The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-14

creased to an amount equal.to about one
fourth OF the wages Of the employees.
No ROOM FOR ARBITRATION.
1T must be clear 10 every business man,
and to every thinking workman. that no
prudent employer could submit 10 arbitra-
ton the question whether nc should COM
init such a piece OF business folly. Arbitra-
ton always implies acquiescence In the de-
cision of the arbitrator. whether favorable
or adverse. How could l, as president of
the Pullman company, consent TO agree
that if any body of men not concerned
with the interests Of the company's share
holders should, az arbitrators, for any rea-
sons seeming good TO them. SO decree, L
would open the shops, employ workmen at
wages greater than their work could be
sold for. and continue this ruinOus policy
indefinitely; or be accused Of d breach OF
faith: Who will deny that such a question
Is plainly not a subject of arbitration? Is
II nots then. unreasonable that the COM
pany should be asked TO arbitrate whether
or not 1t should submit such a question TO
arbitration? Removing the original and
fundamental question one stage does not
hei9 the matter; the question would still
remain; Can |, as a business man. know
stated, bind myself that will, in any con-
tingency. open and operate the Pullman
car shops at whatever loss, If it should hap
pen to be the opinion of a third party that
1 should do so? The answer seems to be
plain.
The public should not permit the real
question which has been before il 10 be
Obscured. The question was as 10 the pos
slb!lity of the crei ion and duration Of a
dictatorship which could make all the in
duStrieS of the United States, and the daily
comfort OF the millions dependent upon
them. hostages for the granting of any fan
tastic whim of such a dictator. Any sub
mission TO him would have been a long step
in that direction. and in the interest OF
every law-abiding citizen of the United
states was not to be considered for a mo-
"A few words are pertinent as to some
lndustriously spread charges against the
are exorbiiant. and IL is implied that the
Pullman employees have no choice but TO
submit. The answer is simple: The average
rental of tenements at Pullman is at the
rate or - per room per month, and the
renting of houses at Pullman has no rela-
zion to work in the shops. Employees may,
ana very many do, own or rent their houses
outside OF the town md many buildings
and business places in che town are rented
10 einployes or TO others in competition
win neighboring properties. In short. the
renting business of the Pullman company
IS governed by the same conditions which
govern any other large owner of real es-
tate. except that the company itself does
directly some things which in Chicago are
assumed by. the city. If, therefore. it is
not admitted that the rents of any landlord
are to be fixed by arbitration and that
those OF the adjoining towns of Kensington
and Roseland should also be so fixed. 1t
N#AA 0AAA " n A1dL Il1 II lAlAd lAOlil-
pany should abandon the ordinary rules
which govern persons in hat relation. As
60 charges Tor water. the company until
lately, had a contract with the village of
Hyde Park. under which it paid 4 cents
per thousand gallons and pumped the
water itself. The gross amount paid the
village per month for the water consumed
by the tenants was almost exactly the
gross sum paid by the tenants therefor.
since the inclusion Of Hyde Park and Pull
man within the city. of Chicago the COM
pany pays the city about & cents per thou
sand gallons. and. not having increased
the charge to the tenants. ia paying for the
water consumed by them about 500 per
month more than is charged to them. The
company has made repeated efforts to dis
associate itself from the supplying of water
% tenants. but the city of Chicago has as
vet failed 10 apply the ordinary frontage
rates to the houses and shops in Pullman,
although il is done in the adjacent towns.
strenuous efforts have also been made
to create a prejudice against the Pullman
company by charges that its stock is heav-
ily watered. The Pullman company was or
ganized twenty-seven years ago. with "A
capital of 81. OO0.O coz. of which two-thirds rep
resented the appraised value of it's cars,
then held by three owners. and one-third
represented the appraised value of its fran
pany has grown until it's s~leeping-car serv-
zee covers 125, 900 miles of railway, or about
three-fourths of the railway system of the
country, and that increase Of service has
necesSitated increase of its capital from
time to time. until 1t is now S36, 0OJ,OO0.
Every share OF this increase has been Of
fered TO stockholders and sold to them or
to others in the ordinary course of business
at not less than par in cash. so that for
every share of increase outstanding the
company has received 800 in cash. There
are over four thousand stockholders of the
company, of whom more than One-half are
women and trustees of estates. and the
average holding OF each stakeholder is now
eighty-siX shares, one-fifth of them hold
ing less than six shares EACH
i. President Pullman and Gen. Horace Por-
ter left the Pullman office. in the Mills
Building, at 7:30 o'clock in the evening.
When asked as to his movements. Mr.. Pull
man said: "My family is at Elberon. and
L intended to go there tonight. but l am
too fatigued. I shall stay in town, passing
the night at the Union League Club. / cam
not add a word to what 1 have said in my
statement"