Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1894-11-16

tain the gospel privileges to be thereby
secured. The company provides and
pays physician 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 Injured Party
q written statement as to the causes Of
the injury, and it is his custom to urge
the acceptance Of any offered settle
ment. 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 a
business standpoint to secure speedy
settlement of claims for damages upon
terms offered by the company and to
protect the company from litigation
and its results.
As a result Of the Pullman system
and it's growth, when the depression of
1898 came, morally calling for mutual
concessions as to wages, rents, etc., we
find on the one hand very
Wealthy and Unyieldine Corporation
and upon the other multitude Of en-
ployes of comparatively excellent char
acter and skill, but without local at
tachments or any interested RESPONSE
bility in the town, it's business tene-
ments or surroundings. The men at
Pullman claim that the company, dur.
ing 1893-94, set pace through experts,
ca hot <1,oi, 80 on
average man could earn little more
than the rent of his home owned by
the company. The company alleges
that it simply adjusted piece work
prices to suit the necessities Of the
times.
Some witnesses swear that at times,
for tho work done in two weeks, they
received in checks from 40 cents to 81
over and above their rent. The COM
pany has not produced its checks in re-
buttal.
No Reduction in Omcers' Salaries.
Dur ing all of this reduction and it's
attendant suffering none Of the salaries
of the officers. managers or superin-
tendents 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.
In regard to the company's tene-
ments the report says: If we exclude
the sanitary features at Pullman, the
rents there are from 10 to 25 per cent
higher than rents in Chicago or sur
rounding towns for similar accommo-
dations. The aesthetic features are adj
mired by visitors but have little money
value to employees, especially when they
lack bread. While reducing wages the
company made no reduction in rents.
Its position is that the two matters are
distinct and that none of the reasons
urged as justifying wage reduction by
it as an employer can be considered by
the company as a landlord.
- Strikers Not Disorderly.
The strike at Pullman occurred on
May II, and it is evidence, aud uncon-
tradicted, that no violence or destruc-
ton of property by strikers or SYM
pathizers took place at Pullman, and
that until July 8 no extraordinary pro-
lection was had from the police or
military against even anticipated dis
order.
Such dignifed, manly and conserva-
tive conduct in the midst of excitement
and threatened starvation is worthy Of
the highest type of American citizen
ship, 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 for
swear patriotism and to declare this
government and it's people failure.
Sympathetic Strike of the A. r.. U.
AS to the great railroad strike proper
the report says:
It is apparent that the readiness to
strike alphabetically was promoted
by the disturbed and apprehensive con-
dition of railroad employees, resulting
from wage reductions on different
lines, blacklisting, ETC., and from the
recent growth of the General Mana
gers association, which seemed to them
q menace.
The policy, the report says, of both
the Pullman company and the Railway
Managers association in reference to
applications to arbitrate, closed the
door to all attempts at Cancellation and
settlement of differences. The COM
mission is impressed with the belief, by
the evidence and by the attendant cir
cumstances as disclosed, that different
policy would have prevented the loss Of
life and great loss Of property and
wages occasioned by the strike.
Troops Were Necessary.
The report declares the arrival of the
troops at Chicago was opportune and
says that the statement that po-
licemen sympathized with strik-
ers rather than with corporations
cannot be doubted, nor would it be sur
prising to find the same sentiment rife
among the military, as these forces are
largely recruited from the laboring
classes.
The commission deems recommends
tons of specific remedies premature.
Sucn a problem, Tor instance, as uni
varsa1 government ownership of rail-