The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-11-14

use, and as many $50 persons year out
| OF from 1900 to 5000 employees and residents
nave at times, as stated by the librarian in
/ charge, availed themselves of its opportu-
| mites. 1t is possible that the air of bust
ness strictly main tanned, here as elsewhere,
ana their exclusion from any part of its
| management, prevent more universal and
| grateful acceptance of its advantages by
employees. Men as lule, even when en-
| pioyes, prefer independence to paterna1ism
/ in such matters
| The company provides and pays a ply
| slclan and surgeon by the year to furnish
| injured employees necessary treatment and
| drugs. 1t is however, also a part of his
| employment TO secure from the injured par
| ~ written statement as to the causes of
| INJURY, and 1t is his custom to urge the ac-
| ceptance of any offer of settlement. If suit
follows the doctor is usually witness for
| the company. We have no evidence that
| the doctor has ever abused his confidential
| relation toward the injured employees, but
| the system is admirably conceived from
| business standpoint, to secure speedy set
| tlement of claims for damages upon terms
| OFFERED BY THE COMPANY
| and to protect the company from litigation
| and its results.
! las the result of the Pullman system and
| its growth, when the depression of 1893
| came, morally calling for mutual conces-
sions as to wages, rents. etc, we find ON the
one side a very wealthy and unyieIding
|
! or employees of comparatively excellent
| character and skill. nut without local at
tachments or any interested responsibility
| i'll the town, its business. tenements or
| surroundings. The conditions created at
| Pullman enable the management at all
| times to assert with great vigor it's assumed
| right to fix wages and rents, absolutely,
| and TO repress that sort of independence
| which leads to labor organizations and their
| attempts at media ton, arbitration, strikes,
| etc. On the other hand. it is an economic
i principle generally recognized that the shut
| ting down of such plant and the scatter
ing of its forces usually result in greater
| loss than that exhibited by the continuance
| OF business The Pullman company could
hardly shut down for seven and a half
months at a cost and loss of less than one
per cent on its capital and surplus To
| continue running was for its obvious and
| unfair advantage so long it could divide
| losses equally with its labor. The men at
Pullman claim that the company during 1893
81 set the pace through experts, that
with their forced loss of time an average
man could little more than the rent
| OF his home, owned by the company. The
| company alleges that it simply readjusted
| 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 40 cents to 81 over
and above their rent. The company has
not produced its checks in rebuttal.
| OFFICERS SALARIES NOT REDUCED
| During ali of this reduction and it's at
| tendant suffering none of the salaries of the
| officers, managers superintendent were
| reduced. Reductions in these would not
have been severely felt, would have
| shown good faith, would have relieved the
| harshness of the situation and would have
evnced genuine sympathy with labor in the
| disasters of the times.
| IN its statements to the public which
| ha
| that all it did was to continue opera tons
| for the benefit of its workmen and of
| trades people in and about Pullman and
| to save the public from the annoyance of
| interrupted travel. The commission thinks
| that the evidence shows that it sought
| to keep running mainly for its own benefit
| as a manufacturer that its plant might
| not rust, that its competitors might not
| invade its territory, that it might keep its
cars in repair, that it might be ready for
with live plant and competent
help, and that its revenues from
its tenants might continue. If we
exclude the aesthetic and sanitary feat
ures at Pullman, the rents there are from
| 20 to % per cent higher than rents in Chi
| clgo surrounding towns for similar ac-
| commoda tons. The aesthetic features are
| admired by visitors, but have little money
| value to employees. especially when they
| lack bread. The company makes all re-
| pairs, and heretofore 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 (ordnary wear and
| damages by the elements not excepted or
| which the company chooses to make
| tine company's claim that the workmen
| need not hire its tenements and can live
| elsewhere if they choose is not entirely
tenable. The fear of losing work keeps
| them in Pullman long as there are
| tenements unoccupied, because the COM
| pany is supposed, as IA matter of business
to give preference to its tenants when work
| is slack. While reducing wages the com
pany made
NO REDUCTION IN RENTS
It's position is that the matters are dis
| tinct, and none of the reasons; urged as
| justfying wage reduction by it as an en-
ployer can be considered by the company
| a landlord The company claims that
| it is simply legitimate business to use it's
| position and resources to hire in the labor
market as cheaply as possible and at the
| same time to keep rents up regardless of
| what wages are paid 10 it's tenants or
what similar tenements rent for else
| where; to avail itself to the full extent of
| business depress and Connection in re-
| ducing wages and to disregard these same
| conditions as to rents. No valid reason
| is assigned for this position except to re-
! ply that the company had the power and
| the legal right to do it.
| prior to the so-cailed truck law in
Illinois rent was deducted from the wages
| Since then check is given for the amount
! of the rent and another for the balance
| due for wages. There is nothing to pre-
vent the payee of the check from cashing
| it outside of the bank, but as the bank
| is rent collector it presses for the rent
and is aided in collecting it by Knowledge
| on the part of the ntcnant that by arrears
| he may lose his job.
THE reductions at Pullman after Sep
| t0mbar 1852 q nf 70,
ences among the managers; the EMPLOYEES
took effect The company based it's entire
the facts in reference to car building to
which have alluded, ana offered to
show its books and figures as to the cost
and selling prices of cars. This offer, on
account of the strike intervening, was
not acted upon. Had it been. it would
have resulted in the figures as to car
| Du1idlnS contracts. The purpose of the
management was obviously to rest the
| seriously crippled department., excluding
| from consilerat ton the facts as to wages
| in the repair department.
1.-The demand of the employees for the
| wages of June, 1893, was
| CLEARLY UNJUSTIFIABLE.
| The business in May, 1894, could not pay
| the wages of June, 1895. Reduction was
| carried to excess, but the company was
| hardly more at fault therein than were
the men in insisting upon the wages of
| June. 1893. There was little discussion as
to rents, the company maintaining that