The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-07-14

OF last summer. Many customers stopped
negotiations and cancelled orders, and our
working force had to be diminished from
nearly 6)oJ 10 about two thousand in Novem-
Der. 1898.
throughout the country had naturally result
cd ia wage depression. and the only hope Of
getting orders was by bidding for work at
prices AS low, or lower than could be made by
other shops. ana this, of course, necessitated
a reductionin the wages of the employees Of
Pullman.
This was arranged satisfactorily, as I sup
posed, and In close competitions, disregarding
all account OF capital ana mach nery. i
secured enough work to gradually increase
our force TO 400, the number OF the rolls last
April.
Nine weeks ago the car shops at Pullman
were working with car building contracts
enough on hand to keep them going about 10
days, and with all business forecasts leading
to the belief that no considerable new orders
could soon be had. The most important Of
the work in hand had been taken by me In
competitor at prices whicn were less than the
actual cost to the company Of delivering the
cars. without any reckoning for the use Of
capital and plant.
This was taken to keep the large force Of
men employed, and to postpone and with the
hope of avoiding the numberless embarss-
ments to all classes of people at Pullman and
its vicinity of n closing down of the works. to
prevent which The company considered II q
wise policy to operate the shops temporarily
At an Actual Loss.
In this condition of things came the agita-
tion seeking to create labor organization
EN- bracing all railway employees. and appar-
emily other industries.
Ii Is my belief that the controversy excited
at Pullman was merely move in the greater
scheme. these shops being selected. not on ac-
count of discomfort In them, but because of
their prominence In various ways, and because
of chance OF show Of justification for q
simultaneous and causeless attack upon tho
railways OF the country for the use-under
long contracts by three-fourths of them-of
the Pullman sleeping car system, q branch Of
the company's business totally distinct from
Its manufacturing OF cars for sale.
In the early part of May. committee Of the
employees demanded o arestoratiop of the wages
OF year ago. / explained to this committee
minutely and laboriously the facts, showing
that the company was already paying them
more thar IL was receiving for their contract
work, and offered them for complete assur-
ance and to end all question. an inspection of
our books and contracts in hand.
This and the beginning at Pullman of pro-
posed careful Investigation of a number Of
u,
but a few days later. under the excitement of
their recruiting into the new organization, the
workmen closed the shops by abandoning
their work, thus themselves doing what was
strenuously trying to prevent being done by
the depression of the car building business.
and the employees who have quit their work
nave deprived themselves and their comrades
OF earnings of more than S30o, 900 up to this
time.
The demand made before quitting work was
that the wages should be restored TO the
scale of last year, or In actual outgoing money
losses then being daily incurred by tho COM
pany In car building should be deliberately
increased to an amount equalling about one
fourth Of the wages OF the employees.
Ii must be clear to every thinking business
man and to every thinking workman tn at no
prudent employer could submit to arbitration
the question whether he should commit such
piece of business folly.
Arbitration always implies acquiescence in
the decision OF the arbitrator, whether favor.
able or adverse. How could .as president of
the Pullman Company consent to agree that
IL any body of men, not concerned with
the interests OF the company's shareholders,
should, as arbltrators, for any reasons SEEM
ing good TO them, 80 decree. / would open
the shops, employ workmcn at wages greater
than their work could be sold for, and con-
tinue this ruinous policy indefinitely, or be
accused OF a preach OF Ieltnf
Who will deny that such q question Is
plainly not a subject for arbtration2
Is IL not then unreasonable that the COM
pany should be asked to arbitrate whether or
not IL should submit such q question TO arbi-
tration2
Removing the original and fundame ntal
question one stage does not help the matter;
the question would still remain: Can I, as q
business man, knowing the truth of the facts
xvht hav al M al hat n Ixsill
in any contingency. open and operate the
Pullman car shops at Whatever loss, II IL
should happen TO DO the opinion Of some third
party that should do SO? The answer seems
To be plain.
The public should not permit the real ques-
ton which has been before IL 10 be obscured.
That question was as TO the possibility of
the creation and duration of dictatorship
which would make all the industries Of the
United states aud the daily comfort OF the
millions dependent upon them, hostages for
the granting Of any
Fantastic whim Of Such Dictator.
Any submission TO him would have been
long step In that direction. and in the interest
OF every law-abiding citizen OF the United
States was not TO be considered for q moment
A lew words are pertinent rs % some In
dustriously spread charges against the cops-
pAny.
One of these charges is tnat rents are exor-
bitant and it il implied that the Pullman
employees have no choice but to submit. The
answer Is simple.
The average Of rentals at Pullman Il AZ the
rate of 81 per room per month. and the rent
ing OF houses AZ Pullman has no relation TO
the work In the shops. Employees may, and
very many do, own or rent their houses out
side of the town: and the buildings and bust
meas places In the town arc rented 90 employees
or others In competition with neighboring
properties.
In short. the renting business ~ tho Pull
msn company Il governed by tho same con-
ditiQns which govern any other large owner
OF real estate. except that the company itself
does directly some things which IN Chicago
are assumed By the city.
~ sha,.f~x. A. A. ,oe aAsnifsaA thss A.