The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-11-13

issor "a "a. American Railway Union
ss<rn. arroxsst ard absurd shsa vs con-
ssd~r ffs standing under the lsa and iss as
snmpfsons. aud its past and obviously
eont<mpl plated future zctson-
Taxing Up the s1biect Of the Puiimsa
Yalacs Car Company. the report says
YvLIxAx AND MS TOWN.
aThf. IA a corporation organized IN 1877.
With . capital Of 81 90. oo0. 10 has srosn
until its present paid mp capital - $3.50
90. It's prosperity has enso'sa ne so1n-
rany for over twenty years 70 pay Per
cent. auarteriy dividends, and IN sd1islon
20 lay up . Surplus Of nearly sZseo,Vo o.
undivided profits.
Speaking Of the town OF Pullman, OF
which the report says the company 10
owner and landlord. the commission says
.sThe principal ehErrb and its parsonage
are very attractive structures. put often
no. ocnspted because the rentsl required
n higher than ANY church socisfy SHs-
rng to nav 20 obtain tire Iospei pFIssiegss
thereby secured. In the arcade - . tasse.
faf eolsect5os Of books. carsfuiiy selected
snd cared for by the company. infss
doll.rs PER year 10 charged for its use ana
N many AZ 20 persons year out OF 4,ooo
"a 600, employees and residents have at
times. a. stated py the Librarian IN c5srge.
avalied themselves Of It's opportunifiss- ~
Is possible that the air Of business streuy
m ain attained there. - slsewhsrs, ana tneiS
ere,u~!on from any part in It's manage
m~us. rreysut more universal and Rr1ssfaA
Accordance Of its advantages by the en-
ployes. As ruls employees prefer inde-
pendence TO paternalism In sncn masters:
''Ths company pays physician Ana
surgeon by the year 20 furnAsh 20 lata'eu
tr~o trra@f
Il ia. however, also part Of bis employ
men. 20 secure from the injured party
written statement as to the cause OF injury.
and IL il his custom to urge The acceptance
OF any offered settlement IL suit foafows
the doctor is usually witness Tor the COM
many We have no evidence that the doc
Tor hiss ever abused his confidential rssa-
tons toward the niured employees. but the
aysten Is sdmirseie, conceived from .
business staDdpoi 10 seizure IS speeduy
a. possible q settlement Of claims for dam
agss upon the terms offered By the COM
pany 10 protect the company from ltiga-
ton and its results.
.sAs > result OF the Pullman system and
its growth, when the depression Of 1888
came, morally calling for mutual conces-
sons AZ 10 wages, rents, ETC., We End on
the one side very wealthy and unyield-
ing corporation. and upon the other
maltitude of employees. who were compar-
bat without any local attachments or any
interested responsibility in the town, its
business tenements or surroundings
rArKgxAIisM M CORPORATION.
.Ths conditions created At Pullman en-
able the management AZ ali times TO assert
with great vsgor Its assumed right 10 hx
wages and rent absolutely, and TO repress
that sort Of Independence which leads TO
labor organizations and their attempts a.
- ENlk ~ IN
the other hand, IL IS an economic principsi
generally recognized that the shutting
down of such place and the scattering Of
its forces usually results In greater loss
than that exhibited by the continuance OF
business. The Pullman company could
hardly shut down for seven and half
months az cost and loss OF less than
per cent upon its capital and surplus.
ITO continue RAINING was for its obvi-
Gus and fair advantage, so long as u could
divide losse. equally With its labor. The
men ut Pullman claim that the company.
during 1898 and isst set the pay through
experts so that with their forced loss Of
time an average man could earn little
more than the rent of his house. owned by
the company The company alleges that
Il simply readiustsd the prices OF piece
work to suit the necessities OF the times.
9ome witnesses swear that at times for the
work done In two weeks they received in
NJ
their rent. The company has not pro-
duced Its checks In rsbuttai.
"During ell Of this reduction and its
attendant suffering. none OF tho salaries
of the officers, Managers or superintsnd-
ents were reduced. Reductions in those
would not have been 30 severely felt:
would have shown good faith; would
have relieved the harshness Of the situa-
ton, and would hare evinced genuine
sympathy with the laborer In the disasters
Of the times.
ia Its statements 10 the public, which
ara in evidences, ths company represents
that its object In all IL did vas 10 continue
operations for the benefit OF its working
men and Of the trades people in and about
Pullman. and to spare the public from the
annoyance OF interrupted travel. The
commission thinks the evidences showed
that 10 sought TO keen running mainly for
It's own benefit ~ manufacturer; that its
plant might not rust: that its competitors
might not invade its territory: that 10
might keep its cars in repair: that IL might
be ready for resumption. when business
revived, with q tive plant aud competent
help. and that Its revenue from its tene-
msnts might continue.
wAaxs KarKs ~ Bx Rxxr.
.'lf We exclude the esthstie and sanitary
features a. Pullman. the rents there are
from % To IS per cent higher than rents in
liar accommodations. The esthetIo fea-
lures are admired By visitors, but have lit
sie money value 20 employees. especially
when they lack bread. The company
makes ell repairs. and heretofore has not
compelled the tenants 10 pay tor them.
Under the printed leases. however. which
tenants must sign. they agree TO pay for
cary, ordinary wear and damages
by the elements not excepted, or
which the company chooses 10 make.
The company's claim that the workmen
need not hire tts fenefnents. and can live
slsew here u they choose. Is not entirely
tenahls. The fear of losing work keeps
them in Pullman ~ long as there are ten
emenss unoccupied. because the company
Is supposed. a. q matter Of business. 10
give preferences TO It's tenants when work
10 slack
.whils reducing wages the company
m AIDE no reduction in rents. Its position
IL that the two matters are distinct. and
that none Of the justifytqE wage redue-
items by 10 IS an employer can be consld-
cred by the com pany as y landlord. The
company claims that 10 Is simply lesisi-
mate business TO use its position and re-
sources 20 hire in tho labor market as
shcanly as possible, and at the same time 10
keep up rents. regardless of what wages
arc paid 20 its tenants or what similar ten
efnents rent for elsew heres 20 avail itself
20 the full extent Of the business depres-
sion and competition In reduction OF
wages and To disregard these same eondl.
tiens as IN rents. No valid reason IL
signed fer this position. except simply
that the company had the power aad the
legal right 90 do IL Prior 90 the so-caliet
truck law Ia Illinois, the rent was de-
Quoted from the wages. Since then =
check ~ givsa for the amount OF the rens
and another for the balance due Tor wages
Thera IL nothing 20 prnvsp4 the pav~@ NJ