Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-11-15

The report which is signed by Federal
Labor Commissioner Carroll d. Wright
and his fellow" investigators, John D.
Herman, of New York, and Nicholas
10. NorthingtOn, of Illinois, is address
ed to President Cleveland, and
aboundS in passages which will at
tract wide attention, particularly that
portion referring to now famous Gen
eral Managers association, the OrSani-
cation Of high railway officials that
accomplished the memorable defeat of
the American hallway union.
The report says that the capitalism
ton of twenty four railroads, directly
represented in the General Managers
association, was $2.1OS ,J52. COZ. The
number Of employees was 221.O91. The
report of the commission continues:
''This voluntary incorporated associa-
ton was formed in 1886. IN its cOnsti-
tuition the object of the association is
stated to be the consideration of
problems Of management arising from
operations of railroads terminating or
centering at Chicago 1t further pro
vides that all funds needed shall be
raised by assessments divided equally
among its members There are to be
no limitations as to the consideration
of problems or funds except at the
will of the managers and the resources
of the roalroad corporations. Until
June, 1894 the associations possibilities
as strike fighter and Il wage arbiter
of law were rather dormant. It's roads
fixed a Chicago scale for switchmen,
covering all roads in Chicago In
March, 1894, switchmen demanded
more pay from each road. The asso-
citation concluded that the roads paid
enough; if anything TOO much The
roads so Informed the men. The
sWitchmen's mutual aid association OF
North America wrote st. John. as
chairman. acquiescing."
The report, after detailing the action
of the association in establishing agen-
cies and employing men, adds: ''this
was the time when men on each line
were brought sharply face to face with
the fact that in question as to wages,
rules, etc, each line was supported by
twenty-fOur combined railroads. This
association likewise prepared for its
use schedules of wages paid upon the
bers The proposed object of these
schedules was that each road might
know what the other roads paid.
Finding that men upon some lines
urged an icreaSe to correspond with
wages paid elsewhere, the committee
of the association prepared and pre-
scented uniform schedule for all mem
berShip roads. 1t was deemed wis
not to act upon the report. 1t was
distributed to it's members in Novem-
Der. 1893 This distribution alone en-
abled the report to be used with effci-
ency as an EQUALIZER AS a result
during 1893 reduction were here and
there made on different roads, the
tendency and effort apparently being
to equalize pay on all lines.
1t is admitted that the action Os the
association has great weight with
outside lines and this tends to eStab-
lish one uniform scale throughout the
country The further single step adj
hitting lines not running into Chicago
to membership would certainly have
had the effect of combining all rail-
roads in wage contentious against all
employees thereon"
The commission questions whether
any legal authority, statutory or other
wise can be found to justify some fea-
lures of the association which have
come to light in this investigation.
IF we regard its practical workings
rather than it's professions as eX-
pressed in its constitutions, the gen
eral managers association has no more
standing in the law than the old trunk
line pool. 1t cannot incorporate, be
cause railroads charters do not au-
thorize roads to form corporations or
associations 10 fix rates for services
and wages. nor to force their accept
ance nor to battle with strikers 1t is
urSurpatiOn of power not to be
granted. If such an association is nee
essary from a business or an econom-
ic standpoint, the right to form and
maintain 1t must come from the state
that granted its charter. In theory
corporations are limited as to powers
granted either directly or by court in
IGiICIGuCe. w ~ not llInh pONSi lbs
been granted in either way in this
case. The association is an nlustra-
ton of Il persistent and shrewdly de
yised plan of corporations to overreach
their limitations and ursurp indirectly
the powers and rights not contem-
plated in their charters and not OBJ
tainable from the people or their legis-
lature. The extension of this associa
ton rs above suggested and the pro,
posed legal action of pooling, would
result in an aggregation Of power and
capital dangerous to the people and
their liberties as well as to employees
and their rights. The question would
then certainly arise as to which shall
and the end would inevitably be gov.
eminent ownership. Unless we are
ready for that result and all that il
implies the government must restrain
CORPORATIONS within the law, and pre-
vent them from forming unlawful anG
DANGEROUS combinations. At least 81
long as railroads are thus permitted
to combine and fix wages and scheme
for their Joint protection it would b'
rank injustice to deny the right of al
labor upon railroads to unite for ;
similar purpose. 1t should be notet
that until the railroads had set TIL
example general union of railroad
employees would never have been al
tempted. The unions had not gone be