The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-07-25
THE FACTS ABOUT PULLMAN.

strike great deal has been said by that
portion of the press which can never
See any justice in the cause Of a work
ingman, about the philanthropy Of
George NJ. Pullman and the philanthropic
plan upon which the town Of Pullman is
conducted. Some days ago The Sentinel.
in reply to some Of these remarks, called
to this philanthropic CD. socialistc
scheme. 1t said then that Mr.. Pullman
had built his town not for the purpose
of philanthropy but for the purpose of
profit, and it called attention to some Of
the main facts which substantiated it's
assertion. 1t may be set down as
fact that there is no place on earth. or
at least very few Of them, where work.
ingmen are as much in absolute slavery
to their employers as in the city o. Pull
man. and it may also be stated as a fact
that there is no place where the expense
Of living is so high for the workingmen
as in this same town of Pullman.
This whole subject of the exact stu
alton at Pullman has been very much
the railway managers who took up his
fight as soon as it was on. 1t is really
pleasing to secure some unprejudiced
testimony on the subject, and this tes-
timony is given by the Rev William
Cawardine, pastor of the Pullman meth
odist episcopal church, in a letter dated
the 18th inst to the Rev J. NJ. Driver
of Marion, Ind. In this letter Mr.
Cawardine discusses, not only the stu
alton at Pullman itself, but some of the
subsequent events which have grown out
of it. In his Introductory Mr.. Cawardine
is careful to set forth his position. which
is this: Il deplore and deprecate the
strike I also deprecate the boycott
But let us see if there do not exist certain
their position. Let us be just 10 the
laborers. God knows they have need of
our sympathy, not our condemnation.
have pleaded for arbitration" Then the
reverend gentleman goes ON to say that
the average maximum wage at Pullman
has been $50 per day, and this state
ment he bases on his personal knowledge
Of the workings of the shops, gained in
several years as pastor of the church at
Pullman. Mr.. Cawardine enters into a
discussion of the manner of payment
adopted at Pullman and shows that each
payment of wages must first undergo
deduction for rent and other incidentals
due the Pullman company. For instance:
The men are paid only in checks at the
bank. Two checks are made out to every
employe, one for his two weeks wages
and the other for his wages over and above
rent. When he assigns to the Pullman
company the check for his wages in full.
he receives the other check, from which
his rent has been deducted
This matter of rents is then dwelt upon
al considerable length and a great deal
of light is thrown on the subject. Mr..
Cawardine says:
All the houses are built of brick, in
Il
cottages and then two flats, alternately.
On the back streets are a score Of large
tenement blocks, holding 500 to 1000 peo-
pie. leutered from A to J, and four stories
nigh. Cottages on the square with three
rooms, $50 per month besides the water
tax: in the rows, ffve-room cottages, with
no bathroom. $3.50. and II cents for
water, $19.2l; seven-room cottages, s25.
and II cents for water, $2571; flats of
four and five rooms. four flats to each
house, S14.50. and II cents for water,
1922 each; same on back street, $l4, and
so cents for water; some fOur-room flats
at S12, and so cents for water.
Now in the blocks (tenements), fourth
story, back side, two rooms. $780, and 60
cents for water. $40; fourth story, front,
four rooms, $780, and 60 cents for water,
1910. on third floors three rooms the
same. The same rates prevail through
all the blocks. Tney are crowded to-
gether like herds of cattle. They are
mostly Germans and Swedes, with some
few Poles and BOhemians No decent
American or English mechanic wants to
live here.
At the brickyards Ga part of the great
cOncern) six rows of miserable, dirty
little wooden shanties are rented. They
cost about fifty dollars each, contain
three rooms, and rent for IS per month.
They are a disgrace to any institution.
Gas is manufactured in Pullman and
supplied to every house. You can use
it or not as you please. In the city you
get it for 81 to $1.25 per thousand feet;
In Pullman you pay $225. The gas is
eXOrbitant as well as the rent.
Up 10 six months ago, before Mayor
Hopkins investigated the matter and
changed it, Pullman received water from
the city for 4 cents per thousand gallons
and let ii to his tenants at 10 cents, MAX
ing a nice profit on it.
1t will be seen from these statements
that Mr.. Pullman has been making a
most magnificent profit out of his phil
anthropy and skinning his empoyes in
the most artistic fashion known to mo-
nopolists.
In regard to the wage reduction, which
brought about the present strike, the
Rev. Mr.. Cawardine gives some very in
teresting details as follows:
Bear in mind that the men are all
paid at the bank every two weeks Two
checks are made out to every employee
one for his two weeks. the other for his
wages over and above rent. The great
est dissatisfaction arose over the man
ner in which the company demanded the
rent. leaving the men so little 10 live
on.
The average cut on wages all through
the shop was 1914 per cent; many cases
None of the officials, monthly hands,
heads OF departments, foremen and UNI
der foremen (''straw 1bosses'O were cut;
nufu fhQ ms Of nj nd