The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-11-13
COMFORT FOR LABOR.
Report of Pullman Strike Com
mission j. Made Public.
Workmen Have Right to Com
bine as Well as Others
MANAGERS ARESCORED
Establishment of q Permanent
Commission Recommended.

CHICAGO, Nov. 1s.-The United
States government report on the
great railway strike in connection
with the Pullman trouble was made
public yesterday. The report, which
is signed by the federal labor com
missioner, Carroll d. Wright, and his
fellow Investigators, John ID Herman,
of New York, and Nicholas B. Worth
ington, of Illinois, is addressed to
President Cleveland and abounds in
passages which will attract wide at
tention, particularly the portion re-
ferring to the now famous General
Managers associa tion, the organiza-
ton of high railway officials that en-
compassed the memorable defeat of
the American Railway union
The report says the capitalization Of
the twenty four railroads directly
represented in the General Managers
associa ton was 81, los, $50, 6l7- The
number of employees was 221,0
The commission continues:
The General AIanasers' Association.
This voluntary incorporated as
ISOLATION was formed in 1886 In its
constitution the object of the associa-
ton il stated to be The consideration
Of problems of management arising
from the operation Of railroads ter
minatinR or &c ntering at Chicago
TT further provides that all funds
needed shall be raised by assessment
divided equally among the mem bers-'
There are no limita lions as to CON
sideration OF problems of funds, ex-
cept the will of the managers and the
resources of the railroad corporations
Until June, 1884, the association 5
possibilities as strike fighter and
wage arbiter lay rather dormant It's
roads fixed q Chicago scale for
switchmen, covering all lines at Chi
cago. In March, 1898 the switchm en-
demanded more pay from eaSn road
The association concluded that they
were paid enOugh-if anything, too
much The roads 50 informed the
men. The Switchmen's mutual aid
association of North America wrote
to Mr. St John, as chairman, acquI-
escing- He. as chairman of the Gen
eral Managers assOcia ton, concluded
his reply as follows. The assOcia-
ton approves the course taken by
your body and desires to deal fairly
with all employees, and believes that
our switchmen are receiving due con-
sidera ton
This seems to show" the report
says. that employees upon association
roads are treated under su bjectiOn
to the General Managers association -
action of the assOcia ton in establish
ing agencies and employing men,
adds This was the first time when
men upon each line were brought
sharply face to face with the fact that
in ques tlOns to wages, rules. etc.
each line was supported BY twenty
four combined railroads This assoc
citation like wise pre- pared for its use
ella 6orate schedules of the wages paid
upon the entire lines of its twenty
four mem bers- The proposed object
of these schedules was to let each
road know what other roads paid
FINDING that the men upon some lines
urged increases to CORES pond with
wages paid elsew here, a com mittee
Of the association prepared and pre-
sented a uniform schedule for all
mem bership roads. It was deemed
wise not to act upon the
report It was distribute to
mem bers in November. 1898. This
distribution alone enabled the report
to DO used with efficiency as an
equalizer As thu result during
1s93-it being then well understood
that as to wages. etc, it was an incl
dent of the General Managers ASSOC
citation to assist each road in case Of
trouble over such matters. one form
OF assistance being for the association
TO secure men enough through its
agencies to take the places of all
stril1ers-red notions were here and
there made on the different roads.
the tendency and effort apparently
being TO equalize the pay on all lines.
1T is admitted that the action of
the association has great weight with
outside lines and thus tends to esta b
lish one uniform scale throug hout the
country The further single step Of
admitting lines not running into Chi
cago to mem bership would Ger tainly
have the effect Of com bining all rail-
roads "a wage conten tions against all
employees thereon
Question ne to Legal Authority.
The commission questions wheth-
er any legal authority. statutory or
otherwise. can be found TO Justify
some Of the features Of the associa-
ton which have come 10 light in this
investiga ton. If we regard its prac-
tical workings rather than its pro
LESSONS as expressed in its constitu-
tion tho General Managers associa-
ton has no more standing in law than
the old trunk line pool 1t cannot
corporate because railroad charters
do not authorize roads to form corpo-
rations or associations, to fix rates for
services and wages. nor to force their
acceptance. nor to battle with strilx-
ers- 1t il usurpation of power not
granted If such an association
Is necessary from business or econ
0mie standpoint the right to form
and maintain it must come from the
state that granted its charter.
Railroads sot the pie or Unions.
1T should be noted that. until the
railroads set the example, a great
union Of railroad employees was never
attempted. The unions had not gone
beyond existing the men upon differ
eut sFateuas ia separate trade Ouani-