The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1894-11-13
TELLING 1T ALL OVER
The Pullman Strike Commissioner
HaIs Their Say.
THEY BLAME THE COMPANY
But Meantime the Fellows Who
Struck Have Not Been Notified
That Their Wages Have Been
Raised Very Much.

strike in connection with the Pullman
trouble was made public to-day. The ~.
port, which 10 signed by Federal Labor
Commissioners Carol d. Wright and his
fellow investigators John d. Herman Of
New York and N. B. worthington Of mi.
nois, 10 addressed to President Cleveland
and abounds In passages which will at.
tract wide attention, particularly that
portion referring to the now famous Gen.
cral Manager association, an organisa-
tion OF high railway officials that encom-
passed the memorable defeat Of the
American Railway union. Tho report says
tho capitalization Of the "a railroads d.
rectly represented In the General Man.
agers' association was s2,l0e. .b52,Si7. The
number Of employees was 2zl,0o7. The
commission continues:
"This voluntary, unincorporated asso-
citation was formed In 1886. In its const,.
tuition the object Of the association II
stated to be the consideration Of tho
problems Of management arising from
or centering at Chioawo.' II further pro-
vides that all funds needed shall be
raised by assessment divided equally
among the members.' There orc no linn.
itations - to Considering Of problems Of
funds except the will Of the managers
and the resources Of the railroad corpora
tions.
"Untll June, 1884. the associations pos.
sibilities ~ strike fighter and wage ar.
bitrator lay dormant. Its roads fxsd the
Chicago scale for switchmen. covering
all the lines ct Chicago. In March, 1898.
the switchmen demanded more pay from
each road. The association concluded they
were paid enough-if anything too much.
The roads 90 informed the men. The
Switchmen's Mutual Aid association OF
North America wrote to Mr.. st. John. as
chairman, acquiescing. He, a. chair.
man Of tho General Managers' associa-
tion, concluded his reply % follows: The
association approves the course taken BY
your body and desires to deal fairly with
all its employees and believes our switch
men are receiving due confederation
ssThis seems to show" the report says,
''that the employees upon the assoclstion'l
roads, are treated % under subsection Il
the General Managers' association" and
the report after detailing the action Of th,
association In establishing agencies and
employing men, adds: "This was th,
| first time whom tho men upon each cid,
wero brought sharply face to face with
the fact that In questions % to wages
rules, ETC., each line was supported By q
combined railroads. This association
likewise prepared for its use elaborate
schedules Of wages paid upon the sntir,
lines Of the "a members. The proposes
objects Of these schedules was to lot sacl
road know what the other roads paid
| Finding men upon some lines urged IN
creases to correspond with the wages paid
elsewhere, the committee Of the associa
tion prepared and presented o uniform
schedule for al the membsrship roads. I
was deemed wise not to oct upon the re
port.
ut was distributed to the members Il
November, 1888. This distribution alon,
enabled the report to be used with ON
cheney a. an 'equAliser.' A. Q result dur
ing 1S93-it being then well understood O
to wages, ETC., IL was IN incident Of tn,
General Manager association to sssis
each road In case OF trouble over sucl
matters, one form Of assistance being 70
the association to secure men enough
through its agencies to take tho places o
all INSTRUMENTATION were here aut
there made on the different roads, tn,
tendency and effort apparently being Il
equaliss the pay on all lines.
at 10 admitted the action Of the assc
citation has great weight With outside line
and thus tends to establish ono uniform
scale throughout the country. The fur
ther single step Of admitting the lines NO
running into Chicago to membership
would certainly have the effect Of combin
ing all the railroads In wage contention
against all the employees thereon.
"The commission questions whether
any legal authority. statutory or other
wise, can DO found to justify some Of tn,
features OF the association which hs
como to light in this investigation. II W
regard Its practical working rather thai
its professions rs expressed In the cor
stitution, tho General Managers' associa
tion has no more standing In law than th
old Trunk Limo pool. It cannot corpor
ate because the railroad charters do no
authorize tho roads to form corporation
or associations to fix dates for service
and wages, nor to force their acceptance
/ uOT 10 O0ttho WIN oNiACGDs ~ - u uBuk
patton of power not granted, IL such q
association is necessary from bushes
or economic standpoint, the right to foru
and maintain it must come from tho stat
that granted its charter. In theory, th
corporations are limited 10 tho power
granted, either directly or by clear In
ference. We do not think tho power ha
been granted In either way In thi
case. Tho association is an 4
lustration Of tho persistent an
shrewdly disguised plan OF corporation
to overreach their limitations aud {
usurp indirectly powers and rights nc
contemplated in their charters and nc
obtainable from the people or their legi.
laturcs. An extension of this association
as above suggested. and tho proposed Il
Gaiization OF pooling would result In a
aggregation of power and capital danger
Gus to the people and their liberties a
well as 20 their employees rights. Th
question would then certainly arise as t
which shall control. the government G
the railroads. and the end would ineyitabl
be government ownership. Unless read
for that result and all that 1t implies III
government must restrain the corpora
tons within their law and prevent thcr