Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-11-13

one side a very wealthy and unvIeAlinr
corporation. and ullon the other a null
utudc " employees Of comparatively
excellent Character and skill. but With
out local Attachments on ans inter-
ested responsibility IN the town, It's
business, tenements or SURROUNDINGS.
The conditions cyaicd at Pullman
enable the management n all times TO
assert With great xigor ite assumed
right to fix wages and ronts absolutely.
and to reprcss that sort OF lndo-
pondcnce which leads 10 labor or
ganiEatons and their attempts AZ
mediation, arbitration. strikes, etc. On
the other hand. It is an ecoupmic prin-
Sinle generally recognized that the
shutting down OF Euch plant and
the scattering OF its forces usually re-
suit In q greater loss than that *
htblted by the continuance OF business,
1.-THE Pullman company could hardly
shut down for seven and une-haf
months Mt a cost OF less than per
cent upon tia capital and surplus.
To continue running was for ita OBJ
Vlous and unfair advantage. 40 long rs
Il could divide lossea equally With It's
labor, The men ut Pullman claim
that the company during iN95-lNai SGT
the pace. 80 with their forced loss
OF time an average man could earn
little more than the rent OF his home
During all OF this reduction aud itA
neases swear that for the work done
In two weeks they received In chccks
from 4 cents 10 $500 over and above
their rent. The company has not pro-
duced Its checks in rehuttNl,
pcrlntcndentH were reduced. Reduc-
attendant sufferlngs none OF the aNla-
rics of tide officers. managers or SUI
perintcndents wered reduced. Reduc-
tions In these would not been 30
severely felt; would have shown
good faith, would have relieved the
harshncss OF the situation and would
have evidenced genuine sympathy With
labor IN the disasters nf the timra
In It's statements to the public which
were in evidence, the company repre-
scnts that It, object In all IL did
was 10 continue operations for the
benefit OF It's workmen and OF trades
people IN Pullman, this To- save the
public from the annoynnccs OF inter-
rupted travel The commission thinks
thut the evidence showa thnt u deaired
TO Keep running for ita own benent na
manufacturers that Il might keep It's
cars IN repair that It might b. ready
for resumption whom huslncss revived.
and that It's revenue from lts tene.
mcnts continue
IF we exclude The aesthetic and SAM.
tary features AT Pullman. the rants
there are 20 TO IS per cent higher than
| IN Chicago or surrounding towns Tor
| similar accommodations The aesthetic
have little money value to employees,
especially when they lack bread. The
/ company makes MI repalra and herctn-
/ fore hna not compelled tenants 20 nav
| for them, Under tho printed lenaas
I'however. which tenants must Sign they
| nrree 10 pay for all repairs which arc
| elthcr necessary Ordinary wear and
! dNTnAfe by the elements not nNcented)
| OF which the company chose to make.
~ the company claims that the work
men need not hire itH houses and can
| live elsewhere ~ they choose Is entirely
tennble. Tho fear OF losing work kecps
thom In Pullman as long na there are
! houses unoeoupied because the company
Is supposed MS matter of business
/ 10 give preference to its tennnta when
| work W slack, While reduclng wages
the company made no reduction IN
/ rents. to position Is that the two mat
| tiers nrc distinct and that none OF tho
| reasons urged ms justifylng wage re-
auctions by II rs an employer can be
considered by the company as land
lord
THE reductions AZ Pullman after Sept
| ], 1881, We're the result OF agreements
among the managera; tho employees for
the iirst time knew OF them when they
took effect. The company based every
| move ON basis OF car building for
profit. The purpose nf the management
was obviously 10 rest the whole matter
upon cost, etc. In It's most seriously
crippled department. excluding from
confederation the facts IA 10 wages IN
the repair department.
"rhe demand OF the employees for
better wages In June. 1884, was clearly
unjuaiinablc. The business In May
1894. could not pay tho wages OF June
1898. Reduction was carried 10 ey-
cess, but the company was hardly
NJ fs.ss H.
| employees In insisting upon the wages
OF June, ls92. There waa little dis
cussion M TO rents. the company main
| thinning that It's rents had nothing 10
| do with Its wages and that It's rev.
| enues from It's tenants was not greater
than It ought 20 receive The COM
pnny had legal right to take this
position. but as between man and
man the demand for some rent re-
duction was fair and reasonable under
| all the circumstances Some slight
| concession in this regard would prob
ably have avertcd the strike, provided
the promise not 10 discharge those
who served upon the committee had
been strictly regarded.
~rhe strike occurred on May H. and
from that time until the soldiers went
to Pullman, about july 4, 800 strikers
were placed about the comnhnY'a prop
| erty, prOfessedly TO guard II from de-
structlon or Interference. This guard
ing OF property IN strikes ~, ms rule
a mere pretonse Too often the real
object OF guards II 90 prevent new
eomerg from taking strikers places
by persuasion, often to be followed. "
ineffeetual, by intimidation and vlo-
lence. The Pullman company claims
this was the real object pr these
! guards.
"rhe strikers at Pullman aro entitled
10 be believed to the contrary IN TINS
matter because or their conduct ana
forbearanoe on May IL II "a In evil
denne lind uncontradlcted that no vlo-
fence or destruction or property by
strikers or fyinpnthlgerH took place at
Pullman. aud that on July no ex-
trnordlnary protection was had from
the police or military against even IN
tiopated disorder. Such dignliled.
manly and conservative conduct In
the midst Of the excitement ie worthy
OF the highcst type OF American citi-
| zsnaliip and with Ike prudence In all
other directions VIII result In due time
in. the lswful and orderly redress OF
labor wrongs 10 deny tiila * TO for
swear patriotism and 10 declare this
government and It's people a failure.
Az 10 the great railroad strike prop
Or, the report says;
ct IS apparent that the readiness 70
| afritc rVGDatnrticaiiy was promoted