The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-08-22
SALT AL
and if anything considerable were to

lature for the purpose OF making an
appropriation, or might make an APP
peal to the people of the state. 1 think
we have gone to the bottom of things
now, and can proceed intelligently, and
it remains to be seen what can be
DONE"
The governor used these words at
the close of the meeting respecting the
Pullman strike issue. At the invita-
ton of the governor the committee
met at his office to give information
regarding the strikers. He was told
that 2,435 families have been helped.
Il do not know. just what method I
shall take to aid these men," said the
governor, ''but something must be
done. 1 have written to George NJ. Pull
man. -
1t is probable that the governor will
issue a proclamation setting forth the
p1tiable condition of the strikers and
calling for aid.
Issues n Proclamation.
The governor tonight issued the follow
ing proclamation:
cago:
t,a There here is great distress growing out of
families, or in the neighborhood of 5000
people, are utterly destitute-nearly four
children
These men have endeavored to get york
but were unable to do so.
AS rule, the men are superior class
OF orers--industrions, capable and
steady, and some of them have worked
for the Pullman company for more than
ten years. Those who have been given
work can get food, but are. still in such
not help their. neighbors,. if they would
The relief society is unable to get more
supplies. On last Saturday they gave to
two pounds Of corntmeal:. and having
nothlng left have suspended operations
leaving the people in an absolutely help
less condition. The county commission
erS OF COOK county, as overseers of the
peer, have rendered some assistance. but
owing to the limited appropriation they
can nj furnish relief but for a short time.
the cause of this distress The good neo
pie of this state cannot allow women and
children by the hundreds to perish from
a aa 1, therefore, call upon all human
ana charitably- disposed citizens to con-
trinute what they can towards giving 1e-
lief to these people,"
AItgeId to Pullman.
The governor has also called on the
commissioners of Cook county to do ali
IN their power in the matter
The correspondence between Governor
Aitgeld and Mr.. Pullman began last Sun
day, when In response to an appeal made
to him by Pullman strikers tor assist
telegram to Pullman, calling his atten-
ton to the appeal and saying .ff the
strikers, as it is. claimed, struck because
after years of toll their wages were so
reduced that the children went hungry,
assuming that they were wrong and fool
ish, they had yet served you long and well
and you must feel some interest in them.
They do not stand on the same footing
as you, SO that much must be overlooked
The state of Illinois has not the least de-
sire to NEEDLE in. the affairs of the COM
nc N.Y. hut oil ,t1oIo-
mrnity within its BORDERS to perish of
hunger. The local overseer of the poor
has been appealed, to, but there is a limit
them very much at present, and unless re
lief comes from some other source 1 shall
have. either to call IN extra session of the
ton, or else issue an appeal t., the
humane people of the state to give bread
to your old employees. 1t seems to me
that you would prefer to relieve this
cost the state upwards Of $4,000 to protect
your property and as both the state and
Erblic have suffer eS enough loss on &C &C
of the trouble between your company and
| its workmen.
| After making a personal visit to Pull
man Governor Altgeld today addressed
a personal letter to Mr.. Pullman, saying:
II examined the condition at Pullman
yesterday, visited even the kitchens and
bed rooms of many of the people;
Il learn from your manager that last
spring there were $3.50 people on the pay
roll Yesterday there were 2,220 at work,
but over 600 of these are now men, so
| that only about LOCO of the old employees
have been taken back, thus leaving lOOV
| of the old employees who have not been
taken back. A few hundred have left.
The remainder, have applied for work.
| but were told that they were not needed:
| These are utterly destitute. The relief
committee has exhausted its resources.
It SENS to me your company cannot af-
| ford to have men appeal to me for char
| ity and the humanity of the state to
| Four-fifths of the people are women and
children. No matter what caused this
distress it must be met"
| He then proposes that the rent of all
| unemployed be RENTED until Oct. l.
| Pullman Replies.
| Mr.. Pullman replied at length. He said:
while it has not been represented to
| the officers of this company by any per-
| sons concerned that there was any such
| existing distress at Pullman as was re-
ported for the first time by the extra
/ ordinary methods published in the tele-
grams to you in your official capacity, I
! do not doubt that there are many cases
| of need caused by the refusal of the en-
| ployees for more than two and one-half
months to earn offered wages to more
| than $780, 900; and that such cases have
been increased and made more severe
by the resistance of more than $50 OF
| our employees, III refusal TO apply LOT
their old places after the strike was
practically over and as they were pub
| licly invited, on July 10, to resume their
work, unless by the gradual coming OF
new men during the whole month, their
places have been filled and the full force
| engaged for all work in hand
| Suggestions that the work should be
| divided so that sufficient number of our
present employees should be put on hall
| time in order to give at least half time
| for all was tried last winter. The result
| has been that the gross earnings of varl-
Gus individual employees were last winter
| so small as to give an erroneous ir.preS-
sion with reference to the sufficiency OF
| the rest of wages. The policy of the
company is now to employ only as many
men as it is possible to furnish work fol-
on full time"
To this the governor replied substan-
tally as follows:
| ''I see that your company refuses to dc
anything toward relieving. the situation
| at Pullman. It is not my business to FIX
| the moral responsibility in this case
| There are nearly 5000 people suffering FOL
the want of food. They. were your EN-
ployees. ! also assumed that as the state
had just been to large expense to pro.
tect your property you would not want
to have the public shoulder the burden
| of relieving distress in your town. AS
YOU refused to do anything to relieve
| the suffering in this case, / am compelled
| to appeal to the public to do So"
WANT 1T ABOLISHED.