss for the
company and the balance for labor would
have more fairly equalized the division of
loss on these contracts.
Treatment of Employees.
The cut in wages during this period aver
aged about % per cent, and was reached in
two Ways: ..-..---.s &C. &c..
First, by reducing the price paid for
piecework, upon which $500 men are nor
mally employed. This price is claimed to
be based upon what competent workman
can do in day. 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.
Second, by reducing the pay in the re-
| pair shops employing about 800, to cor
respond with the contract-work prices. The
main reason given for this reduction was
| that wages mustsbe kept uniform.
| THE earnings Of employees at Pullman
| were reduced by these means and by less
| ening the amount of work, as appears in
/ the table accompanying the report:
/ During all of this reduction and its at
| tendant suffering none of the salaries of
| the officers, managers, or superintendent
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
| evinced genuine sympathy with labor in
| the disasters of the times. ~
| Company Refused to Yield.
THE reductions at Pullman after Septem-
Der, 1893, were the result of conferences
| among the managers; the employees for the
| first time knew of them when they took
| effect. No explanations or conferences took
| place until May and 8 in regard thereto
| between the employees and the officers of
| the company. For the reasons stated the
| employees at Pullman were, during the win
| ter, in a state of chronic discomfort. The
| demand of the employees for the wages of
| June, $685. was clearly unjustifable. The
| business in May, 1884, could not pay the
| wages of June, 1893. Reduction was car
ried to excess. but the company was hardly
more at fault therein than were the en-
| ployes in insisting upon the wages of June,
| 1898. There was little discussion as to
| rents, the company maintaining that its
| rents had nothing to do with its wages
| and that it's revenue from its tenements
| was no greater than it ought to receive.
| The company had a legal right to take
| this position but as between man and man
/ the demand for some rent reduction was
| fair and reasonable under all the circum-
| stances. Some slight concession in this re-
gard would probably. have ayerted the
| strike, provided the promise not to dis
| charge men who served upon the committee
| had been more strictly regarded
| ION the evening of May 10 the local
| unions met and voted to strike at once.
| The strike occurred on May IL. and from
| that time until the soldiers went to Pull
| man, about July 4. three hundred strikers
| were placed about the companys property,
| professedly to guard 1t from destruction
| or interference. This guarding of prop
| erty in strikes is, as a rule, a mere
| pretense. The strikers at Pullman are
| entitled to be believed to the contrary in
| this matter, because of their CONDUCT and
| forbearance after May H. 1t is In evil
| dence, and uncontradicted, that no vio-
| lence or destruction of property by strik-
| ers or sympathizers took place at Pullman,
| and that until July no extraordinary pro-
| lection was had from the police or military
| against even anticipated disorder
| such dignified, manly, and conservative
| conduct in the midst of excitement and
| threatened starvation is worthy of the
| highest type of American citizenship, and
| with like prudence in all other directions
| will result in due time in the lawful and
| orderly redress of labor wrongs. To deny
| this is to forswear patriotism and to de-
| clare this government and Its people d
| failure
The Strike Ordered.
| (ytyfc Eadera tiop Sn01aotad +b,t