New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-27
ARBITRATION.
OUGHT PULLMAN TO HAVE REFERRED
THE CASE TO JUpGEss

THE CASE TO JUDGES!
WILL LABOR AGREE 10 REFER EVERY QUARREL
TO ADMIRATION WITHOUT REsERvE'
Trom The Weekly Trlbune)
Since writing q few weeks ago. on The Les
sons to be Learned from the Strikes" many let
ters have come 10 me written upon both sides OF
the question. and one from a gentleman in Wis
consin who had been working for the Pullman
company previous to the strike. and who was In
its employment at the time the men quit WORK.
He makes an intelligent statement OF the oe-
mands made by the strikers and claims that my
article does not give the situation fairly OF per
haps completely.
He states that what the workingmen
who inaugurated the strike claimed was THIS:
He says that heretofore large numoer Oh carr
had been made for the Pullman Company py
these workingmen: that the company had Leased
those cars to the different railroads on terms
which brought TO the company great pronts' mat
Mr. Pullman had refused to show the books OF
the company as TO such leases, and refused 10
take into consideration the profits OF such leases
in determining the price the company shouio pay
for labor at the present time.
For the purposes Of this argument. LEI US au-
NIT that the statement Is true ADMIT thal inc
Pullman Company had built large nuinoei u
cars paying good prices for labor anu 'ha' 90
stead Of selling those cars they nao su.oe
An leasing them at a large profit Admit that
those leases were to run long nufhoei "a 'e'
and that the profit on them at the present 'ime
=, to-. .,a utsiv to remain large. In what way
A. those facts have any bearing upon what
waees the company shall pay for work In making
.rs IN contracts which contracts 1t could not Sc
c,,e At all except at a price 30 low that II was
unable 10 pay the former wages without great
Las. N the company? The leasing OF cars al
ready manufactured. on profitable terms, mas
nothing whatever to do with the wages which
can or should be paid In building cars unoer ne"
conditions and under new contracts
Think a moment! Suppose the company mad
,.saed its own cars, formerly made, and that II
had turned out that such leases had been mace
NJ a great loss VIII any one for moment
claim that such loss should be taken out OF the
wages Of men building other cars on dinereht
contract. and where such cars had been contract
Cd for at price which would warrant the pay
ment Of full wages to the men puiioihs 'heih :
Would the workingmen have submitted ioi s'''-
gle moment TO arbitrate the question whe'her INC
loss should be taken out of their wages or be
borne by the company? Certainly they "ouia
not .,,,.
nave nothing whatever to do with your leasing
ar selling cars. II YOU have exercised bad 1udS-
ment and have leased your cars at loss' 'ha'
ought not to be charged UP to US. 1t Is matter
over which we had no control. In which we hao
no interest and one which We refuse to cohsoe'
IN any way as affecting our wages Inc con-
tracts under which we are actually working are
such az 10 entitle us to full wages. We want Ia'i
nay Tor the work we are doing on these new con-
tracts As workingmen we refuse 10 cohSue'
losses which have been made on ieaseS' WIN
which we had nothing to DO
That reply would have been complete NO co'i'-
pany would have any right to ask the me" "
submit such a question to the decision OF any
outside parties.
Now. then, II the workingmen would nave oee"
IN no way liable tor any such losses pray why
should they claim benefits from any OF the gains
This proposition seems to me 80 ciear ah 70 os
beyond all question. A company wh'ch Shou'O
undertake to reduce the wages OF men ny c'"'N
ing that they had formerly In some way os' soii'e
money by some outside transaction would DC he,u
up tos ridicule by all good business meh' ~
seems clear to me that worknsmen can claim
the right to have profits Of that kind taken into
confederation onIy in those cases where they
would be liable and would be held Responsible io'
losses
QUESTION WHICH MUST BE FACED.
Men may have been running business sue
cessfully for years. and may have accumulate
wealth thereby. 1t does not follow on 'ha' az
.our, that they should be expected to continue
business for ar indefinite time. at constant aic
sure loss Men universally do business for the
nurpose OF making money No one, 50 far as
tnow. ever started new business for the pur
continued TO lose money. The reason is obvious
70 losing business were persisted In. the EN-
Mover would soon be In position where he couie
moi do business at all. Wise men always Try |"
manage their business In such way as 10 gan
sornethins by doing the business. business
NAV ne good under certain circumstances whci
4. worthless when those circumstances arr
changed The price Of articles produced IN any
establishment may become so low as TO preciuu
the production OF them at former COST "i'"ou
great loss II a case Of that kind occurs 'he re
duction OF the wages OF the men emp'oSeu ma
be the only way carry on the business wi'hou
loss 70 the owners.
Ia II possibe that the manager OF such ousiheS
has no right to say to his working people
cannot run this establishment longer ana pa!
the former wages without loss. am abe al I'M
time to get only q certain price lot my guys
will submit my contracts to the hsPec"o" Y
you men who are going to DO the work al
willing TO pay you every dollar that can be PAL
under those contracts without loss to the com
pany which represent. If you desire to wor
At reduced wages, we'll and good. II not my out
to the stockholders of the company when repre-
s.nt will compel me to close the works
Ia there anything unfair or unmaniy IN such
propositions 1t seems to me that when the once
Al 4 company makes such statement and oner
10 submit his contracts to the inspection OF IN
men who are going to do the work. so that the
too may see that the wages he offers are all tina
the contract. will warrant. such officer has don
au that workingmen ave any right to ask hin
10 do.
An undertaking 20 make him couple with ina
transaction certain prohis which may nave ae
..,,>A 20 the company In previous TRANSACTION