The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-13
SHOULD STEP IN.
Unlawful and Dangerous
Railroad Combinations.
Labor Has an Equal Privilege For the
Purpose Of Regulating Wages.

man trouble IL made public.
The report Is signed by Carroll ID.
Wright John ID. Herman and Nicholas II.
Worthington, and 1t abounds In passages
which will attract attention, particularly
the portion referring TO the General
Managers association"
The report says that the capitalization
of the "a roads directly represented In the
General Managers association was ~, lOe,-
2,6i7. The number OF employees was
22l,O97 The commission explains that
the association was incorporated in 1886 and
that ii was supposed TO act In the interests
OF the railroads terminating in Chicago
Its roads fixed up Chicago scale for
switchmen governing oil the lines at Chi
cago The association claimed that the
wages paid the men were ample. This
led TO long controversy between the men
and the managers
The association was used as an "equal
izer" During 1893 1t became the policy
of the general managers to assist" each
road in times of difficulty with men over
the matter OF wages. According TO the
commission, it is admitted that these acts
Of the association had great weight with
outside limos, and thus helped TO establish
uniform scale Of wages throughout the
country.
Managers Association Criticised.
The commission questions whether any
legal authority can be found TO justify
some Of the features Of the association.
Tho association Is cited as an illustration
Of the persistent and shrewdly devised
plan of corporations TO overreach their
Limitations and uso indirectly powers and
rights not contemplated in their charters
An extension Of this association and the
proposed legalization Of pooling" would
result In an aggregation Of power and cap
ital dangerous GO the people and their lib
critics, as we'll rs 70 employees and their
rights The question would arise, Who
shall control, the government or the rail-
roads' and tho end viii evidently be gov
ernment ownership.
Unless ready for that. the government
must restrain corporations within the law
and prevcst them from forming unlawful
and dangerous combinations. At least so
long as railroads are thus permitted to
combine to fix wages, it would be rank
injustice TO deny the right of all labor To
unite for similar purpose
1t Is noted that the railroads set an OK
ample OF combining, and that previous to
the operation Tire General Managers
association a general union of railroad
employees was never attempted. The re-
fusal OF the General Managers association
to recognize and deal with such combi-
nation seems arrogant and absurd when
its standing under the law and its past
and future ACTON are contemplated.
The Pullman Case Taken Up.
The report then enters into the subject
OF the Pullman Palace Car company and
the town of Pullman. The paternalism
Is of the company, as it operates through
out the place Is commented upon rather
unfavorably. When the depression of 1893
came, according TO the commission, there
ought TO have been mutual concessions.
But concessions were not made. On the
one hand was wealthy corporation refus-
ing to yield. And on the other workmen of
character and skill but without local at
tachment for the place
Economically considered, the Pullman
management could not afford to shut
down the plant because of the loss due to
rust and the possible invasion OF the field
by competitors Those in authority pre-
ferred to cut the wages, insisting at the
same time upon maintenance OF rents.
Consequently sofne men received for the
work done In two weeks only 4 cents after
their rents wero paid
The claim of the company that work
by the commission. The fear of losing
work kept the men ae Pullman, since the
company from business reasons would
naturally hire the men who rented build
ings ewned by the concern.
The reductions In 1898 were made by the
managers. and the men knew nothing of
the changes until the fiat had been issued
by those In authority. Reduction was oar
ried to exosss, but the claim of the men
was soarcely more tenable than the claim
Of the management, the men insisting
that their wages should be kept up TO the
standard Of wages paid during prosperous
timea
The strike occurred May IL. From this
time until July there were no acts of
disorder in Sho town. Ths conduct of the
men is pronounced dignihed, manly and
conservative. Though starvation stared
them In the face, they behaved in q man.
ner worthy Of American citizens
Dealing with Chicasos Strike.
The report nsxt takes up the great rail.
road strike proper. 10 says that the readi-
ness to strike sympathotfcally was pro-
moted by the Disturbed and apprehensive
condition Of the railway employees result
ing from wsVe reductions on different
lines, blacklisting, etc, and from the
growth Of the General Managers associa-
tion, which seemed to the men to be a
menace
The report says that IL is seriously cues.
sopcd. and with much force, whether the
courts have jurisdiction 10 enjoin citizens
from ''persuading' each other Ia matters of
industrial OF common interests. Still 10 is
generally recognized that the mandates Of
court should DO obeyed until notified or
corrected by the court which has issued
the r-derS
The policy OF tho Pullman company and
the Railway Managers association In re.
fusing TO arbisrate closed the doors TO all
attempts a. Cancellation and settlement of
diffrenccs The commission "a impressed
By tho belief THAI tho reversal Of this policy
would have preventol tho loss Of life and
prcpctsy.
The report declares that the arrival OF
troops az Caivnyo was opportune, and SAYS
the poiicrrisn sy1npathized with the
mon rHI&sf -lHn fhr eY,r-,orH>fons Nor